Housing: The Great Australian Right

by Kevin Bell

Almost everyone in Australia is feeling the impact of the national housing crisis, which is traumatising individuals, families and communities. In the reconstruction period following World War II, governments ensured that access to adequate and affordable housing was virtually universal. But now, many young people and families are finding it almost impossible to buy, or even rent, a home. During the COVID years, government action took the homeless off the streets, yet homelessness is now at a record high. The fact that significant numbers of women are currently living in their cars is just one tragic example of the depths to which the entire system has sunk. We seem to be trapped in a vortex of minimal government ambition, stale non-strategic thinking and maximum profits. Housing: the Great Australian Right argues that governments have the capacity and the power to resolve this national plight. This will require profound changes to government policy, administration and legislation, to be fuelled by reimagining 'the great Australian dream' of housing as 'the great Australian right' to housing.

Genres: Nonfiction

89 pages, Paperback

Published August 1, 2024

Reviews

[Amalia Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

super succinct history/current state of housing in australia; human rights perspective was insightful - wish it explored further in depth (but that would defeat the point/length of book i guess). raised a fantastic point that “mandatory reporting of deaths of people in homelessness to state and territory coroners” should be the norm (similar to reporting on car crashes fatalities) given the morbidly depressing fact that people without homes have a mortality rate from 2-5 times HIGHER than the general population AND have a life expectancy of FIFTY ( 36 years YOUNGER than the average population)

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Succinctly discusses Australia’s housing disaster in 80 pages. The book touches on all four aspects of housing; home ownership, private rentals, social housing and homelessness and contends that all four layers are chronically and systematically failing for which the Australian government is directly responsible. Kevin Bell contends that to shift our view of housing in Australia from a commodity used to generate private wealth to something that is a fundamental human right we have to adopt a human rights base legislative approach. Good book - short and sweet.

[Lucia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Should be mandatory reading for every politician and property investor.