About this episode
What if everything we’re told about fixing Australia’s housing crisis is just scratching the surface? That’s the starting point for our conversation with Michele Adair, Managing Director of the Housing Trust and a long-time advocate for meaningful housing reform. Michele brings decades of experience and doesn’t hold back when talking about what’s really broken in the system. Throughout the episode, we cover key issues that are often ignored or oversimplified in the national conversation around Australia’s housing crisis, including: Why political promises rarely translate into real, on-the-ground housing outcomes The limitations of the private market and why it can’t deliver genuinely affordable homes How capital gains tax discounts cost the federal budget $23 billion a year – funds that could support social housing The gap between housing policy and delivery, and how that disconnect keeps communities in crisis Why the Housing Australia Future Fund is a step in the right direction, but severely underfunded and politically vulnerable The urgent need for a 20-year national housing strategy that includes all levels of government and addresses workforce shortages How community housing providers are being stretched to the limit, despite being more efficient and regulated than many think Why defining “affordable housing” matters, and how that definition has been lost at a federal level If you care about what’s happening in housing, or you’re just tired of hearing the same old solutions that clearly aren’t working, this one’s worth a listen. Let's get started! Episode Highlights: 00:00 - Introduction 01:21 - Who is Michele Adair? 01:59 - Could the election results have an impact on the ongoing rental crisis? 04:36 - What Michele believes the Labor Party still needs to address beyond supporting HAAF 07:06 - How Michele views the investment fund approach vs direct housing build 09:56 - What’s currently preventing good affordable housing proposals from moving forward 11:02 - Why Michele believes political messaging around “supply” misses the real issue 13:48 - Why housing affordability can’t be fixed by doing the same thing over and over 16:07 - Why housing policy shouldn't be a one-size-fits-all 27:17 - What’s changed, or hasn’t, in the rental crisis since the last conversation 29:49 - How having three levels of government makes fixing housing more difficult 36:50 - Michele’s views on how tax structures and hidden costs affect affordability 38:44 - How community housing is currently financed, and why it’s becoming harder 49:21 - How poorly designed rental laws are putting pressure on both renters and landlords
