A landmark former orphanage site in Surrey Hills could be transformed into a new residential community under plans lodged by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/antipodean-land-developments">Antipodean Land Developments</a> that would deliver 76 apartments and townhouses while restoring some of the suburb's most significant heritage buildings.

The burgeoninng Melbourne-based developer has submitted plans for the 9,158 sqm site at 1 Kent Road and 24 Durham Road, home to the former St Joseph's Home for Destitute Children, a historic institutional complex dating back to the late 19th century. The proposal seeks to adaptively reuse several heritage buildings while introducing two new four-storey residential buildings set within extensive landscaped grounds.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/woods-bagot">Woods Bagot</a> and Kerstin Thompson Architects, the project has been conceived as a contemporary residential village embedded within a restored heritage precinct. The development team describes the design approach as "The Village in the Garden," with new buildings positioned among mature landscaping by OCULUS and significant heritage structures.

<img alt="First look: Antipodean Land Developments plans heritage-led apartment community in Surrey Hills" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="44ec8c1b-c0b6-44ae-859e-5811b3e6a023" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%281%29.png?VersionId=p.p1_KFh4iQoV4nisdnPfQBAsWNi7m79" />

The proposal would deliver 76 dwellings comprising a mix of apartments and duplex-style residences, significantly increasing housing supply on one of the largest privately held residential landholdings in Surrey Hills. The development includes 127 car spaces, 24 bicycle spaces and more than 1,000 sqm of communal amenity, with the existing chapel building earmarked for conversion into resident facilities.

According to the planning submission, the project centres on the restoration and adaptive reuse of the site's most significant heritage assets, including the original c.1889 St Joseph's building, the chapel designed by architect Augustus Andrew Fritsch, and the historic brick perimeter walls and entry gates. The proposal also incorporates the retention of other contributory buildings including the former infirmary and school building.

Tract Consultants, in the planning report accompanying the application, said the scheme had been shaped through extensive heritage analysis and design development.

"The shared vision for the Site by the project team has culminated in a scheme which successfully breathes life back into a historic site while delivering upon the objectives of Victoria's Housing Statement in a carefully curated and contextually responsive manner."

<img alt="First look: Antipodean Land Developments plans heritage-led apartment community in Surrey Hills" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7263b7d8-95ea-400f-9531-6ca7d22c3c33" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%282%29.png?VersionId=4cR1tiWOsDpgxEOwZi5vVFcyvvOsYkIE" />

The proposal is being assessed under Victoria's Significant Residential Development with Affordable Housing pathway. As part of the application, three per cent of the project's residential development cost would be contributed to the Social Housing Growth Fund. The development would also provide a diverse mix of one, two and three-bedroom residences targeting a broader range of buyers than typically found in Surrey Hills' detached housing market.

Sustainability initiatives include an anticipated 66 per cent BESS score, natural cross-ventilation to 80 per cent of apartments, 28 per cent deep soil landscaping and a canopy cover outcome exceeding local planning requirements. The proposal also sets aside more than 1,083 sqm for communal indoor and outdoor resident amenity spaces.

<img alt="First look: Antipodean Land Developments plans heritage-led apartment community in Surrey Hills" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="33fad46f-fe26-4d0a-acfd-6b776e1c6a3d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Untitled%20design.png?VersionId=D9F6WVSyYCtGvSUmith35LRp6R7PQkw_" />

Planning documents describe the property as one of the largest underutilised residential sites in Surrey Hills, arguing it presents a rare opportunity to introduce "missing middle" housing in an established inner-eastern suburb while preserving and revitalising a significant heritage precinct.

Antipodean Land Developments has built a reputation for design-focused residential projects across Melbourne, particularly in the medium-density sector. Previous developments include Neighbourhood in Brunswick East, delivered with Breathe Architecture, and Balfe Park Lane, designed by Kerstin Thompson Architects.

They've been very active in site acquisition as they build out their future development pipeline. They recently launched Thornubury House, 45 apartments above a mix of commercial, retail, and food and beverage tenancies, and have plans for a boutique project in Fitzroy and another <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/vic/antipodean-plan-apartments-for-deepdenes-missing-middle-on-whitehorse-road">"missing middle" project</a> on Deepdene's Whitehorse Road.

Joel Robinson

First look: Antipodean Land Developments plans heritage-led apartment community in Surrey Hills

Developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/auyin-property-development">Auyin</a> is the latest to turn to the Victorian Government's Development Facilitation Program in an effort to secure approval for its long-planned, mixed-use project in Elsternwick.

In 2018, Auyin lodged plans with Glen Eira City Council for a 14-storey building, however Council approved a reduced eight-storey scheme. A subsequent VCAT appeal in 2019 upheld the eight-storey height limit.

The project was later amended to nine storeys, but Auyin is now seeking to revive something closer to its original vision. The developer argues that the planning context has evolved significantly over the past decade, particularly within the Elsternwick Activity Centre, where higher-density development has increasingly been encouraged along Glen Huntly Road.

The proposal would transform the 1,239 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/7-12-horne-street-elsternwick-vic-3185">7-15 Horne Street</a>, opposite Elsternwick Railway Station, into a 13-storey residential and retail development designed by CBG Architects, with 40 apartments

The site currently comprises three commercial properties.

<img alt="First look: 13-storey mixed-use tower planned for Elsternwick activity centre" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5f465dd4-509b-4082-a669-0253b313914b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/elsternwick%20podium.png?VersionId=72frWi0SmQ5AVJ3ARRhX5ILUYObhTm7x" />

The proposed apartment mix comprises 25 two-bedroom and 15 three-bedroom residences above 200 sqm of retail space at ground level. Residents would have access to a 90 sqm wellness facility, a 351 sqm communal indoor and outdoor terrace on the third level, and extensive landscaped areas throughout the development. A publicly accessible 135 sqm plaza would be created on the north-east corner of the site, providing seating, landscaping, and a new gathering space adjoining Horne Street.

The design adopts a four-storey podium that references the finer-grain character of the surrounding streetscape, with the upper tower recessed behind generous setbacks on all boundaries.

<img alt="First look: 13-storey mixed-use tower planned for Elsternwick activity centre" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e637e763-2abc-4c34-a0aa-5c7ad36fae18" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/elsternwick%20open.png?VersionId=J1AoOpZgTyaF.KeeFSX6lMjEScX8KKRi" />

A key element of the proposal is the reconfiguration and widening of the surrounding laneways. Vehicle access would be retained from Lois Lane, with upgraded pedestrian connections linking Ross Street and Horne Street. The development would provide 58 residential car spaces, two retail car spaces, and 52 bicycle spaces across two basement levels and ground-floor facilities.

