Australian housing wealth is meaningless, destructive and fundamentally changing our society

High-priced homes do not create wealth, Alan Kohler says, they redistribute it. Now financial success is largely a function of geography, not accomplishment.

The shift that began in about 2000 in the relationship between the cost of housing and both average incomes and the rest of the economy has altered everything about the way Australia operates and Australians live.

High-priced houses do not create wealth; they redistribute it. It’s destructive because of the inequality that results: with so much wealth concentrated in the home, it stays with those who already own a house and within their families. For someone with little or no family housing equity behind them, it’s virtually impossible to break out of the cycle and build new wealth.

Read the full article at www.theguardian.com

Gold Coast developer Soheil Abedian calls for affordable, inclusionary zoning to help solve housing crisis

Soheil Abedian has made a fortune from Australia’s housing market.

But after four decades in the industry, Mr Abedian says the growing social divide between those who can afford property and those who cannot is shaking the foundations of this country.

And his solution: mandate a portion of all new housing for people priced out of the open market.

Read the full article at www.abc.net.au.

Statement from Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon

Minister for Housing
The Honourable Meaghan Scanlon

We are eager to work with all levels of government on housing outcomes. We put forward a formal proposal for the Federal Government-owned facility and remain committed to providing up to $10 million for a housing solution, should the Federal Government choose to use it for that purpose.

While we wait for a direction, we’re getting on with the job buying and leasing hotels and motels to deliver more temporary accommodation. That’s on top of our big housing build, and the $183 million we provide to 194 specialist homelessness services across Queensland.

Click here to view original web page at qld.gov.au

The ‘deeply problematic’ methods some councils use to deter homeless people

A Western Australia council will stop playing a Wiggles song it was using to drive homeless people away from a public space. Some say music is just one of many ways local governments attempt to do this.

It’s not the first time councils or authorities have attempted to make public areas less appealing to homeless people and those sleeping rough.

Professor Cameron Parcell, an industry fellow at the Australian Research Council specialising in poverty and homelessness, said playing music was a “deeply problematic” way to dissuade homeless people from using public spaces.

Click here to view original web page at www.sbs.com.au

Tents handed out to shelter homeless dumped by Brisbane City Council

Outrage as council dumps tents given to homeless as shelter

Brisbane City Council workers have sparked outrage for disposing of tents supposed to help house the city’s homeless community just days after they were given out. It’s believed five tents were recently removed by council officers at Cathedral Place.

Northwest Community Group president Paul Slater, who organises and distributes supplies to those experiencing homelessness, told 7 News he had spoken to the council who confirmed “they’d thrown them into landfill”.

Click here to view original web page at 7news.com.au

Housing and homelessness plan must contain ‘big picture reform’: REIA

Australia’s peak real estate body has called for the National Housing and Homelessness Plan to deliver actions against several key issues, including a severe housing shortage and geopolitical challenges.

In its comprehensive submission on a National Housing and Homelessness Plan to the Department of Social Services, the Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA) has urged for “big picture reform” to cure the nation’s housing ailments.

Click here to view original web page at www.realestatebusiness.com.au

What The Block auctions tell us about Australia’s housing market

The Block is over for another year, but not before ending with five auctions that all produced wildly different results. So what happened during Sunday night’s finale of The Block, and what does it say about Australia’s housing market?

Ms Owen adds it’s worth noting there are a few ways in which The Block does not reflect normal property sales.

Click here to view original web page at www.abc.net.au

Housing Australia, state sign $517m Victorian deal

Housing Australia has signed a $517-million deal with the Victorian government to help provide 1370 new homes in Melbourne. The deal is part of a partnership with Community Housing (Vic) Limited (CHL), the state government and industry. It includes the issuing of a new sustainability bond for 15 years at a fixed rate that closed this week at $422 million with the total issuance over $2.6 billion.

Rated AAA and guaranteed by the government, it was almost twice oversubscribed. It will help deliver more than 650 social, 180 affordable, 470 market rate and 55 specialist disability accommodation.

The social and affordable components will target women and children at risk of homelessness and Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander people.

Click here to view original web page at www.theurbandeveloper.com

How one state almost solved America’s homelessness problem

People stand around tents used by unhoused persons

The United States is facing one of the worst housing crises in its history. The problem has turned homelessness into an epidemic. Not a single state has an adequate supply of affordable homes for renters in the lowest income bracket. On any given night, almost 600,000 Americans are unhoused. The good news is that a solution to this crisis exists.

One state — Utah — shows that reframing one’s understanding of the problem and providing homes without conditions is safer, more effective and cheaper than the alternative.

Click here to view original web page at dcjournal.com