Urban Taskforce calls for greater private housing sector support
Urban Taskforce Australia has welcomed the federal government’s decision to allocate $2 billion upfront to help states tackle housing supply shortages.
Tom Forrest (pictured above), chief executive of Urban Taskforce, noted that the funding move by the Albanese government marks a shift from the original plan, where support tied to the Housing Accord was only set to flow after July 2029. Forrest said that his group had been calling for the funding to be fast-tracked since September 2023.
“This is a very welcome $2 billion upfront boost to assist the states,” Forrest said. “The penny has dropped, and the Commonwealth have dug into the Treasury coffers.”
While praising the announcement, Forrest warned that federal policy remains too focused on social housing. He said that while investment in social housing is an important social welfare measure, it does not fix the broader problem of affordability in the private housing market, which supplies more than 95% of new homes.
Forrest urged the next federal government to collaborate closely with private developers and builders, pushing for planning and regulatory changes to increase housing availability. He cautioned against relying solely on social housing initiatives, calling them “band-aid solutions” that address symptoms but not root causes.
“For too long, the Commonwealth has listened to property advisers from within the Canberra bubble,” Forrest said. “Any time spent listening to Max Chandler-Mather is time wasted that could be spent speaking with those who deliver 95% of housing supply – the private sector.”
He stressed that unless planning restrictions, state-based taxes, and heavy regulation are reformed, the housing market will remain unaffordable for many Australians.
Forrest’s comments come just days before the federal election, with housing affordability looming as a major issue for voters across the country.
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