<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/consolidated-properties">Consolidated Properties Group</a> (CPG) is approaching the launch of its latest Brisbane riverfront development, Castile, on the dress circle Skyring Terrace in Newstead.

VIP buyers are now being engaged, with a full public sales launch coming later this year.

Positioned as the final opportunity to secure a new absolute riverfront residence on the East bank of Newstead, Teneriffe or New Farm, Castile at 47 Skyring Terrace has been designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/woods-bagot">Woods Bagot</a> as a timeless addition to the Brisbane skyline.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150489 project_image_fid=371113]

The name Castile draws on themes of permanence, sophistication and legacy, reflecting a broader vision centred on enduring architecture and timelessness in the rarest of riverfront positions.&nbsp;

CPG Chairman and CEO Don O’Rorke said the project had been envisioned as a future Brisbane icon.&nbsp;

“With 47 metres of direct river frontage and never to be built out views, 47 Skyring Terrace is the definitive address on the Brisbane River,” O’Rorke said.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150489 project_image_fid=371114]

“Rather than following trend-based apartment design, Castile draws inspiration from Brisbane’s great heritage buildings, reinterpreting classical architecture into a contemporary riverfront landmark designed to stand proudly for the next 100 years,” he said.&nbsp;

The approved development will comprise 227 apartments across a 25-storey tower alongside a boutique six-storey riverfront building of just 12 residences.&nbsp;

Construction is scheduled to commence in September 2026.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150489]

Joel Robinson

CPG unveils Castile Newstead ahead of upcoming sales launch

Australia’s online shopping habits have shifted dramatically over the last decade. As eCommerce volumes surged, so too did the frustrations that came with traditional parcel delivery: missed deliveries, long Post Office queues, parcel theft and the challenge of being home during business hours.

Australia Post’s Parcel Lockers emerged as one of the more practical responses to that changing consumer behaviour.

What started as a relatively niche delivery option has evolved into a nationwide network of more than 1,400 self-service Parcel Lockers positioned at train stations, shopping centres, supermarkets and Post Offices across the country. The system allows Australians to send, collect and return parcels 24 hours a day, fundamentally changing how many people interact with deliveries.

The appeal is relatively straightforward: flexibility.

Instead of waiting at home for a delivery driver or rushing to a Post Office before closing time, users can direct eligible parcels to a Parcel Locker location of their choice. Once the parcel arrives, Australia Post sends a notification with a collection code or QR access through the AusPost app, allowing customers to retrieve their package at any time within the collection window.

For apartment residents in particular, the system has become increasingly valuable.

Higher-density living has created logistical challenges around deliveries, especially in buildings without concierge services or secure parcel rooms. Missed deliveries are common, while parcel theft has become an increasing concern as online shopping volumes continue to rise.

Australia Post itself has repeatedly highlighted the growing issue of “porch pirates” during peak shopping periods, encouraging customers to use Parcel Lockers as a safer alternative to unattended home deliveries.

That security aspect is one of the key reasons the Australia Post Parcel Locker network has grown so rapidly.

Parcel Lockers are positioned as secure, monitored collection points that reduce the risk of theft while also improving delivery efficiency for Australia Post. Instead of multiple redelivery attempts, parcels can be consolidated into a single secure destination.

The Parcel Lockers themselves are free to use through a MyPost account and support a range of parcel sizes up to 16 kilograms and dimensions of approximately 35 x 44 x 61 centimetres.

Beyond receiving parcels, the system has increasingly become integrated into the broader eCommerce ecosystem.

Customers can now use Parcel Lockers to return online purchases, while retailers have embraced the model as a way to improve delivery success rates and reduce friction in the shopping process. Australia Post has actively expanded partnerships with major retailers and promoted Parcel Lockers as part of a broader out-of-home strategy.

The timing of that expansion aligns with broader changes in Australian shopping behaviour.

The acceleration of online retail during and after the pandemic placed enormous pressure on delivery infrastructure. Parcel volumes reached record highs, particularly during Black Friday and Christmas periods, with Australia Post delivering more than 100 million parcels during peak festive seasons.

That growth forced logistics providers to rethink the “last mile” of delivery, widely regarded as the most expensive and operationally difficult stage of the process.

Parcel Locker systems have increasingly been viewed as part of the long-term solution.

The concept itself is not unique to Australia. Parcel Locker networks have become common globally, particularly across Europe and Asia, where dense urban environments and apartment living create similar logistical challenges. But Australia’s geography and suburban sprawl made adoption slower initially.

Now, however, the convenience factor is driving mainstream usage.

For commuters, Parcel Lockers near train stations allow parcels to be collected on the way home from work. For apartment dwellers, they remove the uncertainty around access and missed deliveries.

The rise of the AusPost app has also streamlined the experience, centralising notifications, tracking and Parcel Locker access into a single platform. Australia Post has increasingly pushed customers toward app-based delivery management, partly as a way to combat phishing scams and fake delivery notifications, which have become more sophisticated in recent years.

The Parcel Locker model is also beginning to influence property development itself.

Parcel management has become a growing consideration in apartment building design, particularly as online shopping becomes embedded in everyday life. Many new residential developments are now incorporating dedicated parcel rooms or Parcel Locker systems into foyers and communal spaces.

For developers, parcel management is increasingly viewed as part of the broader resident amenity offering, alongside gyms, wellness spaces and communal work areas.

That reflects a wider evolution in how residential buildings are designed.