Architecturally, the building draws inspiration from the established character of Elsternwick Village. The façade combines dark charcoal brickwork, textured concrete, bronze-toned metal detailing, and extensive planting integrated into podium and tower levels. The design also incorporates a chamfered corner treatment and publicly accessible plaza intended to strengthen pedestrian activity around the station precinct.

Elsternwick's last new development completion was&nbsp;EVA Elsternwick by Pitard late last year. <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/milieu-property">Milieu</a> is working away on its nature-led neighbourhood, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/elsternwick-gardens-by-milieu-8-gordon-street-elsternwick-vic-3185">Elsternwick Gardens</a>, on Gordon Street, with its first stage expected to complete next year.

First look: Auyin seeks mixed-use apartment project in growing Elsternwick Activity Centre

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/otium-parkdale-123-125-como-parade-east-parkdale-vic-3195">Otium Parkdale</a>, the 13-residence boutique development by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/huxtable-property">Huxtable Property</a>, has entered its final stages of delivery, with completion expected within the coming month and more than half of the residences sold.

The Como Parade East project is nearing the finish line at a time when opportunities to purchase new apartments in <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/parkdale-vic-3195">Parkdale</a> remain exceptionally limited. Fewer than 10 per cent of dwellings in the bayside suburb are apartments, making developments like Otium a relatively rare addition to a market traditionally dominated by detached housing.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134974 project_image_fid=5427]

The three-level development comprises 13 residences, including ten two-bedroom apartments and three larger three-bedroom homes, all positioned above a secure basement car park.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/almeida-architects">Almeida Architects</a> with a strong connection to its coastal surroundings, Otium combines red brick, exposed concrete and dark metal detailing with integrated landscaping and greenery. Expansive glazing, generous balconies and terraces have been incorporated throughout the design to maximise natural light and reinforce indoor-outdoor living.

Inside, the residences feature engineered European oak flooring, natural and reconstituted stone benchtops, Bosch kitchen appliances, ducted heating and cooling, lift access and secure entry systems. The larger three-bedroom residences on the upper level have been designed with house-like proportions, while the two-bedroom apartments prioritise functionality, flexibility and low-maintenance living.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134974 project_image_fid=5421]

The project is now in its final stages, with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/labco">Labco</a> completing the remaining landscaping and external finishing works following the completion of the residences' interiors.

Otium's location within the heart of Parkdale continues to underpin its appeal. Residents will be just steps from local cafés, restaurants, shops and the newly elevated Parkdale Station, while the beach is less than a kilometre away.

With the project tracking ahead of schedule, buyers can currently secure a residence with a five per cent deposit and benefit from settlement terms of up to eight months. The advanced stage of construction also provides buyers with the opportunity to walk through the near-complete residences and experience the quality and finishes firsthand ahead of completion.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=134974]

Otium Parkdale enters final month before completion as rare apartment opportunity nears sellout

A new boutique apartment development is entering the market in <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/chermside-qld-4032">Chermside</a>, with Brisbane-based developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/ausdev">Ausdev</a> bringing 33 residences to a well-connected pocket of Brisbane's north.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/parkdrive-apartments-chermside-25-sammells-drive-chermside-qld-4032">Parkdrive Apartments</a>, at 25 Sammells Drive, will comprise a mix of one- and two-bedroom residences positioned within walking distance of Westfield Chermside, The Prince Charles Hospital, and Bradbury Park.

Established in 1989, Ausdev has a long-standing presence across both development and construction, with Parkdrive Apartments representing its latest residential project in Brisbane's northern suburbs.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152125 project_image_fid=363778]

The development has been designed around open-plan living and natural light, with residences featuring stone benchtops, timber cabinetry, BOSCH appliances, and private balconies that extend the living areas outdoors.

Kitchens are positioned as the centrepiece of the homes, incorporating natural material palettes and integrated appliances, while bathrooms have been designed with a focus on functionality and understated finishes.

Residents will have access to a communal barbecue and entertaining area on Level 3, providing shared outdoor space within the development. Secure parking and lift access are also incorporated into the building.

The project will deliver a limited collection of 33 apartments, with one-bedroom residences priced from $749,000.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152125 project_image_fid=363782]

Beyond the building itself, the location places residents within easy reach of several of Chermside's key amenities. Bradbury Park is around 350 metres away, while Westfield Chermside is approximately 1.3 kilometres from the site. The Prince Charles Hospital is located within 750 metres, and the Chermside Bus Interchange is around 1.5 kilometres away, providing connections across Brisbane.

Parkdrive Apartments adds to the growing residential pipeline in Chermside, a suburb that continues to evolve as a major retail, healthcare, and transport hub for Brisbane's north.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152125]

Ausdev introduces boutique Parkdrive Apartments to Chermside's growing centre

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/skymark-group">Skymark</a>'s boutique Cronulla development Solis has secured a 10-year Latent Defects Insurance policy through Resilience Insurance, providing buyers of the 16-residence building on Ewos Parade with structural and waterproofing protection that extends a decade beyond the building's completion.

Currently under construction and due for completion in late 2027, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/solis-cronulla-8-ewos-parade-cronulla-nsw-2230">Solis</a> is one of a small number of new developments in the Sutherland Shire to carry Resilience LDI coverage, a distinction that carries increasing weight as buyer confidence in the off-the-plan sector continues to be shaped by how developers stand behind their product.

Latent Defects Insurance, which entered the Australian market in 2022 when Resilience Insurance was approved to offer the cover, protects buyers against major structural or waterproofing defects for ten years post-completion. Unlike traditional statutory warranties, it operates as a first-resort policy, if a covered defect arises, the insurer responds directly, without the buyer needing to pursue the builder or developer through a lengthy claims process.

Resilience Insurance CEO Corey Nugent has noted that the product addresses something fundamental to the new apartment market.

"The overarching feedback from prospective buyers in the new development space is that they want more confidence and assurances around the quality of the build," Nugent says.

"Resilience Insurance Latent Defects Insurance not only gives them complete peace of mind for 10 years, but it shows the developer they are buying from is standing by their product."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150499 project_image_fid=370898]

For Solis, the Resilience LDI policy adds a meaningful layer of accountability to an already considered project. The development comprises nine two-bedroom and seven three-bedroom residences, including one dual-level three-bedroom apartment, across a five-storey building on Ewos Parade, positioned between Shelly Beach and South Cronulla.

Garden apartments connect directly to private landscaped courtyards, while upper-level homes capture beach views to the east from level four and above.&nbsp;

All 16 residences include at least one balcony or courtyard, and select apartments on the upper floors feature bar areas and secondary flexible living spaces.

