City Futures Research Centre Arts, Design and Architecture

Attracting institutional investment into affordable rental housing

Acclaimed by AHURI CEO Ian Winter as ‘a terrific contribution... to national policy development’ and ‘noted with interest’ by Commonwealth, State and Territory Housing Ministers at their last meeting, the reports from the Investigative Panel led by BE's City Futures Reserach Centre on facilitating institutional investment in rental housing were published in March 2013 .

Convened and managed by Associate Professor Vivienne Milligan, the Panel brought together experts from the financial sector, the housing industry and community agencies. Its brief was to advise government on how to encourage financial institutions (e.g. super funds) to invest in supplying additional rental housing, especially at the affordable end of the market. The Panel found that with strong government leadership and long-term commitment large scale institutional investment in rental housing is both desirable and feasible. A detailed strategy for the development of a new residential asset class was recommended.

In addressing the widely acknowledged need to diversify sources of rental investment finance beyond ‘mum and dad investors’, the Panel reports lie close to the cutting edge of current housing policy debates. Those requesting presentations on Panel findings have so far included the NSW Treasury, the ACTU, the Committee for Sydney, Queensland Shelter and the Community Housing Federation of Australia.

Reflecting the strong parallels with recent policy interest in the UK, an international comparative paper drawing on the investigative panel report was presented by Hal Pawson and Vivienne Milligan at the recent Housing Studies Association conference. City Futures is also contributing to a follow-up RMIT university-led study on social housing guarantees also being funded by AHURI Ltd.

To view the AHURI reports, click here .
To view the Housing Studies Association Conference paper presented by Hal Pawson and Vivienne Milligan, click here .
For Associate Professor Vivienne Milligan's profile, click here .
For Professor Hal Pawson's profile, click here .

Image source: NY Times

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City Futures Research Centre is located on the unceded coastal land of the Bidjigal people of the Eora Nation. City Futures Research Centre acknowledges the Traditional Owners and pays respect to Elders past and present. City Futures Research Centre recognises that First Nations people are a living part of the oldest continuous existing culture on earth and have been stewards of the natural environment upon which we now learn and work.