Housing affordability forum: make housing fair for all

Shelter NSW media release – 3 October 2007

Today’s forum on affordable housing identified that without action to make serious change on housing policy, the current crisis in affordable housing will become entrenched.

‘There is a need for policies to increase the supply of housing accessible for low and moderate income households,’ says Mary Perkins, Executive Officer of Shelter NSW.

‘Some of the policies to date have had the unintended consequence of contributing to house price inflation. A new approach is necessary so that all households can access housing that is affordable. A decent home is the backbone to a reasonable standard of living and a fair society.

‘It was clear from discussion today that there is a lack of coherence in the way housing policy is formed and there that is a need for all levels of government to pull together within a coherent framework’.

Work shop participants also identified a new ‘middle ground’ of people not eligible for public housing and not able to access private housing at an affordable price. It is clear that housing stress affects not only the very poor, but households with working incomes.

‘Being employed used to be sufficient to protect a household from housing related poverty. This is no longer the case. Government policies to date do not adequately address the needs of these households,’ says Ms Perkins.

Forum participants identified that failure to act now to address housing affordability will entrench these households in crisis.

Forum participants call on the major parties to develop housing policies that will provide secure and affordable housing that meet the following criteria:

Appropriate – is in the right place and is appropriate to household need
Socially and economically efficient
Equitable – particularly for those groups who otherwise miss out (for example indigenous peoples and people with disabilities)
Has medium and long term benefits – infrastructure that lasts for longer than the election cycle
Has positive community outcomes such as increased workforce participation as a result of access to stable accommodation
Avoids unintended impacts such as housing price inflation or significant deflation.

The forum was addressed by key state and federal politicians including Senator Nigel Scullion speaking on behalf of federal housing minister Mal Brough MP, and the shadow minister for housing, Tanya Plibersek MP.

The forum was sponsored by UnitingCare Burnside, NSW Dept of Housing, Council of Social Service NSW, NSW Federation of Housing Associations, Association to Resource Cooperative Housing, Tenants Union of NSW, and Australasian Housing Institute.

Enquiries: Mary Perkins on 0419 919 091

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