Hiba Sander, Managing Director of Skymark, says Solis offers a rare balance, nestled between the quiet beauty of secluded beaches and the lively charm of South Cronulla's esplanade.

"It's a place to choose your pace and live gracefully, seaside'," Sander says.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150499 project_image_fid=370900]

The architecture, designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/ida-design-group">IDA Design Group</a>'s Michael Trinh, draws from the natural erosion patterns of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/cronulla-nsw-2230">Cronulla</a>'s sandstone headlands, translating the organic forms of the coastline into soft curves, pavilion-style massing, and a material palette chosen for longevity in a salt-tinged environment.&nbsp;

Textured natural stone, soft renders, and timber-look battens reference the tones of the surrounding cliffs, while the building has been oriented to maximise natural light and passive ventilation, with primary living spaces facing north and east to capture morning sun and sea breezes.

"At Solis, our aim was to create architecture that feels quietly confident, grounded in natural materials like stone and timber, and elevated by light and landscape," Trinh says.&nbsp;

"The buildings are designed to sit gently within their coastal surrounds, with expansive glazing and abundant greenery creating a seamless dialogue between inside and out."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150499 project_image_fid=370897]

Interiors by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/hot-black">Hot Black</a> carry the same material language through to every room. Kitchens feature integrated Gaggenau appliances, sculpted stone benchtops, and Lo &amp; Co joinery, while bathrooms feature natural stone, timber, and brushed metal finishes.&nbsp;

Hot Black Founder and Design Director Sophie Safrin describes the intent as one of considered restraint: "At Solis, every detail has been thoughtfully considered to create a timeless coastal retreat, calm, refined, and effortlessly liveable. From natural finishes to seamless indoor-outdoor flow, Solis offers a quiet elegance that's deeply connected to its surroundings.

The landscape, designed by Julian Brady of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/sitedesignstudios">Site Design Studios</a>, treats green space as an integral part of the resident experience rather than an afterthought.&nbsp;

"Gentle curves and layered native plantings mirror the ebb and flow of the ocean," Julian Brady says, "creating a serene connection between architecture and place."&nbsp;

Coco Republic has provided bespoke furniture packages tailored to the project's coastal palette.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150499 project_image_fid=370899]

Skymark has an established track record in the Sutherland Shire, with a portfolio spanning Cronulla, Woolooware and Burraneer that includes Isla, Sylva, Bask, Shells, Sula and Mist. Securing LDI on Solis reflects a broader shift in how the developer is positioning its buildings to buyers, at a time when Resilience Insurance expects the policy to become mandatory in New South Wales by 2028.

Sales at Solis are launching soon through Ray White Projects, with an official event scheduled for 11 June. Enquire for more information.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150499]

Skymark takes out 10-year Resilience Insurance LDI at Solis Cronulla

Social Housing

The transformation of a new mixed housing community is a step closer, with almost 750 new homes approved for construction at Arncliffe, along with a new social housing element.

The NSW Government is partnering with Billbergia Group and not-for-profit community housing provider Evolve Housing to deliver the housing boost.&nbsp;

Billbergia Group Managing Director John Kinsella said the Arncliffe project is the third to be delivered in partnership with NSW Land and Housing Corporation.

<img alt="The Arncliffe project" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="6ef57bce-2b41-4779-83b7-81c3fd51569a" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screen%20Shot%202022-08-23%20at%2011.39.20%20am.png?VersionId=IkbfguaZG.73Sp5DMGsJSqKnHApfptOe" />

“Projects like these demonstrate how government and private sectors can work together to deliver social housing by taking a true long-term community view,” Kinsella said.

“We’re looking forward to transforming the dated social housing into a thriving new community which blends private and social housing into a vibrant precinct containing over 4,000 sqm of parklands and open space.”

Incoming NSW Land and Housing Corporation Chief Executive Simon Newport said the $253 million redevelopment is a leading example of how partnerships can deliver increased housing across the state.

<img alt="The Arncliffe project" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="23830cab-b56d-42ee-bb56-8c6e3991a6b2" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screen%20Shot%202022-08-23%20at%2011.39.14%20am.png?VersionId=_JbSXiXnxKYt9.ZvHVV5KIl5IHl.xotB" />

“This is what can be achieved when we collaborate with the private and not-for-profit sectors. At no cost to the taxpayer, we’ll deliver both an increase to the supply of new social and private housing,” Newport said.

“Just a stone’s throw from Arncliffe train station, we’ll see 180 homes for people in need and 564 new private dwellings delivered, supported by new local infrastructure, retail shops, community facilities and open space.”

During the height of the pandemic, many of the existing social housing units marked for demolition and redevelopment had their life extended for use as emergency housing, as development works slowed across the industry due to the impacts of COVID-19.

<img alt="The Arncliffe project" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d2a6b0c5-45af-4e97-b4aa-c9f433c732d4" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screen%20Shot%202022-08-23%20at%2011.39.03%20am.png?VersionId=M.FYR9FO8_xV8zhzrLdybqEgoful.H8Q" />

Newport said the temporary extension for emergency housing offered an opportunity to assist more people on the waitlist transition into permanent housing.

“For a short-term investment in updating and refreshing each property back in 2020, we were able to provide short-term accommodation to assist the new tenants towards positive outcomes, including suitable new housing,” he said.

“Instead of the units sitting vacant while waiting for lockdowns to end, we were able to give almost 140 households on the social housing waitlist a leg-up towards permanent housing.”

The NSW Government is partnering with Billbergia Group and not-for-profit community housing provider Evolve Housing to deliver the housing boost

alisonwarters@gmail.com

Billbergia secure approval for Arncliffe apartments

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Braybrook will be the suburb where the new lowrise social housing apartments are constructed in what Housing Minister Richard Wynne says will be a game-changer for social housing.

The apartments, to be built at 293-295 Ballarat Road, have been designed by Architects LIAN, in ­association with Kerstin Thompson Architects.

The government has committed to construction of more than 12,000 homes by June 2024 as part of its “big housing build.’’

The government has sought a new model for social housing that moves away from high-rise towers to ­accommodate families in low-rise apartments.

At least 12 new developments will be constructed around Braybrook before being rolled out to other parts of the city and state.

The homes will be a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments.

Melbourne's current ­social housing towers, built in the 1960s and 1970s, are now expected to be used for at least 85 years, according to the Herald Sun.