Apartment buyers are placing greater emphasis on convenience, security and operational functionality, particularly in higher-density urban environments. Parcel delivery, once considered a minor operational detail, has become an increasingly important part of that equation.

Australia Post’s Parcel Locker network sits at the centre of that behavioural shift.

What began as a simple alternative delivery option has evolved into a key piece of infrastructure supporting Australia’s growing eCommerce economy and changing urban lifestyles.

And as online shopping continues to expand, the role of Parcel Lockers is likely to become even more embedded in how Australians live, shop and receive goods.

How Australia Post Parcel Lockers changed parcel delivery convenience in Australia

Perth’s new apartment market recorded its strongest quarter of sales since Q4 2021, with 412 apartments sold in Q1 2026 and a record quarterly sold value of $537 million, according to Urbis’ latest Apartment Essentials results.

Urbis said the March quarter result reflects strong, highly product‑specific demand across both ends of the market, from more attainable projects delivering at scale, through to premium stock being absorbed by equity‑rich downsizers.&nbsp;

David Cresp, Partner at Urbis, said the key story in Perth is not demand, it is the market’s ability to convert demand into delivered housing.&nbsp;

“This is the strongest sales quarter since Q4 2021, and it reinforces that demand in Perth is real and it’s local,” David Cresp said. “But the task now is delivery, turning that demand into projects that can actually be built and completed.”&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=110291 project_image_fid=302785]

<h2>Affordable product leads, premium demand remains resilient</h2>

Sales in Q1 were led by more affordable projects, with The Boulevard (SKS Group) recording 115 sales in the quarter, the presentation noting this is only the second time a single project has surpassed 100 quarterly sales. The project was able to offer more affordable housing product right next to a train station.&nbsp;

Palmyra West (Finbar) also delivered strong results with 28 sales in Q1, following 84 sales in Q4, with an average price of under $800,000, underscoring depth of demand for well‑located, attainable new stock.&nbsp;

At the premium end, Urbis said downsizer demand is continuing, with the results highlighting Romeo (Applecross, Finbar) recording 75 sales and reaching almost 50% sold in one quarter.

Jual (Shenton Park, Celsius Property) also posted a strong quarter with 28 sales, reaching 39% sold in one quarter.

Urbis noted that Perth apartment demand is not speculative, not investor‑led, and not uniform, describing it as localised, often equity‑driven and highly product‑specific, a pattern reflected in the polarisation between strong “attainable” performers and premium downsizer product.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=148957 project_image_fid=364102]

<h2>Prices underpinned by costs, and the delivery risk is growing</h2>

Urbis said pricing pressure is cost not demand‑driven: construction costs and delivery risk are now a central constraint, with the results noting build costs remain elevated and volatile, and that energy, fuel and labour uncertainty weigh on feasibility.

David Cresp said a growing challenge for private Build‑to‑Sell developers is simply securing a builder in the current environment.

“Developers are really feeling the pressure from a building market that was operating at capacity and securing a builder is challenging,” David Cresp said, adding that even where a builder can be secured, “trying to get to the price that makes the development financially viable is incredibly challenging in the current market.”&nbsp;

Urbis’ broader WA commentary also notes that industry remains at or above capacity with lot and housing creation, and that many builders are limiting new sales to manage stretched workforces and fixed‑price contract pressures, conditions that flow directly into apartment feasibility and delivery timing.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108869 project_image_fid=317905]

<h2>Supply: improving later, but still constrained, and Perth lags eastern benchmarks</h2>

While near‑term supply remains constrained, Urbis’ forecast shows completions lifting “Supply is forecast to be back above 1,500 apartments per annum for the first time since 2019”, with 1,775 completions forecast for 2026, and volumes remaining above that level over the following years.&nbsp;

Looking further ahead, completions are forecast to reach 2,500 in 2028, with the report noting 32% of that total is social/affordable, reflecting the role of government‑supported delivery in rebuilding the pipeline.&nbsp;

However, Urbis said Perth remains behind comparable markets on pipeline scale. In a national comparison of projects under construction, the report shows under construction Perth Build‑to‑Sell (BTS) at 3,446 apartments versus the Gold Coast at 7,922. Mr Cresp said “The challenge for Perth is how to we grow the delivery pipeline”.

Urbis’ conclusion is that Perth’s market is increasingly defined by product discipline and delivery certainty, with the research identifying “delivery certainty is key” and calling out builder risk and procurement models as core success factors, alongside “timing and staging”.&nbsp;

Perth apartment sales hit strongest pace since late 2021 as builder capacity tightens

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sammut-developments">Sammut Group</a> has secured development approval for its latest Brisbane apartment project, marking the Sydney developer’s next step in expanding its Queensland pipeline following the success of its debut Gold Coast development, Coast.

The approved project at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/44-glen-road-toowong-qld-4066">44 Glen Road, </a><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/toowong-qld-4066">Toowong</a> will deliver a 15-storey riverfront apartment building with 42 residences, significantly increasing the scale of the site’s previous approval for a smaller luxury scheme. Designed by Bureau^proberts, the development will comprise a mix of predominantly four-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments positioned to maximise Brisbane River and city views.

Sammut Director Julian Sammut said the group had been actively searching Brisbane for several years before identifying Toowong as the right fit.

“Brisbane was the right step for Sammut,” Sammut said.

“With the success of Coast we thought we should definitely look to do more in Queensland alone. We then pushed up to look at Brisbane. We've been looking for I'd say two to three years actually and it was hard to find the right location.”

