CHIA has developed a National Plan for Affordable Housing that sets targets to guide investment and action over the next decade.
Download the National Plan here.
The four key objectives are:
- enough housing to meet Australia’s needs
- housing that is affordable for renters and home-buyers on low to moderate incomes
- a national housing market that is efficient
- a diverse housing profile that suits people at different stages of life.
The plan calls for action from the following key players.
Commonwealth Governments
- appoint a Federal Housing Minister
- a long-term national housing plan for Australia
- a National Housing Planning Council
- reform taxes and use the savings for affordable housing
- promote competition and choice in social housing
- reform Commonwealth Rent Assistance
- fill the funding gap between operating costs and rents from low income households
- a single national regulator of all social and affordable housing
- reform land supply and planning systems
- make suitable government land available for affordable housing.
State and territory governments
- better use of planning tools to deliver affordable housing
- inclusionary zoning with a minimum targets
- replace stamp duty on residential property with land tax
- strengthen tenancy regulations
- make suitable government land available for affordable housing development as an equity partner with community housing organisations
- transfer public housing stock to community housing operators
- separate funding, regulatory and the housing delivery functions.
Local government
- develop housing strategies to protect existing low-cost housing
- support affordable housing in land use policies
- encourage diverse housing forms suitable for people at different stages of their lives
- increase density in middle ring suburbs
- identify land suitable for affordable housing
- contribute land for affordable housing as an equity partner, or on long leases, in developments with community housing organisations
- develop more efficient, transparent and equitable infrastructure funding mechanisms
- offer rates concessions to community housing organisations.
Financial services industry
- develop lending products that support shared equity home purchases
- improve accessibility of banking services to all Australians, including Indigenous people
- educate itself about the benefit of doing business with community housing organisations.
Property development and construction industries
- bring more diverse and affordable housing product to the market
- use good design to improve liveability and reduce the lifetime costs of housing.
Community housing industry
- build on its proven success in using commercial approaches to meet its social purpose
- undertake co-investment or joint ventures with governments as equity partners
- strengthen relationships with local government.