Housing must be recognised as vital economic infrastructure

Housing is the foundation of a productive economy. Yet in Australia, the connection between housing and productivity has been overlooked for too long.

Without secure and affordable homes, people cannot participate fully in work, education or community life.

At Home in Place, we see the impact of the housing crisis firsthand. Families forced into unstable housing face greater financial strain and emotional stress. Parents are juggling long commutes, insecure rental arrangements and rising living costs, leaving little energy to fully participate in the workforce. Children in unstable homes often struggle at school, and their long‑term prospects suffer as a result. The ripple effects are felt not only by individual households but across our communities and the economy as a whole.

We also see the difference that stable, affordable housing makes. When people have a secure place to call home, they are more likely to hold steady jobs, complete their studies, and contribute to their neighbourhoods. Secure housing strengthens resilience, reduces demand on crisis services and helps build stronger, more connected communities.

That is why in our submission to the Federal Government’s Economic Reform Roundtable we emphasised the need for housing to be recognised as core economic infrastructure, not just a social policy issue. It should be considered as essential as roads, energy and digital connectivity in driving national productivity and prosperity.

We recommend that one in every ten new homes built nationally be social or affordable housing. This single change would deliver 24,000 homes each year, support essential workers to live closer to jobs and strengthen workforce participation. It would also help ease the immense pressure on our health, education and welfare systems by addressing one of the root causes of disadvantage.

Our submission also encourages a review of housing tax concessions to ensure they better support the delivery of new affordable and build to rent homes.

Australia has faced a housing crisis before and solved it with ambition and leadership. We must do so again. The scale of today’s challenge demands decisive action and a commitment to reforms that will make a lasting difference.

The time to act is now.