<img alt="Sammut makes Brisbane apartment play" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/f_auto,c_limit,w_1440,q_75/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/field/image/Screenshot%202025-12-23%20at%203.27.14%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=dYAVIL7qdcGA8ojvkslSrLjczXFejSSx" />

Sammut said suburbs including New Farm and Teneriffe were considered before the group ultimately focused on Toowong due to its strong downsizer demographic and limited supply of developable riverfront land.

The site was acquired off-market after what Sammut described as a lengthy negotiation and planning process, with the developer pursuing an uplift to the original approval.

“We are DA approved now which is very exciting,” Sammut said.

“We've had our change approval come through and we've obviously doubled the height, 15 storeys plus rooftop. We've got 42 amazing apartments that are going to be coming to market soon.”

<img alt="Sammut makes Brisbane apartment play" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,dpr_2.0,q_auto:good/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-12-23%20at%203.27.26%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=ohkRkY0dIZlqdfME2EZePsCQavRiBadE" />

Bureau^proberts said the design responds to Toowong’s evolving urban character, balancing contemporary apartment living with the area’s established residential identity.

“A place where traditional Queensland living has taken place for centuries; Toowong is seeing a shift of contemporary influence, commercial and retail hubs mixed with well-considered residential offerings – all the while maintaining its character and charm,” the architect noted in planning documents submitted to Brisbane City Council.

The architecture practice said the project’s form was shaped by its riverfront setting, flood considerations, neighbouring building scales, and view corridors.

“They said the mix of four and two-bedroom apartments capture the ‘fundamental qualities of Queenslander living,’ translated into the context of a contemporary subtropical building.”

The development sits just off Coronation Drive within walking distance of Toowong’s retail precinct and the upgraded Regatta ferry terminal, while also benefiting from proximity to the incoming green bridge connection to West End. Sammut said the accessibility and amenity offering were central to the site’s appeal.

The approval adds to growing residential activity along the Toowong riverfront, joining nearby projects including Consolidated Properties’ Monarch Residences and Spyre Group’s ARC Residences.

Sammut secures approval for debut Brisbane apartment development in Toowong

Developer Lanevick is heading back into Sydney’s apartment market after focusing more heavily on the luxury townhouse and terrace sector in recent years.

Lanevick, founded and directed by Steve Maroun, is expecting to receive approval in the coming months for a new apartment development in Gladesville, with the aim to launch it to the market later this year.

The 51-apartment project, designed by Studio Johnston, will comprise a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments positioned toward the Hunters Hill downsizer market.

“Traditionally it’s been difficult for people in that market to downsize because there just hasn’t been the right product available,” Maroun said.

“We’re targeting buyers who might have 30 to 40 per cent of their house value sitting in the bank after downsizing.

“They still want good spacious entertaining areas, they still want quality design, but they also want flexibility and the ability to enjoy life a bit more after working hard for a long time.”

The project sits near Boronia Park and within close proximity to the Parramatta River foreshore, an area Maroun says offers more of a Hunters Hill lifestyle than a traditional apartment precinct.

“From a lifestyle perspective, it’s really more Hunters Hill than Gladesville,” Maroun said. “You’re close to the foreshore, close to parklands, and still connected back into the village precinct.”

From level four and above, apartments will capture water views&nbsp;toward Sydney Harbour. Communal amenity will include rooftop entertaining areas, wellness spaces, and a gym tailored toward owner-occupier buyers.

“We’ve really designed these apartments around that buyer coming from the Hunters Hill LGA and what they’re actually looking for in their next chapter.”

The proposed development has also been designed to respond to the changing character of the broader Gladesville town centre, where a growing number of mixed-use and residential proposals are expected to emerge over the coming years.

“Gladesville presented a rare opportunity to deliver a genuinely design-led residential project within an evolving lifestyle precinct, just moments from the growing Gladesville town centre, and we’ve approached the project with a strong focus on architecture, liveability and long-term community value,” Maroun said.

Maroun said Lanevick saw a first-mover advantage within the precinct as planning controls continue to evolve to accommodate greater housing density.

“We think there’s a real opportunity there that hasn’t really been serviced properly yet,” he said.

“There’s going to be a broader evolution of the whole Gladesville village precinct over time, particularly with more activation and mixed-use outcomes.”

The Venus Street proposal will include a commercial and retail component at ground level designed to contribute to that evolving streetscape activation.

“A big part of the thinking was how do you activate that area properly and create more vibrancy and amenity, which is what Hunters Hill has been looking for,” Maroun said.

Lanevick’s focus since 2020 has largely been on smaller-scale luxury townhouse and terrace developments. The developer recently completed Royale Randwick, also designed by Studio Johnston, where prices reached $3.65 million. The project was featured in the UDIA NSW 2026 Professional Development Prospectus and was also named a finalist for Development of the Year.