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Braybrook is set to lead the Victorian state government pivot to a new lowrise model for social housing

jchancellor

Braybrook to lead Melbourne's pivot to lowrise social housing apartments

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EXPERT OBSERVATION 
The stereotype of a homeless person – those living in tents or sleeping in parks or doorways – is just the visible tip of the much larger crisis of homelessness in Australia.
For every one of about 8,000 “rough sleepers” there about 14 others staying in temporary accommodation or with others in severely crowded dwellings. That’s a total of more than <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/housing/census-population-and-housing-estimating-homelessness/latest-release" target="_blank">116,000 homeless Australians</a>, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics census data.
About 60% are under the age of 35, though the number of homeless aged 55 and older has been steadily increasing. About a quarter are women and children fleeing <a href="https://apo.org.au/sites/default/files/resource-files/2008-12/apo-nid2882.pdf" target="_blank">domestic violence</a>.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2020/DEC/1/homelessness.png" target="_blank">Click here to enlarge</a>.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2020/DEC/1/homelessness.png" alt="">
The causes of homelessness are complex. The stereotype is that it involves mental illness and substance addiction. But the more common denominators are poverty, unemployment and a lack of affordable adequate housing.
Whatever the cause, research by myself and colleagues for the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute proposes a path forward to reduce, and even eliminate, homelessness in Australia.
To do so requires moving away from treating the problem in an uncoordinated manner at the point of crisis and investing in an integrated system that prioritises prevention, fast rehousing and an adequate supply of affordable long-term housing.
A historical legacy
Australia’s existing approach to dealing with homelessness is the legacy of a response originating in the 19th century, long before the advent of the modern welfare state, relying on charitable institutions to pick up the pieces of an economic system failing to care for the most vulnerable.
This has resulted in a somewhat chaotic system of small-scale and often disconnected services that are funded to only put a band-aid on the problem. It is mainly oriented towards crisis responses, with limited resources devoted to responding to homelessness once it has occurred, often only providing temporary relief from homelessness.
Federal, state and territory governments provide about <a href="/news">A$250 million a year</a> in funding to the 1,500 not-for-profit “specialist homelessness services” – organisations such as Launch Housing and Vincent Care – to provide support services and short-term accommodation in refuges, hostels, motels and caravan parks.
But this is insufficient to achieve the aim of even providing temporary accommodation to all those in need. Homeless services turn away <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/housing-assistance/people-turned-away-from-government-funded-speciali/contents/summary" target="_blank">almost 60%</a> of those who ask for help. People instead have to rely on the kindness of family and friends, or sleep in their cars or on the street, while they wait to receive assistance. There is no statutory duty to provide assistance to homeless people in Australia.
The status quo is an expensive and unsatisfactory approach. We can do much better.
Housing comes first
An emerging trend internationally is to reorient homelessness service systems away from a largely crisis response and towards prevention and long-term solutions.
The key is a “Housing First” approach, investing resources into first getting people into long-term accommodation, and then providing support to address the reasons they found themselves homeless in the first place.
Once housing is secured, relevant support workers can then support clients with particular needs, from preparing for employment, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, negotiating the legal system arising from domestic and family violence, and psychiatric or psychological counselling.
Evidence to the superiority of the “Housing First” approach comes from Norway. <a href="/news">Over the past 12 years</a> the number of homeless Norwegians has fallen by more than 35%. This compares with Australia’s approach, which <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/housing/census-population-and-housing-estimating-homelessness/latest-release#key-findings" target="_blank">in the past 20 years</a> has managed to only marginally reduce the number of rough sleepers while other categories of homelessness have continued to rise.
We need an integrated strategy
A clear deficiency in Australia’s approach to homelessness has been the lack of any integrated national strategy and leadership. This means funding arrangements in states and territories are piecemeal and inadequate.
The first step in moving to a “Housing First” approach is coordinated federal and state funding for an adequate supply of affordable and social housing.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2020/DEC/1/Public%20housing%20dwellings.png" target="_blank">Click here to enlarge</a>.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2020/DEC/1/Public%20housing%20dwellings.png" alt="">
As we outline in our new report <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/347" target="_blank">Ending homelessness in Australia: A redesigned homelessness service system</a>, an integrated national strategy would also include an enhanced role for universal welfare services such as primary health services, schools and colleges to assist people at risk of homelessness.
They would have a duty to prevent homelessness when possible, assisting clients to maintain their existing housing or to access new housing. Where this is not possible, they would refer clients to specialist housing services for assistance finding crisis accommodation, and then long-term housing.
In this system, providing crisis accommodation would be the solution of last resort.
That affordable housing is the first step in solving homelessness may seem startlingly obvious. But, counterintuitively, that’s not the premise of how the current system works.
We cannot stress enough how much an adequate planned supply of long-term affordable and social housing that is appropriate, secure and safe is vital to any successful attempt to end homelessness. 
ANGELA SPINNEY is a Research Fellow at the Swinburne University of Technology
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Eliminating most homelessness is achievable: Angela Spinney

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122 new social and affordable homes are being developed in South Western Sydney.
Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services Gareth Ward said the completion of BaptistCare’s Narralling Community in Elderslie is the latest milestone in the NSW Government’s $1.1 billion Social and Affordable Housing Fund (SAHF).
“A strong pipeline of modern, fit-for-purpose new homes is helping reduce housing stress and is providing secure housing for people who need it most,” Mr Ward said.
“This project is an excellent example of the work the NSW Government is doing in collaboration with community housing providers, which is not only creating great social outcomes but also significant economic benefits in the form of local jobs.”
The project consists of 84 one-bedroom villas for seniors and 38 two-bedroom townhouses for single-parent families. The complex features landscaped gardens, a BBQ area, community centre, a veggie garden and playground
BaptistCare CEO Charles Moore said BaptistCare is delivering 500 homes as part of the SAHF, which will support people facing rental stress and homelessness. 
The SAHF is an initiative of <a href="https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/6gTxCp818qh1M9gDfD02YM?domain=facs.nsw.gov.au" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/6gTxCp818qh1M9gDfD02YM?domain%3Dfacs.nsw.gov.au&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1606869169026000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGhhe5mPjhY-TMbdxArJLKYmv7Hog">Future Directions of Social Housing in NSW</a>, the NSW Government’s plan to deliver more and better social housing across the state.
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New social housing for Sydney's South West

