Housing Mix
Our Position
High cost of living – of which housing costs are a major determinant – has a detrimental effect on a city’s creativity and innovative capacity; expensive cities make self-employment and entrepreneurship more difficult.
In addition, without affordable housing emergency and public services workers will be unable to live near their place of work.
Delivering Affordable Housing
There is no doubt that there is an undersupply of social and affordable housing across Victoria and Melbourne. As the economic ramifications of COVID-19 continue to play out, with resulting job losses, pay cuts and reduced hours of work, this problem will increase.
A sharp rise in house prices the past 12 months, with Melbourne the 6th most expensive market in the world, exacerbates the issue.
The Committee calls upon the Victorian Government to create a 40-year social and affordable housing strategy, which includes community awareness, data collection, target setting and development of policies that will increase the supply of much needed housing. We also urge consideration of a levy to address the supply gap.
This is a community issue with generational implications.
Read the Committee’s submission to the Victorian Government’s consultation on the development of a 10-yr social and affordable housing strategy here.
Media Coverage
ABC Radio, 16 April, “Community leaders suggest levy to tackle housing”
The Age, 14 April, “State urged to impose bushfire style levy to raise funds for more housing“
Agenda set for Housing Mix Taskforce
On 4 December 2018 the Housing Mix Taskforce Steering Committee, led by Ms Jane Hodder, came together over breakfast to set their goals for the coming year. Knowledge gained from conversations with various academic and industry leaders was used to help shape the agenda of the meeting. After extensive debate, the Steering Committee has decided to focus on the multifaceted nature of the affordable housing issue in Greater Melbourne.
The team will particularly investigate the below topics in relation to affordable housing:
- Tax structures
- Finance
- Planning (including affordable housing planning permit condition requirements and housing mix)
- Build-to-Rent
- Private rental sector (PRS)
- Unlocking excess/underutilised government land
- Transport
Should you have any expertise or interest in the above areas and wish to be involved in the Committee’s work in this area please get in touch with Leanne Edwards, Director of Policy & Research.
The Committee would like to thank the Steering Committee members for their work to date and thank them for their contribution to the agenda.
The Committees advocacy will continue in 2021.