Back in early 2008, I was working with a Somali community organisation in Flemington on settlement issues. What shocked me the most was seeing a family with five children living in inadequate space and amenities with all five kids living and studying in the same bedroom! To me, housing is not only essential to provide shelter and protection, it is a fundamental human right, yet many people in Australia do not have access to adequate and affordable housing, whether this is through home ownership or private rental markets. This has motivated me to conduct extra research and make a difference in this policy area.
Housing affordability in Australia is reducing with significant and differing implications for different areas and socio economic groups. In some communities key workers are unable to afford housing and in other areas entry level or first home-buyer properties are scarce. Demand for government housing is growing faster than supply. Both State and Federal governments have recognised this with programs to increase supply of social and public housing and to support access to the private rental markets.
A number of factors have led to increases in house prices and contributed to the current affordability problem. These include population and household growth, emphasis on housing as a form of investment, grants for homebuyers, negative gearing, population concentration in capital cities, financial deregulation and access to credit.
Housing stress is also on the rise. According to the St Vincent de Paul Society the term housing stress refers to a household’s position when housing costs are unsustainable or comprise an unduly large proportion of household income. Housing stress does more than just reduce household spending power. It has a significant effect on people’s ability to get a job, puts pressure on relationships, makes it difficult for children to be educated, and in extreme cases, can lead to homelessness. Initiatives to combat housing stress have included investing in new public and social housing properties, maintenance and physical improvement works and instigating an increase in bond loans to assist low-income earners.
A shortage of affordable accommodation can limit the ability of a local area to attract essential workers to maintain services such as transport, medical support facilities, schools, local council utilities and childcare. Importantly, limited housing choices can reduce diversity in the community and impact on community cohesion if entire sections of a population are excluded from particular locations due to cost factors.
Local councils benefit from having affordable housing that can accommodate a diverse local workforce, provide economic benefits to the local community through increased goods and services, while also meeting the needs of the increasing number of smaller households.
Local government is very well placed to distinguish local need and provide localised responses to affordability problems with their communities. Councils can influence housing supply and impact on housing affordability through land use planning and building control functions, as well as through social and community planning, community service provision and local infrastructure provision.
Over the last 30 years, the ratio of median house prices to median household income has more than doubled across the country making not only home ownership impossible for many, but also pushing up the cost of renting. As both the State and Federal governments are implementing a raft of measures to address housing affordability, it is an opportune time for local government to take a proactive role to ensure best outcomes for their communities.
As the economy rebounds from the global financial crisis in association with higher population growth, the impact of higher house prices, interest rates and no significant increase in housing stock, affordability and housing stress will not only be a state and a national issue but a local issue as well. Councils across Australia need to be in a position to be able to respond.
So what can local councils do? As the planning authority, they have the ability to support affordable housing through various policy instruments including land use planning, development facilitation and advocacy and integrate affordable housing objectives with policies and programs. Another effective measure includes developing partnerships and supporting the community housing sector and developers to create social and affordable housing outcomes. Councils can also consider providing surplus land, building capital or other market resources to assist the development of affordable housing.
At the Municipal Association of Victoria’s (MAV) State Council, the City of Monash presented a motion requesting the MAV develop an Affordable Housing Local Government Strategic Framework. This framework will assist local governments in Victoria to integrate affordable housing objectives into their strategic policies and programs, share knowledge and improve councils’ effectiveness in this important policy area and assist in identifying common issues, challenges and opportunities at a state and federal level. The motion was effectively combined with another motion requesting the MAV to advocate and support the provision of affordable housing recognition of the role of rooming and boarding houses as a type of affordable housing and the need to improve their regulation and management through planning, social impact assessment and neighbourhood consultation. This motion was convincingly passed without any objections.
More and more councils around Australia are assuming increased roles in supporting access to affordable housing through their policy frameworks, planning schemes, advocacy and even direct provision or partnership projects. The changing demographic and social patterns such as the ageing population, new migrants and arrivals and an increase in lone person households, students, both local and international are creating a high demand for greater diversity in housing stock than it currently exists. It is about creating an affordable alternative to the private rental market or public and social housing. This is more than just getting a roof over peoples’ heads, it about the potential to improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities.
All Australians deserve accessible and affordable housing. From what I have seen, the local government sector can rise up to the challenge.
