The NRAS cliffhanger: Stakeholder insights into rebuilding the broken Australian affordable housing system

Abstract

Over the last few decades, there has been an increasing awareness that Australian housing policies are failing to meet the needs of low- and middle-income households. This study addresses persistent challenges households face in the private rental market, exacerbated by the pandemic, soaring rents and termination of National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS).

This study examines the efficacy of ongoing policy debates of market-based schemes and identifies strategic and tactical opportunities for housing stakeholders. This empirical research, including 31 interviews with key informants from public, private and community sectors, reveals substantial influence of ‘set and forget’ by partisan politics on the oversight available to policymakers in such programs.

The findings highlight five key mistakes and five lessons learned, emphasising the pressing need to reassess current policies and strategies to tackle the deepening housing affordability crisis. The research also offers a benchmark test for all affordable housing policies, namely ‘personal and collective will in policy implementation’ – PaCWiPI – applicable for all housing policy processes.