The Conversation

Three charts on: poorer Australians bearing the brunt of rising housing cost

Rising housing costs are hurting low-income Australians the most. Those at the bottom end of the income spectrum are much less likely to own their own home than in the past, are often spending more of their income on rent, and are more likely to be living a long way from where most jobs are being created.
2017

Sensible reform to finance affordable housing deserves cross-party support

Like Australia, the UK has a serious problem with housing affordability and supply, made worse by policy and market settings that fuel instability in rental housing.
2017

Two pictures of rental housing stress and vulnerability zero in on areas of need

The article discusses Australia's Rental Affordability Index and the Rental Vulnerability Index. Definition of each term and policy use of the data using Queensland as an example.
2017

Tiny houses: Interest is growing but who wants them and why?

My research to date has found a marked increase in people who want their own tiny house, particularly among older women. Based on earlier research, I argued tiny houses could be part of a solution to the perennial and wicked problem of unaffordable housing, as well as improving urban density and the environmental sustainability of housing. Demographically, interest in tiny houses is biased towar
2017

Co-housing works well for older people , once they get past the image problem

Housing Australia’s ageing population in homes that are affordable, accessible and sustainable presents a major challenge, particularly in a time of rising housing costs. Many fail to anticipate the health and financial challenges that can diminish their housing choices as they age.
2017

For renters, making housing more affordable is just the start

For renting to become a truly viable, long-term alternative to home ownership, greater rental affordability and security are needed. Longer-term structural changes to tackle housing affordability, including boosting the supply of social housing and increasing tenure diversity, will be essential.
2017

Three reasons the government promotes home ownership for older Australians

Government strategies to manage population ageing largely assume that older Australians are home owners. There is often an implied association between home ownership and ageing well: that is, older Australians who own homes are seen as having made the right choices and as being less of a budget burden. The problem with this approach is that not everyone is or can be a home owner.
2017
Themes:

What do single, older women want? Their ‘own little space’ (and garden) to call home, for a start

The “great Australian dream” of owning your own home is rapidly proving to be an illusion for many in the early 21st century. In an environment of exceedingly high house prices, groups who don’t have secure, long-term employment are at risk of homelessness, particularly as they age.
2017

Supportive housing is cheaper than chronic homelessness

It costs the state government more to keep a person chronically homeless than it costs to provide permanent supportive housing to end homelessness, recent research shows.
2016

Why secure and affordable housing is an increasing worry for age pensioners

The average housing costs of older (65-plus) outright homeowners in lone-person households were A$38 a week in 2013-14, the Australian Bureau of Statistics calculated, compared to $103 for older social housing tenants and $232 for older private renters. Fortunately, over the last several decades almost all Australians who depend on the age pension for their income have been outright homeowners, a
2016
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