Katika mwaka wa 2008, nilifanya kazi na shirika la jamii ya Wasomali huko Flemington juu ya masuala ya makazi. Jambo lililonishtua zaidi ni kuona familia yenye watoto watano wakiishi katika nafasi na vifaa visivyo vya kutosha na watoto wote watano wakiishi na kusoma katika chumba kimoja cha kulala! """Kwa mimi, makazi si muhimu tu kutoa makazi na ulinzi, ni haki ya msingi ya binadamu, lakini watu wengi nchini Australia hawana upatikanaji wa makazi ya kutosha na ya bei nafuu, iwe ni kupitia umiliki wa nyumba au masoko ya kukodisha binafsi." Hii imenichochea kufanya utafiti wa ziada na kufanya tofauti katika eneo hili la sera. Uwezo wa kununua nyumba nchini Australia unapungua na athari kubwa na tofauti kwa maeneo tofauti na vikundi tofauti vya kijamii na kiuchumi. Katika baadhi ya jamii wafanyakazi muhimu hawawezi kumudu makazi na katika maeneo mengine ngazi ya kuingia au mali ya kwanza ya mnunuzi wa nyumba ni nadra. Mahitaji ya nyumba za serikali yanaongezeka haraka kuliko ugavi. Serikali za jimbo na serikali za shirikisho zimetambua hili na mipango ya kuongeza ugavi wa nyumba za kijamii na za umma na kusaidia upatikanaji wa masoko ya kukodisha binafsi. Sababu kadhaa zimesababisha ongezeko la bei ya nyumba na kuchangia tatizo la sasa la upatikanaji wa nyumba. Hizi ni pamoja na idadi ya watu na ukuaji wa kaya, msisitizo juu ya nyumba kama aina ya uwekezaji, misaada kwa wanunuzi wa nyumba, gearing hasi, mkusanyiko wa idadi ya watu katika miji mikuu, deregulation ya kifedha na upatikanaji wa mikopo. Mkazo wa nyumba pia unaongezeka. Kulingana na St Vincent de Paul Society, neno shida ya makazi linarejelea hali ya kaya wakati gharama za makazi hazidumu au zinajumuisha sehemu kubwa sana ya mapato ya kaya. Mkazo wa nyumba hufanya zaidi ya kupunguza tu uwezo wa matumizi ya kaya. Ina athari kubwa kwa uwezo wa watu kupata kazi, huweka shinikizo kwenye mahusiano, hufanya iwe vigumu kwa watoto kupata elimu, na katika kesi kali, inaweza kusababisha ukosefu wa makazi. Mipango ya kupambana na shida ya makazi ni pamoja na uwekezaji katika mali mpya za makazi ya umma na kijamii, matengenezo na kazi za uboreshaji wa kimwili na kuchochea ongezeko la mikopo ya dhamana kusaidia watu wenye mapato ya chini. Ukosefu wa malazi ya bei nafuu inaweza kupunguza uwezo wa eneo la mitaa kuvutia wafanyakazi muhimu kudumisha huduma kama vile usafiri, vifaa vya msaada wa matibabu, shule, huduma za halmashauri ya mitaa na utunzaji wa watoto. Kwa kweli, chaguzi ndogo za makazi zinaweza kupunguza utofauti katika jamii na athari kwa mshikamano wa jamii ikiwa sehemu nzima ya idadi ya watu huondolewa kutoka kwa maeneo fulani kwa sababu ya sababu za gharama. Halmashauri za mitaa zinanufaika na kuwa na nyumba za bei nafuu ambazo zinaweza kukaribisha wafanyikazi wa mitaa mbalimbali, kutoa faida za kiuchumi kwa jamii ya mitaa kupitia bidhaa na huduma zilizoongezeka, wakati pia kukidhi mahitaji ya idadi inayoongezeka ya kaya ndogo. Serikali za mitaa ziko katika nafasi nzuri sana ya kutofautisha mahitaji ya mitaa na kutoa majibu ya mitaa kwa matatizo ya upatikanaji wa gharama na jamii zao. Halmashauri zinaweza kuathiri ugavi wa nyumba na athari kwa upatikanaji wa nyumba kupitia mipango ya matumizi ya ardhi na kazi za udhibiti wa ujenzi, na pia kupitia mipango ya kijamii na ya jamii, utoaji wa huduma za jamii na utoaji wa miundombinu