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More than 1,000 homes have now been completed under the NSW Government’s innovative Social and Affordable Housing Fund (SAHF).
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Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services Gareth Ward said another 2,500 new homes are in the program’s pipeline, with about half already under construction.
“This program is all about collaborating with the community housing sector to deliver projects that support vulnerable people, particularly those at risk of homelessness,” Mr Ward said.
“About half of the homes completed so far are dedicated to people over 55 years of age, because they are a growing vulnerable cohort that require additional support.
The Government is delivering the $1.1 billion SAHF in collaboration with community housing providers. Residents who move into the properties receive a service package that includes access to services and support tailored to their individual needs.
Minister for Water, Property and Housing Melinda Pavey said the Land and Housing Corporation was complementing the SAHF with the largest renewal of social housing in Australia.
“We’re not just putting keys in doors; we’re delivering new, integrated communities. This investment will breathe new life into local economies to reenergise social housing and create vibrant communities, not just buildings.”
SGCH Group CEO Scott Langford said SGCH is delivering more than 500 properties under the SAHF and recently completed a 49-unit development in Liverpool.
“We are steadily delivering over 500 new homes under the SAHF, drawing on the strength of our partnerships with government, financiers and support providers,” Mr Langford said.
“Together, we are providing residents the stability of a safe, affordable home linked with supports, this combination serves as a springboard to opportunity.”
The SAHF is a key initiative of Future Directions of Social Housing in NSW building more and better housing that blends-in with local communities.
Photo above: Social houses in Parramatta, Sydney/ <a href="https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/nsw-social-housing-020029321" target="_blank">Getty</a>.
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New South Wales's social housing set to surge

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Australia has <a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-debate-turns-to-whether-australia-should-embrace-elimination-strategy-136186" target="_blank" style="font-family: Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.15999984741211px;">done better with COVID-19</a> than anyone dared hope. This opens up the prospect of a progressive relaxation of restrictions later this year. Organisations that could participate in an economic stimulus program will need to be in a position then to deliver “shovel-ready” projects to help revive the economy.
The construction sector is the obvious focus of a stimulus plan, and the construction of social housing should be the priority, for reasons that I’ll outline below.
The Rudd government’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/vital-signs-the-gfc-and-me-ten-years-on-what-have-we-learned-103514" target="_blank">stimulus package during the Global Financial Crisis</a> gives us a helpful guide to what does and doesn’t work. The initiatives that failed did so because of a lack of proper planning.
Fortunately, if we get going now, we have months to plan the recovery program. Getting it right will be crucial. By September, one month before <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/general/JobKeeper-Payment/" target="_blank">JobKeeper</a> payments end, many businesses are <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-oecd-estimates-suggest-a-22-hit-to-australias-economy-135026" target="_blank">going to be on their knees</a>.
Why construction?
Most of the successful elements of the Rudd package focused on construction. The reason is simple. Nearly <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1718/Quick_Guides/EmployIndustry" target="_blank">one in ten Australians</a> work in the construction industry. Many more are employed locally in the production of building products.
Both construction and building product manufacturing provide jobs for people with varying levels of skill, including people who are unskilled. The vast majority of concrete and steel reinforcement, bricks, wall framing, building boards, windows and doors, roof tiles and metal cladding are still made here. A substantial portion of domestic electrical and plumbing products, including stainless steel sinks, copper pipes and electrical cables are also made here.
It’s important to realise that the type of building being constructed will affect its local stimulatory impact. For buildings up to three storeys high, over 50 per cent of their cost is labour on site. Of the remaining cost, the vast majority is Australian-made materials and components. (Although the Australian Bureau of Statistics stopped its series on Australian-made construction products in 2014, the employment impact can still be estimated from <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/8155.02017-18?OpenDocument" target="_blank">ABS manufacturing statistics</a>.)
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/329988/original/file-20200423-47815-af48fv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/329988/original/file-20200423-47815-af48fv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
For typical single and double-storey housing, more than half the cost goes into labour and locally made materials account for most of the rest of it. <a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/new-suburban-homes-currently-under-construction-261423332" target="_blank">Shutterstock</a>
However, the taller a building gets, the greater the percentage of imported components – lifts, mechanical components and facade systems are mostly imported.
Why social housing?
What sort of construction projects should the government consider for a stimulus package? While the response so far has been to focus on “<a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/scott-morrison-flags-company-tax-cuts-ir-reform-as-key-to-covid-19-economic-recovery-20200417-p54kvq">fast-tracking” infrastructure</a>, the current crisis has highlighted a number of pressing social needs. Various aspects of social housing top the list:
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<li>
Housing to reduce the number of people living in <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-insecurity-of-private-renters-how-do-they-manage-it-77324" target="_blank">precarious private rentals</a>. A substantial program to increase the stock of social housing would be a great legacy.
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<li>
Housing for people who are homeless. They will not be able to go on <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-02/sa-hotels-policy-shows-homelessness-not-intractable/12113682" target="_blank">living in hotels</a> once the lockdown ends.
</li>
<li>
Affordable housing for workers in health, emergency services, education and retail who cannot afford to live close to the communities they provide vital support to. It turns out they are essential workers, some of the most important people in Australia, so we need to look after them.
</li>
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Housing construction is a very effective way to create jobs, both directly and downstream. <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/speeches/2019/sp-dg-2019-10-17" target="_blank">About 6 per cent of Australian jobs</a> are related to housing.
What other construction work is needed?
There are other opportunities for well-targeted construction stimulus.
In many areas of Australia, public schools and kindergartens still rely on low-quality portable buildings or buildings that have exceeded their economic life. A program to replace them with new and efficient buildings would produce substantial social benefits, cut maintenance costs and improve sustainability.
Improving the deteriorated state of community buildings and parks, particularly in disadvantaged areas, would also deliver social benefits and potentially employ a lot of unskilled labour. Having decent parks and exercise facilities close to where people live will allow social distancing to continue as long as needed.
A Victorian government <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-16/flammable-cladding-removal-fund-victorian-government/11311518" target="_blank">plan to remove combustible cladding</a> from residential and community buildings could also be extended to all states. It’s essential work that would also create jobs.
The government could also consider a program to replace or refurbish university teaching and research buildings that are over 40 years old. Incredibly, as we have found at ARINA in our consultancy work, these older buildings still provide more than half of the 11.8 million square metres of gross floor space occupied by the higher education sector.
These ageing buildings are not well suited to supporting the research into solutions to SARS-CoV-2 and other pressing medical and economic problems. Replacing or refurbishing them would improve outputs, cut maintenance costs and improve sustainability, plus give a much-needed boost to the higher education sector.
Plan now to be shovel-ready
Anglicare SA is already thinking of what it can do to deliver more social housing. Its CEO, Peter Sandeman, told me he is making sure Anglicare has “shovel-ready projects that can be rolled out the moment a stimulus package is announced. There is no better way of stimulating the economy than by constructing social housing.”
This is stimulus that also meets critical social needs, Sandeman says.
There is a desperate shortage of social housing. Our waiting list and the number of people who are homeless demonstrates that.
Social housing provides a long-term benefit to everyone. It adds stability to the lives of the occupants and this is a particular benefit to their children and their education. Safe, affordable housing is the foundation stone that gives people a chance in life.
Other organisations that could be part of the stimulus package should be getting ready, too, and making sure the government knows what they are doing.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/geoff-hanmer-90647" target="_blank">Geoff Hanmer</a>, Adjunct Professor of Architecture, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-adelaide-1119" target="_blank">University of Adelaide</a>
This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-focus-of-stimulus-plans-has-to-be-construction-that-puts-social-housing-first-136519" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Why the focus of stimulus plans has to be construction that puts social housing first