&nbsp;

Lanevick to cater for Hunters Hill downsizers with new Gladesville apartment development

Homeless

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/69282/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVERS
Homelessness continues to be a contentious issue in Australia. Earlier this year, Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton asserted:
There’s no reason people should be sleeping on the street, there are no reasons people should be homeless … There’s more than enough beds and accommodation for people to access.
Aside from the question of whether these claims are correct, homelessness is not as easily resolved as just giving people a bed and roof over their head. For a start, it is not just people sleeping on the street who are considered homeless. People using various forms of marginal and insecure accommodation legitimately lay claim to that label.
Using the Australian Bureau of Statistics definition, people who do not have suitable accommodation alternatives are considered homeless when:
they live in dwellings that are inadequate;
they do not have stable tenure; or
they do not have control over, or full access to, space for social relations.
Looking at this definition, it becomes clear that determining whether someone is homeless or not is not straightforward. By this definition, giving someone a bed in a shelter is not sufficient to resolve their homelessness. What’s more, we have long known that people sleep rough because they feel safer on the street than in some homeless accommodation.
How do people see themselves?
Even though these points are increasingly being recognised, what these debates neglect is that the “homeless” person’s perceptions of their situation might be just as important as how others classify them.
Do they feel they are homeless when they sleep on the street? Do they consider that they are no longer homeless when they have a bed in a shelter? And, importantly, do they even describe their situation as homelessness?
We examined this question in a large-scale research project with the Salvation Army. We started by exploring how many people who were staying in crisis homeless accommodation would see themselves as a “homeless person”.
We found that 55% of people staying in homeless accommodation provided by The Salvation Army identified as “homeless”, and 31% rejected that label.
14% were ambivalent about categorising themselves as “homeless” – they neither fully accepted nor rejected the label. For example, they said they were “not 100% homeless” or that even though they might “technically” be classed as homeless, they did not see that as an accurate way to describe their situation.
The reasons people gave for their responses reflected the complex and varied nature of what is meant by “home”. Some saw themselves as homeless because they did not have the stability, security or privacy bound up in our Western notion of home. As one woman put it:
… at the end of the day there’s a time limit on my stay and that’s not what I would class as stable, safe accommodation.
For others, their shelter accommodation did represent stability and security. As one male participant explained:
To me, homeless is on the street. This is a hostel, it’s a refuge, it’s a roof over your head, a shower, food, so I wouldn’t say I was homeless. I’ve got somewhere to go every day to sleep, so I wouldn’t say I’m homeless.
Others simply said the shelter felt like a home. It thus appears that not everyone who meets official definitions of being homeless defines themselves as such.
Labels affect people’s wellbeing
So, what’s in a name? When it comes to homelessness, the answer may be of considerable importance.
In our research, we found that the wellbeing of people who refused to define themselves as “homeless” was significantly higher than the wellbeing of those who had adopted the label to describe themselves.
Somewhat surprisingly, people who had experienced chronic homelessness in the past were no more or less likely to self-categorise as homeless than people who had few or no previous homeless experiences.
How people saw themselves also had no impact on their use of the services. Participants who rejected or were ambivalent about the homeless label reported rates of use similar to those who accepted the label.
It thus appears that when it comes to mental health, when we adopt a label to describe ourselves, we start to think and act in ways that align with the stereotypes of that label.
In this case, despite the diversity of experiences of homelessness, those who accept the homeless label internalise the rejection and even dehumanisation that homeless people experience from mainstream society. This is associated with significant social and emotional costs.
What are the lessons for service providers?
Given the importance of self-definitions for mental health and wellbeing, understanding how people see themselves has important policy implications.
Our research shows that not everyone who needs crisis accommodation defines themselves as a homeless person. However, individuals must typically self-identify as such to gain entry to homeless services.
This means these people are required to adopt a view of themselves that is in and of itself associated with negative wellbeing outcomes. There is a need for housing and supported accommodation that does not put pressure on people to identify as homeless and thus to carry the baggage associated with that label.
Fundamental needs, such as a need for housing, should not be tied with categories and identities that assume who someone is and what they are perceived to lack.
The Salvation Army has taken these insights further and translated them into practice principles. These take as a starting point that, in delivering services, it is important to avoid seeing people through the lens of their current and past housing challenges.
Concretely, this has, for instance, led to changes in the use of spaces. In several shelters, the Salvation Army have removed physical barriers between staff and residents and created more independent living space. The idea is that by undermining categories of “service staff” versus “service users” the homeless label will become a less prominent way for the latter group to categorise themselves. This should in itself be empowering for residents.
Other changes to service delivery are not as tangible, but are equally important. The language the Salvation Army uses has changed significantly, with the aim of treating people as active agents of their life and members of society, rather than passive recipients of services.
These changes in practice are subtle and not easily described, but they represent a significant change in the ethos of the service. For example, services no longer use terms such as “homeless people” as the main way of referring to people using the services.
These ideals reflect a broader change in how homeless services are provided to people. Homelessness accommodation providers, social service providers and governments must ensure the language they use and, importantly, the language and labels applied to people using services do not assume that needing assistance is a defining trait of the individual.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/zoe-walter-317874" target="_blank">Zoe Walter</a> is postdoctoral Research Fellow, The University of Queensland.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/cameron-parsell-170758" target="_blank">Cameron Parsell</a> is research fellow, The University of Queensland.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/genevieve-dingle-186222" target="_blank">Genevieve Dingle</a> is lecturer in Clinical Psychology and Director of the UQ Psychology Clinic, The University of Queensland.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jolanda-jetten-301309" target="_blank">Jolanda Jetten</a> is professor of Social Psychology, The University of Queensland.
All are authors for The Conversation.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

What’s in the name ‘homeless’? How people see themselves and the labels we apply matter

