The Case For A Massive Increase In Public Housing

Socialist Alliance National Office Presentations

1. Is private provision the best way to put a roof over our heads?

Housing affordability in AustraliaSource: HIA

The real cost of housing Of 15 OECD countries compared in the study,

Australia had the highest prices relative to rental levels, the third-highest prices relative to incomes, and the fourth-highest levels of household debt relative to incomes.

Making it worse, demand for affordable housing had risen at the same time as the public housing stock in Australia dropped from 372,000 in 1995-96 to 345,000 in June 2004.

Average household debt has skyrocketed as a proportion of household disposable income. From 49 per cent of income in 1990-91, the debt ratio trebled to 143 per cent in 2004.

--OECD 2005 report on housing

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare said 1.7 million people were in "housing stress" in 2004, spending more than 30 per cent of their income on accommodation.

Housing costs as % of incomeSource: ABS, 4130.0.55.001

Trends in housing tenure Source: ABS, 4130.0.55.001

How Australia is housedSource: ABS, 4130.0.55.001

What does a house really cost 1?Source: “Breakdown of housing costs in South-East Queensland”, AEC Group, October 2008

What does a house really cost 2?Source: “Breakdown of housing costs in South-East Queensland”, AEC Group, October 2008

Capital city house pricesSource: HIA

Public housing stock in Australia

Average weekly housing costsSource: ABS, 4130.0.55.001

Housing in Australia and overseas

2. Can our present model of housing and urbanisation continue?

Average house size and no.of occupants ABS, 4130.0.55.001

Water consumption per capita (cubic metres), 2003

Per capita ecological footprints, Australia and other countries, 1997 Source: www.pollutionissues.com/Ho-Li/Lifestyle.html

3. Will public housing always tend to be welfare housing?Source: NSW Department of Housing

Quality public housing 1 (Madrid, La Carabanchel)Source: www.inhabitat.com/2007/07/09/sustainable-public-housing-by-foreign-office-architects/

Quality public housing 2 (Ljublana, Slovenia)Source: www.inhabitat.com

Quality public housing 3 (Prefab, California)Source: PREFAB FRIDAY: Brio54

Quality public housing 4 (Venezuela) Source: http://oilwars.blogspot.com/2005/12/public-housing-venezuelan-style.html

Quality public housing 5 (Venezuela) Source: hhttp://oilwars.blogspot.com/2005/12/public-housing-venezuelan-style.html

Quality public housing 6 (WA)Source: WA Department of Housing

4. What should be done? A. Very few gains without a

movement (ACTU, Shelter lobbying) B. Public housing policy cannot be

treated in isolation from general fight for public provision and sustainability

C. What housing finance policy? D. What political alliance for

sustainable, decent public housing?

Housing Affordability IndexSource: HIA