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Community Housing Providers (CHPs) will have greater contractual certainty, to enhance the delivery of social housing outcomes, via new initiative by the NSW Government.
A change in contractual arrangements offered by the NSW Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC) will open the door for CHPs to transition from existing three-year general social housing leases, to 20-year leases on their LAHC owned portfolio.
NSW Minister for Water, Property and Housing Melinda Pavey announced the initiative today by opening an Expression of Interest process, calling for applications from interested CHPs.
A staged implementation process will initially focus on Tier One CHPs that express interest in taking-up the 20-year leases, for which LAHC will review and determine their eligibility to transition around 14,000 properties to 20-year leases.
Stage two will see a review of the suitability for Tier Two and Tier Three CHPs to transition to 20-year leases, covering approximately 1400 properties.
Minister Pavey said this significant increase (about 570 per cent) in the prescribed time-frame for leases will provide greater certainty in contractual obligations between LAHC and CHPs.
Mrs Pavey said, "a 20-year lease will enable CHPs to consider leveraging more secure longer-term revenue streams, to grow their portfolio, employ more people and engage with financiers and investors, to ultimately deliver higher quality homes.”
Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services Gareth Ward said this initiative followed the successful transfer late last year of 14,000 properties to nine CHPs, under the Social Housing Management Transfer program.
 
 
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NSW Government initiative to increase social housing leasing periods

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GUEST OBSERVATION
A <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Hansard/Hansard_Display?bid=chamber/hansardr/3d235a1c-91f8-4a9a-92b6-7ac7922cad16/&amp;sid=0088" target="_blank">private member’s bill</a>, moved by Labor MP Josh Burns, recently called on the Australian government “to help build more affordable homes” in response to the <a href="https://theconversation.com/homelessness-soars-in-our-biggest-cities-driven-by-rising-inequality-since-2001-117833" target="_blank">growing homelessness crisis</a>. A premise of the bill is that a lack of social housing is a major cause of homelessness and increasing the supply is a key element of solving the problem. The government’s <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Hansard/Hansard_Display?bid=chamber/hansardr/3d235a1c-91f8-4a9a-92b6-7ac7922cad16/&amp;sid=0086" target="_blank">response</a> was that one solution is to encourage social housing tenants to find paid work, so they can move into private rental housing.
The problem with this argument is it overlooks the major barriers to entering the private rental market for low-income households. It also does not excuse the failure to invest adequately in building more social housing.
There is certainly a shortage of social housing. About 140,600 applicants were on the waiting list for public housing and 8,800 households were wait-listed for state-owned-and-managed Indigenous housing <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/housing-assistance/housing-assistance-in-australia-2019/contents/priority-groups-and-wait-lists#pg4" target="_blank">as at June 30 2018</a>. Another 38,300 applicants were waiting for mainstream community housing <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/housing-assistance/housing-assistance-in-australia-2018/contents/priority-groups-and-wait-lists" target="_blank">as at June 30 2017</a> (the most recent publicly <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/housing-assistance/housing-assistance-in-australia-2019/contents/priority-groups-and-wait-lists#pg4" target="_blank">available data</a>). Together, these tenure types comprise most of Australia’s social housing.
These figures exclude people temporarily suspended from waiting lists (e.g. social housing applicants in New South Wales who take up <a href="https://www.facs.nsw.gov.au/housing/policies/rent-choice-policy" target="_blank">Rent Choice private rental assistance</a>), who need social housing but <a href="https://www.monash.edu/news/articles/women-on-temporary-visas-vulnerable-to-family-violence2" target="_blank">are ineligible</a> and others not on waiting lists but still in need, such as <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/306" target="_blank">rough sleepers and very low-income households in housing stress</a>.
Tenure in social housing was once effectively <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/316" target="_blank">unlimited</a> provided tenants paid their rent and maintained their property. But waiting list pressures have led to a new approach. In his response to the private member’s bill, the assistant minister for community housing, homelessness and community services, Luke Howarth, <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Hansard/Hansard_Display?bid=chamber/hansardr/3d235a1c-91f8-4a9a-92b6-7ac7922cad16/&amp;sid=0086" target="_blank">argued</a>:
"There needs to be more responsibility […] from state governments to help people who are able to get back into the workplace to then move on from social housing so that it will provide a flow-through effect for people currently on the waiting list."
Market realities
Howarth’s argument is consistent with much state and territory policy. For example, the NSW <a href="http://www.socialhousing.nsw.gov.au/?a=348442" target="_blank">Future Directions policy</a> explicitly commits to “upskilling” tenants to enable them to live in private rental housing.
Tacitly overlooked in such “pathways” policies are the barriers to entering private rental. Across Australia <a href="https://www.anglicare.asn.au/our-work/research-reports/the-rental-affordability-snapshot" target="_blank">less than 26%</a> of private rental properties are affordable for households on a minimum wage. Less than 4% are affordable and appropriate for households on income support.
<a href="https://www.domain.com.au/news/tip-of-the-iceberg-complaints-alleging-discrimination-in-rental-market-rise-20170716-gxac9d/" target="_blank">Prejudice</a> and <a href="https://www.sheltersa.asn.au/site/wp-content/uploads/190430-Shelter-SA-Research-Report-on-Racial-Discrimination-in-Private-Rental-FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">discrimination</a> against tenants perceived to pose a greater risk to landlords’ investments make access even more difficult.
Low-income households in the private rental market also face insecure tenure. “No-grounds terminations” are permitted in all states and territories except Tasmania and, from July 1 2020, Victoria (except at the end of the first fixed term).
Under “no grounds” termination, landlords can evict tenants for no stated reason at the end of a fixed-term lease and at any time on a periodic lease. Fear of retaliatory eviction makes it <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/research/completed/renters/private-renters.pdf" target="_blank">less likely tenants will assert their legal rights</a>.
Employment as a pathway
Even if private rental access and affordability were certain, many social housing tenants are not in a position to undertake employment. In 2017–18, about <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/housing-assistance/housing-assistance-in-australia-2019/contents/summary" target="_blank">398,900 households were in social housing in Australia</a>. Many of them relied on the disability support pension (21%) or the age pension (19%) as their main source of income.
Long-standing <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/housing-assistance/housing-assistance-in-australia-2019/contents/priority-groups-and-wait-lists" target="_blank">targeting</a> of social housing to greatest need means tenants are disproportionately likely to have low educational qualifications and limited marketable skills. They face considerable employment challenges, not the least of which is <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/166" target="_blank">stigmatisation</a>.
It is also worth considering what “employment” realistically looks like for social housing tenants seeking to enter or re-enter the workforce. It’s likely to be as <a href="https://theconversation.com/labour-in-vain-casualisation-presents-a-precarious-future-for-workers-8181" target="_blank">casualised labour</a> in the <a href="https://theconversation.com/uber-might-not-take-over-the-world-but-it-is-still-normalising-job-insecurity-127234" target="_blank">gig economy</a>.
As social policy researchers Greg Marston and Catherine McDonald have <a href="https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/tpp/ben/2007/00000015/00000003/art00003" target="_blank">argued</a>, we cannot assume exiting welfare for the labour market leads automatically to social and economic security. Precarious, intermittent, low-wage employment does not offer a sound basis for sustaining a private tenancy.
Of course, social housing tenants should be supported to find work and to move out of social housing if they want to. But the evidence would suggest tenant choice is not the motivation here. Rather than creating “pathways” as a way of managing social housing waiting lists, governments would have greater impact on the housing crisis if they invested much more in social housing.
Between 2011 and 2016, <a href="https://www.launchhousing.org.au/site/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/LaunchHousing_AHM2018_Report.pdf" target="_blank">government spending on social housing decreased 7%</a>, from A$1.42 billion to A$1.32 billion. This has contributed to a <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-needs-to-triple-its-social-housing-by-2036-this-is-the-best-way-to-do-it-105960" target="_blank">backlog of 433,000 dwellings</a> in Australia’s social housing supply. That’s predicted to grow to a shortage of 727,000 dwellings by 2036.
In addition to providing <a href="https://cityfutures.be.unsw.edu.au/documents/522/Modelling_costs_of_housing_provision_FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">more social and affordable</a> housing, governments must act on the systemic problems in the private rental market. This includes developing <a href="https://everybodyshome.com.au/our-campaign/a-better-deal-for-renters/" target="_blank">nationally consistent tenancy legislation</a> to provide more protection for tenants, including against no-grounds evictions, and providing the resources to properly enforce such laws.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/128006/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
Chris Hartley, Research Fellow (Housing and Homelessness) at the Centre for Social Impact, UNSW.
Kathleen Flanagan, Research Fellow &amp; Deputy Director, HACRU, University of Tasmania.
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-simple-as-finding-a-job-getting-people-out-of-social-housing-is-much-more-complex-than-that-128006" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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As simple as finding a job? Getting people out of social housing is much more complex than that

