Assignment Task
Question
1. Briefly explain the technical concept of ‘market failure’ as it is used in economics, discuss its possible relevance to housing policymaking, and outline the kinds of housing policy initiatives that ‘redressing market failure’ could imply. Considering other contended explanations for housing policymaking, to what extent can housing policy in Australia be attributed to government efforts to mitigate market failure?
2. 1945, 1996 and 2009 are arguably three particularly significant dates in the history of housing policy in Australia regarding social housing. Identify key policy developments in (or around) each of these years relevant to social housing and explain their substance and underlying rationale. Describe and account for the lasting significance of key policies/programs dating from one of those years (or their failure to have a lasting impact).
3. Explain the challenges faced by Australia’s social landlords in achieving financial sustainability and what is meant by the ‘funding gap’ in the provision of social and affordable housing. With reference to their practical application in actual programs, discuss at least two ways the gap can be bridged and the pros and cons of each cited approach.
4. What types of landuse planning mechanisms can be used in efforts to enable the provision of social and affordable housing in a country like Australia? To what extent has the deployment of such measures in NSW fulfilled policymaker aspirations in terms of practical impacts, and what factors have constrained these?
5. Explain and critique the arguments advanced in Australia that a prime cause of housing unaffordability is ‘excessive planning regulation’? In what ways is it advocated that ‘planning’ restrictions should be relaxed to this end, and what is the realistic scope for this?
