The Australian Institute of Architects stands ready to offer a range of solutions to Queensland’s housing crisis, as industry stakeholders meet at today’s roundtable ahead of October’s Housing Summit.
The Institute’s Queensland Chapter President, Amy Degenhart, called for “a village approach to solve this type of structural issue”.
She noted the expertise of architects, as custodians of the built environment, in working diligently to offer solutions to the issues of Queensland housing for many years.
“The upside of the dire state of Queensland housing is that the crisis is inspiring action, not only from one section of government or one industry body, but jointly and collectively across all levels and sectors,” Ms Degenhart said.
A Housing Summit to address the Queensland housing crisis is underway, with an initial roundtable of stakeholders this morning.
“We welcome the sense of urgency Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is placing on this issue, but a crisis of this magnitude does not arise overnight,” she said.
“Given 70 per cent of Australians are homeowners, and that significant voting block has a natural interest in maintaining high housing prices, it is resulting in a widening divide between the housed and the homeless.”
She said growing Queensland’s suburban precincts could play a big part in attaining the goal of housing all Queenslanders by 2032.
“Research indicates that communities are reluctant to welcome increased densities in their neighbourhoods due primarily to legitimate concerns regarding traffic, car parking and design,” she said.
“Architects have the necessary design expertise. We welcome the opportunity to put solutions on the table and to challenge the fear of the missing middle by offering desirable community outcomes.
“Collaboration between local and state governments in transforming redundant public land into highest and best use housing outcomes is critical to the solutions for this crisis.
She said solutions included encouraging diversity while maintaining affordability, innovative types of housing tenure and finance, public and private partnerships, government supply of land resources, industry profit and non-for-profit delivery models, as well as simply increasing the quantity of well-designed, locally connected and appropriately positioned social housing.
“On behalf of the members of the members of the Australian Institute of Architects, I look forward to contributing to the upcoming Housing Summit in October and working across all industries to be part of the solution,” Ms Degenhart, said.
Media contact: Anna Svensdotter, Queensland State Manager, Australian Institute of Architects on 0402 852 645 or anna.svensdotter@architecture.com.au
FIX THE SUPPLY OF AFFORDABLE AND SOCIAL HOUSING
The Institute calls for the next Australian Government to establish a bi-partisan National Housing Strategy that will:
- Appoint a Minister for Housing to recognise this as an ongoing core government priority.
- Recognise ‘adequate housing’ as a basic human right and establish a legislative framework to support this recognition.
- Centralise and publish data on all housing supply and consequently, set minimum targets for supply for social and affordable housing, including the eradication of waitlists.
- Establish a national minimum standard for the implementation of inclusionary zoning in collaboration with State governments and provide incentives for State governments to implement that standard.
- Set appropriate standards to elevate housing quality, particularly in remote and regional areas, ensuring housing is fit for purpose, accessible and responsive to community and resident needs. This includes long-term maintenance programs.
- Significantly increase funding for co-designed new social housing residences for First Nations peoples to address the chronic underfunding and undersupply of housing for Australia’s indigenous peoples.
- Ensure that due diligence is undertaken to ensure the protection of cultural materials and sacred sites when opening up greenfield sites for development.
- Address the supply of social housing as a long-term commitment rather than short term or one-off initiatives.