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GUEST OBSERVATION
A need to manage waiting lists, rather than ensuring positive outcomes for tenant households, strongly influences social housing policy, <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/316" target="_blank">newly published research</a> finds. This situation is not only a result of operational policies, but also a shortage of social housing stock that is suitable for tenants and a lack of viable alternatives – namely affordable, safe and secure private housing. Eligible applicants who don’t have a “priority need” can wait up to ten years to be housed. They face strict eligibility checks just to remain on the waiting list.
Since the large-scale <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/309" target="_blank">post-war expansion to house working-class families</a>, the social housing sector has <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/housing-assistance/housing-assistance-in-australia-2018/contents/housing-in-australia" target="_blank">shrunk relative to the rest of the housing system</a>. More than <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/housing-assistance/housing-assistance-in-australia-2019/contents/priority-groups-and-wait-lists#pg4" target="_blank">140,000 people</a> are on public housing waiting lists.
Importantly, this figure does not capture <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/306" target="_blank">unmet demand</a> such as people sleeping rough and very low-income households in housing stress who are not on waiting lists.
Waiting lists also don’t include hidden demand such as people suspended from waiting lists or excluded by their <a href="https://www.homelessnessnsw.org.au/sites/homelessnessnsw/files/2018-12/Path%20to%20Nowhere_0.pdf" target="_blank">visa status</a>.
The supply of social housing stock simply does not match the growing numbers of households experiencing <a href="https://amplify.csi.edu.au/amplify-insights/" target="_blank">housing affordability problems</a>. Between 2011 and 2016, <a href="https://www.launchhousing.org.au/%20australianhomelessnessmonitor/" target="_blank">government spending</a> on social housing fell by 7% from A$1.42 billion to A$1.32 billion. Today, social housing is provided to over <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/housing-assistance/housing-assistance-in-australia-2018/contents/housing-in-australia" target="_blank">800,000 tenants in more than 400,000 households</a> – 76% in public housing, 20% in community housing and 4% in Indigenous housing.
The expansion of public housing (delivered by state and territory housing authorities) to community housing and Indigenous housing (delivered by non-profit community organisations and Indigenous organisations) has transformed social housing. Community housing has <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/housing-assistance/housing-assistance-in-australia-2019/contents/social-housing-dwellings" target="_blank">increased by 121%</a> between 2008-09 and 2017-18. This growth includes <a href="https://theconversation.com/growth-of-community-housing-may-be-an-illusion-the-cost-shifting-isnt-108598" target="_blank">tenanted stock transfers from public housing</a>.
Against this background, policymakers are <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/316" target="_blank">increasingly seeking to promote housing “pathways”</a>. Operational housing policies are intended to improve tenant housing and social outcomes (such as well-being and economic participation), but also to manage long waiting lists and make the system more efficient.
These policies shape housing pathways, determining how tenants and households move into, within and out of social housing. But these pathways are also influenced by household relationships and a <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/140360902760385565" target="_blank">household’s changing needs</a>. What a tenant or family need from their housing changes when, for example, relationships break down, new relationships begin, children are born or children leave home.
<a href="/news">Our research</a> sought to better understand the policy context behind housing pathways and their impacts on tenants’ experience.
Getting in
Pathways into social housing begin with application, which is a centralised process in most states and territories (apart from the Northern Territory). Prospective tenants apply once through a single portal, with information shared between government housing departments and community housing providers.
The success of an application depends on a range of eligibility criteria (see Table 1), starting with income and assets. Even if a prospective tenant meets the income criteria, priority is given to people and households with specific or complex needs. What constitutes “specific or complex needs” varies, but generally includes disability, poor physical or mental health, experience of family violence, exiting institutions, or being homeless or at risk of homelessness (the <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/housing-assistance/housing-assistance-in-australia-2019/contents/priority-groups-and-wait-lists#pg1" target="_blank">most common pathway into social housing</a>).
Other criteria include citizenship and residence status (including restrictions based on permanent residency/citizen status), age and tenancy history.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/285804/original/file-20190726-43153-1p9x80p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
Table 1: Summary of common eligibility criteria. <a class="source" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/316" target="_blank">Source: Powell et al 2019</a>, Author provided
An applicant’s place on the waiting list is continually checked. If an applicant is found to be ineligible, or simply does not respond, they may be suspended or removed from the list.
Staying in
Most states and territories have policies on the eligibility of tenants to continue in public housing. Criteria include income levels, use of the premises, and household change. What criteria are reviewed, and how often, varies widely.
Eligibility reviews mean tenants fear any extra income might result in an end to their tenure or having to make higher rent contributions. This potentially undermines their preparedness to undertake education and training, or take up work opportunities that might lead to greater independence.
Moving within
Policies allow tenants to apply for a transfer if household circumstances have changed. A dwelling might no longer be suitable – for example, as a result of overcrowding or family violence.
In practice, however, supply constraints make this challenging. Policies that transfer public housing properties to community housing providers result in tenants becoming less mobile as moving between public and community housing is not possible.
Landlord-initiated transfers can also occur. For example, property or housing estate renewal might require tenant relocation. A transfer might also be a result of tenant conduct or changes in eligibility status.
Moving out
Exits from social housing may occur when a tenant chooses to move to private housing or is evicted. Eviction may result from issues such as neighbourhood disputes, anti-social behaviour, rental arrears, a lease coming to an end, or changes to eligibility.
Tenants who are no longer eligible for social housing based on their income may also be evicted. These tenants often still have limited capacity to take on and manage a private rental tenancy.
Policy levers to help with moves out of social housing include: selling dwellings to tenants; providing private rent subsidies; rental transition programs; financial planning; and client-based needs planning. Some policies also target private landlords with a goal of increasing housing affordability and therefore pathways out of social housing.
By far the biggest obstacle to moving out of social housing, however, is the lack of affordable housing alternatives.
What this means
While operational policy establishes formal pathways (by setting eligibility criteria and so on), what happens in practice may be different, as service providers can interpret and implement policies in different ways, with different effects for tenants.
Further, what is known about the housing pathways of tenants moving in, within and out of social housing is based on partial evidence. It comes from social housing providers themselves (missing information about events prior to and following occupancy), or from survey research seeking to fill some of the data gaps. Many blind spots exist in the housing pathways evidence base.
Optimal policy development requires clear, up-to-date evidence on how we might understand social housing pathways within a changed housing policy and housing assistance context. We also need to consider what advances in administrative and longitudinal data can tell us about how policy innovation might improve social housing pathways.
Abigail Powell, Associate Professor at the Centre for Social Impact, UNSW
Chris Hartley, Research Fellow (Housing and Homelessness) at the Centre for Social Impact, UNSW
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/focus-on-managing-social-housing-waiting-lists-is-failing-low-income-households-120675" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Focus on managing social housing waiting lists is failing low-income households: UNSW Academics