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An annual fundraising event held by The St Vincent de Paul Society (Vinnies), business leaders are invited to sign-up to lend their voices and their networks in support of raising $700,000 for the Vinnies Soup Vans and other volunteer services that help to alleviate poverty and prevent homelessness.
The Sleepout will be held overnight at 6:00pm Thursday 22nd June until 7:00am Friday 23rd June at the University of Melbourne’s Parkville Campus inside the South Lawn Underground Carpark.
Participants will sleep on a piece of cardboard for the night, given a modest dinner by the Vinnies Soup Van volunteers, and invited to speak face-to-face with people experiencing poverty and homelessness in a series of conversation corners.
Eight members of PhilipWebb’s Management Team including General Manager of Sales Anthony Webb will be participating in the event.
“We pride ourselves on the strong ties we have with our local community.
Our staff have recently volunteered for the Vinnies Soup Van initiative under the guidance of the generous volunteers at The St Vincent de Paul Society.
This experience was an extremely enriching one for all staff involved. We are proud and excited to continue this association by joining the 2017 CEO Sleepout,” he said.
“It is a sad reality that over 725,000 Victorians are living below the poverty line with many descending into crisis and sleeping rough on the streets.
Every little bit helps and we would love the public’s support to reach our goal”.
Contributions can be made towards PhilipWebb’s target at the following link: <a href="https://www.ceosleepout.org.au/team/philipwebb-real-estate/" target="_blank">https://www.ceosleepout.org.au/team/philipwebb-real-estate/</a>
Alternatively, those wishing to participate either individually or as part of a senior management team can register at <a href="https://www.ceosleepout.org.au" target="_blank">www.ceosleepout.org.au</a>
PhilipWebb Real Estate has been a market leader in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs for more than 45 years.
With Philip Webb still playing a hands-on role in his family-owned business, it is now one of Victoria’s largest non-franchise firms, specialising in residential and commercial sales, auctioneering, property management and investment.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Agency management team sleeps rough for charity

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The Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute has compiled a list of new measures for housing and homelessness featured in the 2017 Federal Budget, outlined below.
National Housing and Homelessness Agreement (NHHA)
The NHHA will replace the National Affordable Housing Agreement (NAHA) from 1 July 2018 and will combine funding currently allocated under the National Affordable Housing Specific Purpose Payment (NAHSPP) and the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness (NPAH).
The NHHA will target jurisdiction-specific priorities including supply targets, planning and zoning reforms and renewal of public housing stock while also supporting the delivery of frontline homelessness services. Funding for both the housing and homelessness sectors will be ongoing and indexed.
National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation (NHFIC)
The National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation (NHFIC) is being established as an affordable housing bond aggregator to raise money at lower rates from the wholesale bond market for not-for-profit community housing providers. The Government will provide $63.1 million over four years from 2017–18 (including $4.8 million in capital) to establish and run the NHFIC, which is due to commence operations on 1 July 2018.
National Housing Infrastructure Facility (NHIF)
The National Housing Infrastructure Facility (NHIF) will, over 5 years, provide $1 billion to support local governments to finance critical infrastructure such as transport links, site remediation works and power and water infrastructure needed to speed up the supply of new housing. Payments of $600 million in concessional loans, $225 million in equity investments and $175 million in grants will be made to local governments through state and territory governments. The NHFIC will administer the NHIF.
Funding homelessness services
Government will provide an additional funding of $375 million over three years from 2018–19 as part of the new National Housing and Homelessness Agreement to fund front line services to address homelessness.
Super saver plan
A first home super saver scheme will allow voluntary superannuation contributions of $15 000 per annum and cumulative maximum of $30 000 in total (per person if in a couple) for first home buyers. These savings can be withdrawn and used for a deposit, and will be taxed at 30 percentage points below the normal marginal rate. Both members of a couple can take advantage of this measure to buy their first home together. The scheme commences on 1 July 2017, and contributions and deemed earnings, net of tax, can be withdrawn from 1 July 2018.
Downsizing
The budget provides incentives for older people to downsize their place of residence and thus free up supply of family-sized housing stock. From 1 July 2018 individuals aged 65 and older will be able to contribute up to $300 000 of the proceeds from the sale of a principal residence that they held for at least 10 years into their superannuation and thus take advantage of the tax incentives.
Both members of a couple will be able to take advantage of this measure for the same home, and they will be exempt from the existing age test, work test and the $1.6 million balance test for making non-concessional contributions.
Managed Investment Trusts to build affordable housing
The Government will encourage investment into affordable housing by enabling Managed Investment Trusts (MITs) to invest in affordable housing. The housing must be available for rent to low to moderate income tenants for at least 10 years, with rent charged at a discount below the private rental market rate.
Expanded tax incentives for affordable housing investments
The Government will increase the capital gains tax discount from 50 per cent to 60 per cent to resident individuals who invest in qualifying affordable housing.
To qualify for the higher discount, affordable housing must be provided to low to moderate income tenants; rent charged at a discount below the private rental market rate; be managed through a registered community housing provider; and the investment held for a minimum period of three years. The higher discount would flow through to resident individuals investing in qualifying affordable housing Managed Investment Trusts.
Rental property deduction changes
From 1 July 2017, the Government will not allow deductions for travel expenses related to inspecting, maintaining or collecting rent for a residential rental property. Investors can engage third parties such as real estate agents or property management services to do these tasks for them and deduct those expenses.
From 1 July 2017, the Government will limit plant and equipment (i.e. mechanical fixtures or those which can be easily removed from a property such as dishwashers and ceiling fans) depreciation deductions to outlays actually incurred by investors in residential real estate properties. Investors who purchase plant and equipment for their residential investment property after 9 May 2017 will be able to claim a deduction over the effective life of the asset. However, subsequent owners of the property will not be able to claim deductions for plant and equipment purchased by a previous owner of that property.
Foreign investment restrictions
The Government will introduce a 50 percent cap on foreign investment approvals for new developments and apply an annual charge to foreign owners who leave their properties unoccupied or not available for rent for six months or more each year.
The Government will deny foreign and temporary tax residents access to the capital gains tax (CGT) main residence exemption—however existing properties will be grandfathered until 30 June 2019. The Government will increase the CGT withholding rate for foreign tax residents from 10 per cent to 12.5 per cent and reduce the CGT withholding threshold for foreign tax residents from $2 million to $750 000.
Release of Government land
The Government will establish an open data land registry to provide more detailed information about Commonwealth land to external parties, allowing and encouraging proposals for higher-value land use, including housing development proposals. The Government is also releasing 127 hectares of surplus Defence land in Maribyrnong, which is less than 10 kilometres from the Melbourne CBD and could support up to 6000 new residential dwellings.
Western Sydney housing
Under the Western Sydney City Deal, the Government will offer incentive payments to state and local governments to support planning and zoning reform, accelerate housing supply and deliver affordable housing outcomes in Western Sydney.
The funding will support the trial of incentive payments in the Western Sydney City Deal region, which is facing above average population growth and housing affordability pressures.
Social Impact Investments
The Government will provide $10.2 million over 10 years from 2017–18 to partner with state and territory governments to trial the use of Social Impact Investments. These will fund a small number of innovative programs aimed at improving housing and welfare outcomes for young people at risk of homelessness, including those supported by specialist homelessness services, exiting the out-of-home care system or exiting institutions such as juvenile detention.
Support for the Homes for Homes Initiative
The Government will provide $6 million over four years from 2017–18 toward the national roll out of the Homes for Homes initiative, which encourages property vendors to donate 0.1 per cent of the sale proceeds of their property to fund social and affordable housing projects across Australia.
Security for renters
As part of the Budget, the Government has announced that they want to provide more security for renters by working with State and Territory governments to standardise the use of long-term leases.
For more information, go to the AHURI website <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au" target="_blank">here</a>.
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jonathanchancellor-7SQnKwU6yx

