Access to housing, including social and affordable housing is an issue that permeates so many of our conversations regarding the sustainable development of our region. Regional population growth and ‘regional migration’ in part due to COVID, as well as increasing house prices and rent, are impacting our communities and becoming significant social and economic issues for ours, and many other regions around the country.
Recently, a report called Give Me Shelter was launched by Housing All Australians. It is an economic report into the long-term costs of under-providing public, social and affordable housing throughout Australia. It has implications for our Region and supports many of the findings from the Committee for Ballarat Future Shapers: Ballarat – where are you sleeping tonight forum held in 2021.
In short, Housing All Australians are calling for a business-led movement to help solve Australia’s chronic shortage of low-income affordable housing. The report underlines the “importance of investment in social and affordable housing as a fundamental economic issue with generational implications” (Jane Hodder, Deputy Chair – Committee for Melbourne). The report finds that a failure to act will cost the community $25 billion per year by 2051.
The time to act is now and our thriving and vibrant regional community depends on it.