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A ‘get tough’ approach to crime and anti-social behavior is leading to considerable impact on families relying on social housing, a new report says.
The Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) report found that women affected by domestic violence are generally strongly supported by social housing landlords.
However, this commitment may falter during a social housing tenancy.
The <a href="http://icm-tracking.meltwater.com/link.php?DynEngagement=true&amp;H=I%2BqMhXDuIS2RujNbavWSOKShOr7Ezi73JeGvxlkJ09Qb0kDpZZQFeCTzmgUtUg1%2BzQeAWO80e2F3J%2F4q2HWFLF4FXbnSC1lXyjLygVwAtvkM0e27vOJOWpKowpV1KI6EYUpJH4RSSjI%3D&amp;G=0&amp;R=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ahuri.edu.au%2Fresearch%2Ffinal-reports%2F314&amp;I=20190612200354.000004df3d18%40mail6-46-ussnn1&amp;X=MHwxMDQ2NzU4OjVkMDA1MmIyYjA1ZjM5NTQ1MjYyMTNiYTs%3D&amp;S=WZsJZYyE7ljme70grOAcnPQELSIwGmgRHugo_o9zLag" target="_blank">Social housing legal responses to crime and anti-social behaviour: impacts on vulnerable families </a>report was conducted by researchers from UNSW Sydney and University of Tasmania.
It looked at social housing tenancies law, policies and 95 cases of eviction proceedings in five jurisdictions— New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
It also analyzed national policy principles relating to four groups of vulnerable people: women affected by domestic violence; children; Indigenous families; and people who problematically use alcohol and other drugs.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2019/6/13/social%20housing.jpg" target="_blank">Click here</a> to enlarge: 
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/6/13/social%20housing.jpg" alt="">
“Tenancy obligations and extended liability impose hard expectations that women will control the misconduct of male partners and children,” said lead researcher Dr Chris Martin from UNSW Sydney.
“In tenancy legal proceedings violence against women becomes framed as a ‘nuisance’ and some women are evicted because of violence against them.
“The cases involving drug offences in particular show a punitive approach, with very minor offences, or offences involving visitors or family members often resulting in termination proceedings.
“In some cases, tenants are evicted even though the criminal justice system outcome is to allow rehabilitation at home.”
The report suggested several policy changes that could be made to help social landlords, including:
<ul>
<li>reviewing the gender impacts of social housing policies and practice and sponsoring the cultivation of respectful relationships</li>
<li>adopting ‘the best interests of the child’ as the paramount factor in decisions about termination affecting children</li>
<li>establishing specific Indigenous housing organisations, officers and advocates</li>
<li>adopting harm minimisation as the guiding principle for responses to alcohol and other drug use, including where there is criminal offending.</li>
</ul>
“Responding to anti-social behaviour and misconduct in social housing is plainly a very challenging area of practice,” said Dr Martin.
“Many of the cases we reviewed involved highly conflictual, destructive and distressing behaviour.
“It appears that in most cases a single substantial contact between the social housing landlord and the tenant was sufficient to address any problems.
“However, where problematic behaviour continues, the usual course of escalating threats to the tenancy and pushing the tenant to ‘engage’ with the landlord and support services does not work for many.
“In those cases, people who are vulnerable may be evicted from their social housing, often into homelessness.
“We need to bring support out of the shadow of termination.”
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