City Backs Plan for Mandatory Affordable Housing

Developers face punishment for failing to include affordable homes in new Melbourne projects as the city acts to ease its worsening housing crisis. Everybody had a right to adequate housing, Cr Olivia Ball told a meeting at which the City of Melbourne’s Future Melbourne Committee endorsed an 11-point plan to tackle affordable housing in the city, including making it compulsory in new developments. “It’s a basic minimum standard that we as a civil society are willing to accept for every other person and our species,” Ball said. “It includes this human right, it includes the freedom to choose where you live ... It includes the right of everyone to in housing-related decision-making, at a community level. “It means at a minimum, your housing must give you security of tenure.” The recommendations were made to the Future Melbourne Committee by the council’s People’s Panel established to respond to the shortage of affordable housing and to find ways to increase it. The 40-member panel met in October and November last year after the council endorsed its formation on September 5, 2023. Independent facilitators co-designed and delivered the panel, which decided on 11 recommendations to make to the council. City planning officers recommended the council endorse the plans. All councillors bar one voted to endorse the recommendations and to follow through on related actions, including changing policy and beginning advocacy. City Activation lead Councillor Roshena Campbell voted against the motion as she did not agree with the solutions proposed to penalise developers. The 11 recommendations 1. Penalties and disincentives for not participating in affordable housing supply 2. Innovative alternative funding 3. Simplifying the funding process 4. Public awareness campaign and education program 5. Consistent pipeline of funding between all levels of government for affordable housing 6. Compulsory affordable housing for new developments 7. Planning reform: new permit priorities 8. Lobby governments for sustained and consistent long-term funding 9. Creating sustainable communities 10. Incentives for stakeholders to provide affordable housing 11. Use a data-based approach to support and assess all recommendations ▲ The City of Melbourne has voted to endorse the 11-point plan to tackle affordable housing in the Victorian capital. Each recommendation was reviewed and assessed against current work and policy positions with council staff ascertaining what was needed to implement each. The City of Melbourne now has three key actions: an advocacy plan to lobby for changes it cannot undertake on its own; a community education plan to inform the community of the issue' and a plan to make necessary changes internally to bring policies in line with the recommendations. Planning officer recommendations also included the lord mayor writing to state and federal governments to present the recommendations. Council staff will then provide an update to the committee in July. An independent recruiter was used to select 40 participants after 8500 invitations were issued to capture the demographic profile of the council area. Each recommendation was supported by at least 80 per cent of the panellists, some were unanimously supported and most aligned with the Affordable Housing Strategy. Pre- and post-deliberation surveys showed that panel members reported increased trust in the council (45 per cent increase) and greater confidence that community would influence council decisions (45 per cent increase).

City Backs Plan for Mandatory Affordable Housing

Want to read more?

Childcare Crunch: $4bn Shortfall Opens Door for Developers

In with the Old: Why Building Coalition Says Reuse Must Trump Redevelopment

Future of Inner-Sydney Megasite Under Investigation

The Cloud in Your Basement: How Cooling Tech Will Reshape Data Centres

From Singapore to Sydney: Centurion Digs into Australian Living Sectors

City Backs Plan for Mandatory Affordable Housing

Want to read more?

Childcare Crunch: $4bn Shortfall Opens Door for Developers

In with the Old: Why Building Coalition Says Reuse Must Trump Redevelopment

Future of Inner-Sydney Megasite Under Investigation

The Cloud in Your Basement: How Cooling Tech Will Reshape Data Centres

From Singapore to Sydney: Centurion Digs into Australian Living Sectors

Fast-Track Bid for Holdmark’s Parramatta Skyscraper

Childcare Crunch: $4bn Shortfall Opens Door for Developers

Why ‘Best Practice’ Fails in Construction Finance

Fast-Track Bid for Holdmark’s Parramatta Skyscraper

Childcare Crunch: $4bn Shortfall Opens Door for Developers

Why ‘Best Practice’ Fails in Construction Finance

Billbergia Live-Work Highrise at Chatswood Wins Appeal