[+] Got to Have Faith: Unlocking Affordable Housing

Land-rich faith-based organisations of Queensland could be the key to boosting affordable housing in the south-east corner. The ShapingSEQ 2023 plan calls for 20 per cent of new supply to be social and affordable homes as the Sunshine State and the nation tackle housing affordability issues plaguing the industry. But getting projects out of the ground is a major sticking point, as the nation stares down the barrel of a misfiring gun. New data from Master Builders forecasts a 110,000 shortfall on National Housing Accord targets of 1.2 million houses by 2029, despite inflation normalising and significant focus on housing policies across all levels of government. “Constraints on the supply side like workforce shortages, industrial relations changes and a poor planning system counter the full effectiveness of these measures,” Master Builders chief executive Denita Wawn says. “Productivity in the industry has fallen 18 per cent over the last decade. It’s clear that governments need to expedite the rollout of planning reforms to reduce the high costs and time it takes to build.” The Queensland Government has this week announced its Housing Availability and Affordability Bill, which forms a state-facilitated development team to fast-track affordable infill housing through the planning system. Through the new team, applications could be assessed within a minimum of 75 business days. The new legislation also enables the minister to condition social and affordable housing on development applications. Public consultation on the planning regulation and the proposed amendments to the Planning Regulation 2017 will be undertaken from April 18 to May 20. Study supports 2000 ‘extra’ homes A group of industry leaders in south-east Queensland has worked to identify underutilised church lands but to develop these sites would require some bold planning changes . YIMBY Queensland has partnered with QShelter, Brisbane Catholic Archdiocese and The Salvation Army to investigate faith-based and not-for-profit organisations’ landholdings that could be developed for social and affordable housing. YIMBY co-founder Natalie Rayment says the development of those sites is constrained by site-by-site planning approval process. ▲ Natalie Rayment is co-founder of YIMBY and a passionate advocate of good development and densification. Rayment says the initial review of more than 60 sites owned by the Brisbane Catholic Archdiocese and the Salvation Army has identified about 40 sites that could accommodate more than 2000 new homes. And some of these sites are ready to go. “Housing is still not a human right in Australia. If we are to shift towards addressing homelessness and housing supply for all we need to strengthen the housing sector, including unlocking more infill housing in locations where infrastructure investments have already been made,” Rayment says. “The simplicity of YIFBY (Yes in Faith’s Backyard) is that it will unlock housing on underutilised land in the existing urban footprint where community already expects urban development.” Rayment says the group is proposing amendments to the Planning Regulation 2017 to allow faith-based and not-for-profit organisations to build affordable and social housing on their freehold land as Accepted Development or Code Assessable. “This would create a clear framework to provide certainty to deliver a major pipeline of social and affordable housing in the immediate to long term. Designed to harmoniously integrate within communities, YIFBY draws upon existing regulation exemptions to help realise Queensland’s social and affordable housing delivery,” Rayment says. The proposed amendments would complement other state government initiatives for social and affordable housing, such as Ministerial Infrastructure Designations, the proposed State Facilitated Development and funding initiatives. US policy provides YIFBY inspiration The recent Homes for Queenslanders policy reform is targeting 53,00 new social homes by 2046, which would necessitate construction of about 2000 new social homes each year. Social and affordable housing on land owned by faith-based and other community organisations was identified in the Queensland Housing Summit Outcomes Report in 2022, which this proposal intends to deliver upon. Rayment says the proposal leverages evidence from an international example, the Faith and Higher Education Lands Act of 2023 in California. ▲ The Jefferson Union High School District Housing’s 705 Serramonte: Rental rates are set at 50 per cent of market rate at time of occupancy. The Jefferson Union High School District Housing project was undertaken through this policy and delivered 122 units at below-market rents for school staff and teachers on a vacant block of land next to the school in San Francisco. Mission clear for faith-based developers In Australia there have been a few success stories—in NSW Fresh Hope Communities has partnered with Nightingale to develop 52 affordable apartments at Marrickville. The Anglican Church is also looking at unlocking its landholdings in NSW. It recently partnered with Traders in Purple to plan out a mixed-use project 10km north of the Sydney CBD at North Lane Cove. Under the partnership, the 1960s St Andrews Anglican Parish Centre would be transformed into a 400-seat auditorium, minister’s residence, retail space and 40 apartments. The apartments would be predominantly three-bedrooms to cater to families and downsizers in the area. The first partnership between the developer and diocese was opposite Five Dock Metro Station , the first of many projects in a larger plan. The Faith Housing Alliance in NSW is also lobbying for planning changes to allow not-for-profits and faith-based organisations to develop existing landholdings. ▲ Traders In Purple has been appointed by the Anglican Diocese of Sydney to lead the urban renewal of St Albans Church at Five Dock. Faith Housing alliance chair and former NSW Planning Minister Rob Stokes believes the Minns Government should be redressing its housing policy to enable development on these sites, which he says could deliver 20,000 new homes in some of Sydney’s best locations. “Faith-based sites, such as places of worship, occupy some of the best-located sites across NSW in terms of access to public transport, education, jobs and services,” Stokes wrote in a submission to the government. “Yet, for many well-located places of worship across NSW that could otherwise support thousands of new affordable rental homes, social, affordable and key worker housing is prohibited.” Stokes says there are many hurdles for developing these sites, including heritage issues, parking and other restrictions that prevent redevelopment of places of worship. A spokesperson from the Archdiocese of Brisbane says delivering affordable housing aligns with the church’s mission to provide for the vulnerable and less fortunate. “For us, property is not the main goal. Our property is a mechanism to assist us to achieve delivering our mission. It needs to be activated to do that,” he says. “This proposal is a practical way to secure and deliver a future in improving people’s wellbeing now and into the long term.” ▲ The Inner West Council agreed to waive the $1.2 million discretionary developer contribution for Nightingale and Fresh Hope’s Marrickville project. Property industry backs push for change The alternative approach to delivering affordable housing supply has the support of QShelter executive director Fiona Caniglia and Property Council of Australia executive director for Queensland Jess Caire, among others. “[Churches] have considerable land holdings, and many have already scoped out the possibilities for housing on some of these sites,” Caniglia said. “They just need a vehicle and mechanism to accelerate a development pipeline.” PCA Queensland’s Caire says a tweak to policy would enable private developers to partner with faith-based organisations to build out affordable housing. What is clear is that demand will continue to outstrip supply until we pull out all the stops. You are currently experiencing The Urban Developer Plus (TUD+), our premium membership for property professionals. Click here to learn more.