What's in the 2017-18 Budget for housing and homelessness? AHURI

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A building in Sydney awaiting development approval has been temporarily donated by the TOGA property group to address youth homelessness.
TOGA, in partnership with joint owner Qualitas, announced the former Addison Hotel in Kensington had transformed into pop-up accommodation for vulnerable youth.
After making available the vacant building revenue-free, it is set to house more than 42 vulnerable youth. 
TOGA has made available the former hotel to My Foundations Youth Housing for a minimum of 12 months. 
The Addison Hotel forms part of a mixed-use development proposal lodged for the site at 147 Anzac Parade and adjoining property.
The Addison Project will be operated by community housing provider My Foundations Youth Housing.
TOGA Group of Companies managing director Allan Vidor said that constructive partnerships between the private and public sectors, and sensible planning reform, had the power to address the housing challenges facing vulnerable young people in Sydney. 
<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/2017/04/03/170331_AddisonProject_0155.jpg" alt="">
From left to right: Brendan O’Sullivan; Qualitas Executive Director – Principal Investments, Assoc. Professor David McKenzie; My Foundations Youth Housing Chair, the Hon. Pru Goward; Minister for Family and Community Services, Mark Fischer; Qualitas Managing Director – Principal Investments and Allan Vidor, Managing Director of the TOGA Group of Companies
“By making available our building we hope to make a difference in the lives of those who stay at The Addison Project as well as inspire other property owners to consider utilising their vacant assets,” said Mr Vidor.
“Together, the private and public sectors must work toward meaningful planning reform which has the potential to unlock many opportunities to make empty buildings across Sydney immediately available to those who are experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.
No single level of government or service can tackle youth homelessness – innovative solutions must be borne from innovative collaborations between public and private sectors, Mr Vidor added.
<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/2017/04/03/170123_TL_AddisonHotel_0054.jpg" alt="">
The former hotel contains 42 fully-furnished rooms, each with a bathroom and kitchenette, set across three-storeys; creating an appropriate short-term accommodation option for youth.
My Foundations Youth Housing Chair, Assoc. Professor David McKenzie said The Addison Project would provide both crisis accommodation for those at risk of homelessness and young people with a safe space to live and study while they work to secure more permanent solutions and stabilise their circumstances.
<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/2017/04/03/170331_AddisonProject_0187.jpg" alt="">
“The Addison Project is an excellent example of seizing an opportunity to provide a bold and innovative solution.
"Whilst not intended as a solution to homelessness, it is a positive step in the right direction while we work towards addressing the provision of housing in a practical and immediate way,” Mr McKenzie said.
The Addison Project will target youth at risk of homelessness aged between 16 and 24; with young people holding less than 2 per cent of the 140,000 Social Housing tenancies across NSW.
Family and Community Services (FACS) will refer up to 14 rooms to those in-need of Temporary Accommodation.
The Addison Project also includes an anchoring retail space where OzHarvest will open Australia’s first ever rescued food supermarket – OzHarvest Market – next month.
Ronni Kahn, CEO and Founder of OzHarvest said the Australian first would be a pop-up marketplace providing rescued food sourced from its existing local donor network and available on a ‘take what you need, pay what you can’ basis.
“We are thrilled to be part of this ground-breaking project with TOGA and are excited to be transforming the donated space into Australia’s first rescued food supermarket,” said Ms Kahn.
“The OzHarvest Market will be opening its doors soon, making sure good food does not go to waste and is available to everyone, especially to those who need it most.”
This initiative will be jointly supported by leading innovators in social enterprise Orange Sky Laundry and Thread Together who will contribute by providing vital on-site services.
<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/2017/04/03/170331_AddisonProject_0347.jpg" alt="">
TOGA and Qualitas acquired the site in mid-2015.
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TOGA donates vacant Kensington hotel building to address youth homelessness