ya ndani. Katika miaka 30 iliyopita, uwiano wa bei ya nyumba ya wastani kwa mapato ya familia ya wastani umeongezeka zaidi ya mara mbili nchini kote, na kufanya kuwa na nyumba ya kibinafsi kuwa vigumu kwa wengi, lakini pia kushinikiza gharama ya kukodisha. Kwa kuwa serikali za jimbo na serikali za shirikisho zinachukua hatua nyingi za kukabiliana na gharama za makazi, ni wakati mzuri kwa serikali za mitaa kuchukua jukumu la kuhakikisha matokeo bora kwa jamii zao. "Wakati uchumi wa nchi unapoanza kupona kutokana na mgogoro wa kifedha duniani, pamoja na ongezeko la idadi ya watu, athari za kuongezeka kwa bei za nyumba, viwango vya riba na hakuna ongezeko kubwa la hisa za nyumba, uwezo wa gharama na shida ya nyumba itakuwa sio tu suala la serikali na la kitaifa, lakini suala la ndani pia. """ Halmashauri za Australia zinahitaji kuwa katika nafasi ya kuweza kujibu. Hivyo halmashauri za mitaa zinaweza kufanya nini? Kama mamlaka ya mipango, wana uwezo wa kusaidia makazi ya bei nafuu kupitia vyombo mbalimbali vya sera ikiwa ni pamoja na mipango ya matumizi ya ardhi, maendeleo ya kuwezesha na utetezi na kuunganisha malengo ya makazi ya bei nafuu na sera na programu. Hatua nyingine yenye ufanisi ni pamoja na kuendeleza ushirikiano na kusaidia sekta ya makazi ya jamii na watengenezaji ili kuunda matokeo ya makazi ya kijamii na ya bei nafuu. Halmashauri pia inaweza kuzingatia kutoa ardhi ya ziada, ujenzi wa mtaji au rasilimali nyingine za soko kusaidia maendeleo ya nyumba za bei nafuu. Mkutano wa Mkutano wa Jimbo la Jimbo la Victoria (MAV) ulifikia uamuzi wa kuanzisha Mkutano wa Jimbo la Victoria (MVA) na kuanzisha Mkutano wa Jimbo la Victoria (MVA) na kuanzisha Mkutano wa Jimbo la Victoria (MVA). Mfumo huu utasaidia serikali za mitaa katika Victoria kuunganisha malengo ya makazi ya bei nafuu katika sera zao za kimkakati na programu, kushiriki maarifa na kuboresha ufanisi wa halmashauri katika eneo hili muhimu la sera na kusaidia katika kutambua masuala ya kawaida, changamoto na fursa katika ngazi ya serikali na shirikisho. "Kama ilivyotangazwa, pendekezo hilo lilihusishwa na pendekezo lingine la kuomba MAV kutetea na kuunga mkono utoaji wa nyumba za bei nafuu, kutambua jukumu la nyumba za kulala na nyumba za bweni kama aina ya nyumba za bei nafuu na haja ya kuboresha udhibiti na usimamizi wao kupitia mipango, tathmini ya athari za kijamii na mashauriano ya jirani. """ Pendekezo hilo lilipitishwa kwa usadikisho bila pingamizi lolote. Maafisa wa serikali nchini Australia wanaongeza kazi zao katika kuunga mkono upatikanaji wa nyumba za bei nafuu kupitia mifumo yao ya sera, mipango ya mipango, utetezi na hata utoaji wa moja kwa moja au miradi ya ushirikiano. Mabadiliko ya idadi ya watu na mitindo ya kijamii, kama vile idadi ya watu wanaozeeka, wahamiaji wapya na kuwasili, na ongezeko la nyumba za mtu mmoja, wanafunzi, wote wa ndani na wa kimataifa, wanaunda mahitaji makubwa ya utofauti mkubwa katika hisa ya nyumba kuliko ilivyo sasa. Ni kuhusu kuunda mbadala wa bei nafuu kwa soko la kukodisha binafsi au makazi ya umma na kijamii. Hii ni zaidi ya kupata paa juu ya vichwa vya watu, ni juu ya uwezo wa kuboresha afya na ustawi wa watu binafsi na jamii. Wenyeji wote wa Australia wanastahili nyumba za bei nafuu. Kutokana na kile nilichoona, sekta ya serikali za mitaa inaweza kukabiliana na changamoto hiyo.