[+] Got to Have Faith: Unlocking Affordable Housing

Want to read more?

Disconnection by Design: Why ‘Untech’ is the Next Big Amenity

Office Eyes Slowdown as New Stock Supply Becomes a Trickle

Why Salta Won’t Break Ground on $400m Pipeline

Precinct Proposals Bloom as Brisbane Middle-Ring Sheds its Past

Newest Land Lease Player Plots Sector Shake-Up

[+] Got to Have Faith: Unlocking Affordable Housing

Want to read more?

Disconnection by Design: Why ‘Untech’ is the Next Big Amenity

Office Eyes Slowdown as New Stock Supply Becomes a Trickle

Why Salta Won’t Break Ground on $400m Pipeline

Precinct Proposals Bloom as Brisbane Middle-Ring Sheds its Past

Newest Land Lease Player Plots Sector Shake-Up

Billbergia, Metrics Chase 46 Storeys in $400m Towers Uplift

Melbourne’s Public Art: Driving Cultural and Economic Value

Tasmanian Premier Shrugs off Damning Stadium Report

Billbergia, Metrics Chase 46 Storeys in $400m Towers Uplift

Melbourne’s Public Art: Driving Cultural and Economic Value

Tasmanian Premier Shrugs off Damning Stadium Report

Arup to Lead Brisbane Games Victoria Park Masterplan