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The Property Industry Foundation (PIF) held their annual Charity Sailing Day Friday 24 March raising more than $90,000 to go towards building hoes for homeless youth.
The event had over 400 sailors and 38 yachts.
Daryl Browning, Victorian Chairman of the Property Industry Foundation said these vital funds raised by the property industry will help thousands of young Victorians rebuild their lives and plan their futures.
"These funds will be distributed to our beneficiaries charities Lighthouse Foundation and Whitelion/Open Family Australia with industry members of PIF constructing these homes,” he said.
John Bertrand, event patron, met with the young guests who are involved in the charity programs and spoke with them about the experience aiming to inspire a positive change in their lives.
"The Property Industry Foundation has done a great job in supporting the endeavours to help homeless young people,” says Mr Bertrand.
Property Industry Foundation’s Charity Sailing Day was sponsored by Brookfield.
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Property Industry Foundation raises in excess of $90,000 for youth homelessness

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Damien Cooley, director of Cooley Auctions, has launched the first Real Estate Sleep Out, bringing the real estate industry together to raise money for Youth Off The Streets.
The sleep out involves spending the night on Bondi Beach this Monday August 22 to raise awareness and funds for the charity.
Father Chris Riley's Youth Off The Streets offers a continuum of care to young people between the age of 12 - 22 who are chronically homeless, abused, suffering from addiction or in general need of help.
They offer a range of programs including crisis and short term accommodation to long term residential care, counselling, secondary education and rehabilitation.
Youth Off The Street have extended their services to various communities and regional centres throughout NSW via our Outreach Programs.
They also operate a volunteer run food van service each night in Kings Cross.
They have developed these programs in response to the growing needs of our city and regional communities over the past 20 years.
For more information and to help raise funds for the charity <a href="https://everydayhero.com.au/event/realestatesleepout" target="_blank">click here</a>.
Property Observer has donated webspace for the marketing campaign of the charity initiative.
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Real Estate Sleep Out charity fundraiser

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/63336/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
On August 9, most of the Australian population will complete the 2016 Census of Population and Housing. Census night comes less than a week after national Homelessness Week, which aims to raise awareness of the plight of homeless people. With that in mind, the week’s theme this year is “Homelessness Counts”.
While homelessness does count in that most people share concern about its rising incidence and societal impact, a perplexing issue is how to count the people who are homeless. It is essential that the information collected accurately reflects the true extent of homelessness in Australia. Reliable data about the homeless population is vital when developing policy, allocating funding and developing services for vulnerable people.
At the previous 2011 Census, 105,000 people were homeless. That was an increase of 17 percent from the 2006 Census. Anecdotal evidence suggests the number of homeless people – in particular the very old and the very young – is still increasing.
ShelterWA notes the majority of people become homeless due to financial and emotional reasons. The biggest cause of homelessness is family and domestic violence (25 percent), followed by financial difficulties (16 percent). Mental illness and addiction issues can play a role.
Most people experiencing homelessness have lived “normal” lives. They become homeless after a life crisis such as a job loss, illness or marital breakdown.
<h2>When is a person defined as homeless?</h2>
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), when a person does not have suitable accommodation alternatives they are considered homeless if their living arrangement:
<ul>
<li>
is in a dwelling that is inadequate; or
</li>
<li>
has no tenure, or their initial tenure is short and not extendable; or
</li>
<li>
does not allow them to have control of and access to space for social relations.
</li>
</ul>
This definition is much broader than commonly held perceptions of homelessness. While obviously the term covers the archetypal person “sleeping rough”, homelessness refers to a variety of precarious housing circumstances. This includes:
<ul>
<li>
people living in hostels and refuges;
</li>
<li>
people without a usual address – for example, “couch surfing” or staying with friends; and
</li>
<li>
those living in a single room without a kitchen or bathroom of its own.
</li>
</ul>
<h2>How do we ensure homeless people are counted?</h2>
Even armed with the ABS definition, the next issue for the census is how to identify and locate people experiencing homelessness.
<h4>Identification is an issue for several reasons. These include:</h4>
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<li>
it is not obvious that people who are couch-surfing are not living permanently on the premises;
</li>
<li>
people may not self-identify or feel comfortable about elaborating on their circumstances;
</li>
<li>
as they have a roof over their heads, such as in a hostel, people may not realise they are regarded as homeless.
</li>
</ul>
Locating people is another issue. This is especially challenging in the case of those sleeping rough.
Furthermore, homelessness is an issue in rural and regional areas as well as in cities. Resources are limited and, as 2016 Census data director Sue Taylor has noted: "we have to know they are there to be able to go and count them."
<h2>So what is being done about this?</h2>
Efforts are already being made to obtain quantitative data on homelessness, particularly in the major capital cities.
Unlike the census, which occurs every five years, Registry Week takes place annually and uses the methodology developed by Common Ground in the US. Using a specific survey tool called the Vulnerability Index, trained volunteers work in teams to conduct early morning surveys of people who are sleeping rough.
The methodology promotes a targeted approach with a view to moving the vulnerable homeless people into long-term housing. The strategy is effective in raising awareness of homelessness issues and informing agencies of trends.
It is, however, difficult to target everybody. For a start, some people simply do not want to be found or participate. Although this approach provides valuable information about city areas, there are not enough volunteers in rural and regional areas to assess the issue adequately.
The ABS will adopt a similar approach to the census by employing field officers to seek out homeless people. They will take direction from homelessness service providers.
These providers will help to identify likely locations occupied by people experiencing homelessness and to locate boarding houses, refuges and hostels. Obviously, the field officers have received training or are already experienced in dealing with vulnerable people.
The census form includes a question: “Where does the person usually live?” People who have no usual address are encouraged to enter “None” for the suburb part of the question, regardless of where they are staying on census night, even if they are couch-surfing or staying in other temporary accommodation.
Those using supported accommodation vouchers or brokerage services to stay in caravan parks and motels should record “None – crisis” on the census form.
<h2>On the verge of homelessness</h2>
On a related note, the census is expected to glean information about people experiencing housing stress.
On Monday, Homelessness Australia chair Jenny Smith noted that one in ten Australian households are in housing stress and at risk of homelessness. That is 850,000 people on the lowest 40% of incomes. This inescapable link must be factored into any analysis of the homelessness statistics.
Although the ABS is trying to identify as many people experiencing homelessness as possible, the figures are likely to underestimate the true extent of the issue. Unfortunately, a gap will remain between what providers know is happening “on the ground” and the statistics garnered through the census and channelled through to government.
Until a more expansive approach can be developed – and adequate resources provided for analysis of the results – the census’ pursuit of the homeless demographic will be akin to ghost-hunting.
Eileen Webb is associate professor, Curtin Law School, Curtin University and author for The Conversation. She can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/eileen-webb-95332" target="_blank">here</a>.
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Ghost-hunting: will the census reveal the true scale of homelessness in Australia?

