Abstract for:Enhancing Affordability Outcomes for Low Income Households Through Green Building Policy in Australia: An Integrated System Thinking Approach

Housing affordability subsidies to low and middle-income households represent an annual expenditure in excess of AUD$6.5 billion to the Australian government. Increasing numbers of households are entering ‘housing stress’, largely due to escalating house and utility prices (housing costs), thereby creating a further burden for a broad range of government social assistance programs.

Government policies to date have arguably been ineffective; however significant affordable housing policy changes are on the horizon, presenting new opportunities.

This research provides new insights into the delivery of government housing affordability subsidies. We investigate the link between the operational utility efficiency of community rental housing, and affordability outcomes for low and middle-income households.  Specifically, the research explores how ongoing operational utility efficiency, through green building principles, may be captured to improve the efficacy of government social support schemes in a systemic manner. We apply systems theory to encapsulate the web of impacts and influences of policy changes to a variety of stakeholders.