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LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN AUSTRALIA AND ITS CAPACITY TO SUPPLY - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN AUSTRALIA AND ITS CAPACITY TO SUPPLY - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN AUSTRALIA AND ITS CAPACITY TO SUPPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING Local government and housing in the 21 st Century Lenka Thompson (PhD Student) ARC Linkage Project: PL150100160 ABOUT ME LENKA THOMPSON > Elected councillor to
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ABOUT THE ‘OTHER’ ME – LENKA THOMPSON > A run-about mum for an energetic 2 year old and partner of a painter artist > Environmental Scientist to an Environmental Audit west of Melbourne > Community leader for creating an urban forest along a local train line
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PHD – RATIONALE FOR THE RESEARCH
> Australia is in a 'housing crisis‘
– Homelessness – Housing stress – Affordable housing demand greater than supply – Unreachable housing market – Insecure housing tenure
> Little clarity on how local government can help alleviate the crisis > Gap in the research of how best to use land and building assets owned by local governments
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PHD – RESEARCH QUESTIONS Primary Question: Why are some councils able to facilitate the provision of affordable housing while others are not? Secondary Questions:
> What are councils doing with respect to affordable housing and what are the challenges/opportunities? > Can local government provide affordable housing utilising their land and building assets? > Can third parties (not-for-profits or NGOs) play a role in helping local government provide affordable housing? > What role do Councillors play in shaping and implementing housing policy?
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PHD – PROJECT MEMBER COUNCILS
- 1. City of Greater Bendigo
- 2. Mount Alexander Shire Council
- 3. City of Moonee Valley
- 4. Moreland City Council
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PHD – RESEARCH SO FAR… FEDERAL POLICIES AND PROGRAMS
Australia Signatory of United Nation’s ICESCR and New Urban Agenda Overarching Policies > Commonwealth-State Housing Agreement replaced by > National Affordable Housing Agreement Housing Assistance Programs > Commonwealth Rent Assistance > National Rental Affordability Scheme > Social Housing Initiative > Independent Living Units
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PHD – RESEARCH SO FAR… LOCAL INVOLVEMENT
Local governments and not-for-profit housing organisations > BHC (Brisbane City Council) > Port Phillip Housing Association (City of Port Phillip)
– Development over council-owned car parks (air space development) – Allocated public land from the council – Currently $85 million in housing assets
> Moreland Affordable Housing Limited (Moreland City Council)
– Looking for Board members, council-owned land and partners
Queensland local governments directly provide housing > Sate government has a mandate to transfer 90% of its stock to councils
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PHD – RESEARCH SO FAR… LOCAL INVOLVEMENT
Parramatta Feasibility Study – Uni of Western Sydney > Council-owned land surplus to its needs and a former maintenance depot nominated site for the feasibility study > The land parcel was 4,222 m2 > Valued at $3.1 million and considered a substantial contribution of equity for the project Playford Alive (Playford City Council and SA Government) > Joint project between Local and State governments > Provide homes to eligible households for a certain time > Council committing $23 million over 10 years
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PHD - THEORY
Neoliberalism
> Involves reducing government intervention to allow market forces to assert its superiority over social and economic affairs (Forrest, 2009) > Neoliberal policies been around since the 1980’s – significant social and economic impacts. Significant impact on housing. > Produced a global real estate market, contributing to high housing prices as an unintended consequence
Human Rights
> The recognition of the inherent value of each person based on dignity, equality and mutual respect, regardless of cultural, social or economic backgrounds (Australian Human Rights Commission) > Stemming from theology and natural law from all across the world, it has the longest legacy still prevalent in todays society > Political and social discourse wanting to bring policy development back to more just outcomes
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HUMAN RIGHTS, NEOLIBERALISM AND HOUSING
> “…the housing sector has been transformed by global financial actors and unprecedented amounts
- f excess capital. It is no longer as we once knew
- it. Housing has been financialized: valued as a
commodity rather than a place to live in dignity, to raise a family and thrive within a community. Housing has become security for financial instruments – traded and sold on global markets. It has lost its currency as a universal human right.” (Farha, 2017).
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PHD - METHODOLOGY
In-depth Interviews with Project Member Councils
Why are some councils able to facilitate the provision of affordable housing while others are not? > Gain an understanding of the council’s goals, the barriers, challenges and opportunities? > What are the organisation’s land holdings? > Does the organisation have a strategy for the land holdings to realise those assets for affordable housing provision? > What are the economic models for local governments to provide their land holdings for affordable housing?
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PHD - TIMELINE
> March – August 2017
– Chapter 2: Local Government – Possibilities and Challenge – Chapter 3: Theoretical Framework
> September 2017
– PhD Assessment with UTS
> September 2017 onwards
– Ethics submission to UTS – In depth interviews with project member councils
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