Governance
Housing and homelessness are complex, extensive fields. Unaffordable, inaccessible and materially inadequate housing imposes costs on individuals and society. The policy levers for acting on problems of housing and homelessness are spread across different agencies and levels of government. By the same token, achieving housing and homelessness policy objectives can yield benefits across diverse agencies, policy areas and aspects of social and economic life.
However, Australian housing and homelessness policy lacks coherence and co-ordination. There is no national strategy and state/territory-level strategies vary in form and commitment. Important institutions, particularly federal financial institutions that profoundly impact the housing system, stand outside housing policy. Federal relations are in flux, with the Council of Australian Governments abolished and constitutional responsibilities being reinterpreted. At the same time, academics, policy-makers and advocates globally are rethinking, with new ambition, the role of governments in solving complex problems, such as climate change, pandemics – and housing.
This research charts the ways towards an Australian Housing and Homelessness Strategy.
