Australian local governments and affordable housing: Challenges and possibilities

Morris, A; Beer, A; Martin, J; Horne, S; Davis, C; Budge, T; Paris, C

Australian local governments and affordable housing: Challenges and possibilities

Morris, A

Beer, A Martin, J Horne, S Davis, C Budge, T Paris, C

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Economic and Labour Relations Review, 2020, 31 (1), pp. 14 - 33
Issue Date:: 2020-03-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Morris, A https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7652-5370	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Beer, A	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Martin, J	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Horne, S	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Davis, C	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Budge, T	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Paris, C	en_US
dc.date.available	2019-10-01	en_US
dc.date.issued	2020-03-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Economic and Labour Relations Review, 2020, 31 (1), pp. 14 - 33	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	1035-3046	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/136444
dc.description.abstract	© The Author(s) 2019. For an increasing proportion of Australian households, the Australian dream of home ownership is no longer an option. Neoliberal housing policy and the financialisation of housing has resulted in a housing affordability crisis. Historically, Australian housing policy has afforded only a limited role to local government. This article analyses the results of a nation-wide survey of Australian local governments’ perceptions of housing affordability in their local government area, the possibilities for their meaningful intervention, the challenges they face, the role of councillors and councils’ perceptions of what levels of government should take responsibility for housing. Almost all of the respondents from Sydney and Melbourne councils were clear that there is a housing affordability crisis in their local government area. We apply a framework analysing housing policy in the context of neoliberalism and the related financialisation of housing in order to analyse the housing affordability crisis in Sydney and Melbourne. We conclude that in order to begin resolving the housing crisis in Australia’s two largest cities there has to be an increasing role for local government, a substantial increase in the building of social and affordable housing and a rollback of policies that encourage residential property speculation. JEL Codes: R31, R21.	en_US
dc.relation	http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/LP150100160
dc.relation.ispartof	Economic and Labour Relations Review	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1177/1035304619880135	en_US
dc.title	Australian local governments and affordable housing: Challenges and possibilities	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	1	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	31	en_US
utslib.for	1402 Applied Economics	en_US
utslib.for	1503 Business and Management	en_US
utslib.for	1605 Policy and Administration	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/DVC (Research)
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/DVC (Research)/lnstitute for Public Policy and Governance
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - IPPG - Institute for Public Policy and Governance
utslib.copyright.status	open_access
pubs.issue	1	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	31	en_US

Abstract:

© The Author(s) 2019. For an increasing proportion of Australian households, the Australian dream of home ownership is no longer an option. Neoliberal housing policy and the financialisation of housing has resulted in a housing affordability crisis. Historically, Australian housing policy has afforded only a limited role to local government. This article analyses the results of a nation-wide survey of Australian local governments’ perceptions of housing affordability in their local government area, the possibilities for their meaningful intervention, the challenges they face, the role of councillors and councils’ perceptions of what levels of government should take responsibility for housing. Almost all of the respondents from Sydney and Melbourne councils were clear that there is a housing affordability crisis in their local government area. We apply a framework analysing housing policy in the context of neoliberalism and the related financialisation of housing in order to analyse the housing affordability crisis in Sydney and Melbourne. We conclude that in order to begin resolving the housing crisis in Australia’s two largest cities there has to be an increasing role for local government, a substantial increase in the building of social and affordable housing and a rollback of policies that encourage residential property speculation. JEL Codes: R31, R21.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/136444