UDIA National welcomes the Government’s introduction of the Housing Affordability Future Fund (HAFF) and National Housing Supply and Affordability Council Bills into Parliament, as the first important steps towards combatting the chronic shortage of Affordable Housing in Australia
“The provision of safe and adequate housing is a whole of community issue. UDIA National recognises the HAFF as a golden opportunity for government, community housing and private at market/affordable providers to pull together to start solving the deep shortages in affordable and social housing,” said Max Shifman, President, UDIA National.
The decades long decline in new housing supply is a result of a lack of development ready land due to a lack of enabling infrastructure, increasing cost imposts and inefficient planning processes. In addition up to 60% of zoned housing land is prevented from being built on some areas because of straightforward issues. The result is that it can take 6 years or more to finish building a new house because of planning and approvals.
“These delays have pushed housing affordability into crisis and created chronic shortages across the entire housing spectrum. We now face the stark reality that Australia needs 45,000 new affordable and social housing each year just to keep pace, yet we are only managing around 8,500 dwellings through government and Community Housing Providers,” said Mr Shifman.
It is crucial that we start making inroads now given the ever-tightening supply market – even reducing the approval times for housing will release significantly more development ready land for affordable, social and at-market housing,” he added.
The Federal Government’s new National Housing Supply and Affordability Council Bill is a positive initiative that will go a long way towards identifying and tackling crucial supply blockages that hold back housing.
“It is the right time for bold initiatives that will bring all property providers together and bolster land supply to resolve the affordable and social housing shortages. Once passed, the real work starts on formulating the detailed operation of the HAFF and industry welcomes the opportunity to work with the political leadership to bolster housing supply and affordability across the spectrum,” said Maxwell Shifman.
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Media Enquiries:
Deanna Lane | National Media & Communications Manager | 0416 295 898 | media@udia.com.au