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/57114/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">GUEST OBSERVER
New findings from the Cost of Youth Homelessness in Australia research project, released on Thursday, show the rising costs of health and justice services associated with homelessness.
The homeless young people in the study reported significantly higher prevalence of adverse health issues than the general population, or even compared to other unemployed, job-seeking youth. This created an average additional cost, compared to the unemployed group, of A$6,744 per person per year.
Homelessness also means considerably greater contact with and involvement in the justice system. This was an average cost of $8,242 higher than for the unemployed group. The total cost offsets for young people becoming homeless is therefore an average of $14,986 per person per year.
On the basis of the 41,780 young people between aged 15 and 24 who were clients of Specialist Homelessness Services in 2014-15 and presented alone rather than in a family group, the total annual cost to the Australian economy of additional health and justice services is an estimated $747 million – or $626 million annually more than for unemployed youth.
This $747 million exceeds the total cost – approximately $619 million – of providing Specialist Homelessness Services to the 256,000 people (young and old) assisted by the system over the same period.
Has ‘early intervention’ influenced policy?
Early intervention to arrest the onset of youth homelessness is not a new idea.
Debate about early intervention started in the 1990s following several research projects that proffered evidence that it was possible:
• it was advocated in a parliamentary report on youth homelessness in 1995; • it was examined by a government taskforce in 1996-97; and • after a pilot program, the first early intervention program for at-risk and homeless young people, Reconnect, was launched.
But apart from Reconnect, little has been done to develop Australia’s early intervention capacity. This is despite “youth homelessness” having had a visible profile in the media and in public debate. This is undoubtedly in large part due to the 1989 Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission inquiry into youth homelessness.
Twenty-five years later, an independent National Youth Commission Inquiry into Youth Homelessness revisited the same issue in much the same way. It found the problem had not been substantially redressed.
In December 2008, a federal government white paper placed “early intervention” on the policy agenda as a means of “turning off the tap”. But little was done in six years of Labor governments.
And, despite a roundtable on prevention and early intervention convened in 2014 by then-social services minister Kevin Andrews, the Abbott and Turnbull governments have done nothing to give effect to the framework so positively received.
Specialist Homelessness Services assisted 250,000 men, women and children in 2013-14. Nearly one-third (30 percent) were single individuals. Another one-third were sole parents with children (33 percent). Just less than one-third were other families (29 percent). The balance consisted of “other groups” of non-related persons (7 percent).
In 2013-14, of the 76,200 individuals who were alone when they presented to services, 44,414 were young people aged 15-24 years – or nearly six out of every ten single clients.
Widening the debate
The debate about responding to homelessness has too often been confined to claims about increasing homelessness services or reforming homelessness services. The overall costs and benefits are not considered. The huge demand-driven costs associated with young people becoming homeless are not factored in.
Policies that respond to homelessness in ways that avoid these costs have to be more seriously considered. Our report’s findings provide a strong economic rationale for investing in early intervention to stem the flow of young people into homelessness.
And for those young people who become homeless despite early intervention – or who were already living independently prior to homelessness – the policy imperative is to support them to exit homelessness as quickly as possible.
For these young people, this involves setting them up in safe, secure and appropriate housing quickly – or rapid rehousing.
A rapid and agile response has proved difficult to deliver because it requires quick access to some form of appropriate youth housing.
The most important issue is wrap-around integrated support for young people to remain in education, training or employment as a way of replicating – as well as can be achieved – the all-inclusive support that families provide.
Waiting for early intervention and an adequate response to youth homelessness feels like “waiting for Godot”, as the two homeless men did in Samuel Beckett’s famous absurdist play. But, as the findings of our research show, the Australian community and economy are paying the substantial cost of the status quo.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/adam-steen-249616" rel="author">Adam Steen</a> is professor in finance, Charles Sturt University and author for The Conversation. He can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/adam-steen-249616" target="_blank">here</a>.
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