UDIA National welcomes the announcement by the Minister for Housing in the Government’s initiative to design the national shared vision for housing affordability and homelessness under the National Housing and Homelessness Plan (NHHP) and is encouraged that Australia’s political leadership plans drive a coordinated, multifaceted approach for boosting housing supply across the spectrum.
The Plan is on public exhibition and seeks input across several key questions with a view to canvassing strategies for governments, private industries, the not-for-profit and community sectors to improve access to housing and housing affordability in the private market.
“This initiative is absolutely crucial for Australia to tackle the number one cause of housing and rental stress – the shortage of development ready land created by a lack of enabling infrastructure, zoning, integrated planning and approvals,” said Max Shifman, UDIA National President.
The chronic lack of supply has seen housing land prices jump 24% since last year and national house rental prices grow 45% since March 2020.
The Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF) must get traction to build affordable and social housing but it is only a starting point. Many issues have to be solved to put an end to chronic unaffordability and homelessness, irrespective of whether the HAFF becomes a reality at all.
Even simple changes like setting housing targets and streamlining approvals for enabling infrastructure or construction result in real dollar upticks in productivity and housing supply.
“UDIA congratulates the Government for starting the important conversation on how we get the entire market, community and Governments to pull together to solve our housing crisis,” added Mr Shifman.
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