‘Insights from London’ report calls for a shared vision to overcome Australia's housing crisis

Link Wentworth is pleased to announce the release of our 'Insights from London' report, as Australia's protracted and unprecedented housing and rental crisis continues to worsen.

‘It is a crisis all levels of government clearly want to address. Councils want it [a solution] to happen, the government of New South Wales wants it to happen, the federal government wants it to happen’, said Link Wentworth CEO Andrew McAnulty , speaking before a hundred guests at the launch event at NSW Parliament House yesterday.

Guest speaker the Hon Rose Jackson MLC, Minister for Housing and Homelessness, agrees, ‘Mustering genuine political will is incredibly important. That political will is something I certainly have, and this government certainly has, to actually deliver on our housing promises and our housing commitments.’

The ‘Insights from London’ report resulted from Link Wentworth’s proactive approach of sending a delegation to the United Kingdom in September 2022. The goal was to enhance professional networks with London's housing associations and gather first-hand insights into a thriving community housing system that can be useful in the Australian context.

Accompanying Andrew McAnulty on the tour were Link Wentworth Chair, Mike Allen , PSM and Chief Customer Officer Margaret Maljkovic . The delegation was also privileged to have Minister Jackson join for a portion of the trip. Their observations, recommendations, and calls to action are contained in the document.

The key recommendations of the report include:

• Government commitment: all levels of government must commit to a shared vision to overcome the challenges of the ongoing housing crisis. Affordable Housing must be recognised for its social and economic importance and move beyond politics and the election cycle.
• Prioritise planning and policy: we must streamline planning processes and unlock barriers to delivering Affordable Housing in NSW on Government and private land.
• Prioritise outcomes over ownership: We must collectively act strategically and with urgency to bring forward an on-going pipeline of quality projects at scale. Governments must focus less on growing their housing balance sheet and more on contributing to a layered approach to funding that increases the volume and diversity of Social and Affordable Housing delivered through the community housing sector.
• Improve material and design quality: smart building and quality design is essential, and this must move beyond individual buildings or dwellings. Increased durability, density, and sustainability must be carefully considered to deliver future-ready housing.
• Always focus on the customer: while remaining ambitious about providing more new homes for those in need, we must continue to adopt a ‘customer first’ approach which encourages tenant empowerment, community building and wellbeing initiatives.

Despite the bleak picture of Australia's housing landscape, the insights from the London study tour gives rise to optimism and a path toward potential solutions. With the release of the 'Insights from London' report, Link Wentworth hopes to stimulate informed discussions, generate action, and inspire sustainable solutions with all levels of government, private sector and our peers in the community housing sector.

In Australia, everyone deserves a home.

Link Wentworth sincerely thanks gracious hosts Peabody (Lord Bob Kerslake, Chair; Ian McDermott (he/him) , CEO; Philip Jenkins FRICS , Executive Director, Development and Sales), London & Quadrant Housing Trust (Aubrey Adams, Chair; Fiona Fletcher-Smith , Group Chief Executive; Vicky Savage, Group Director, Development and Sales; Waqar Ahmed , Group Director, Finance; Matthew Carpen, Managing Director, Barking Riverside), Newlon Housing Trust (Ezinne Ogbanna, Business Development Director; Qammer Hussain , Assistant Director, Property Sales & Marketing; Tim Bryant, Housing Project Manager), and Jigsaw Homes Group Ltd ( Tim Ryan , Board Member Jigsaw Homes Group and Chair Jigsaw Housing South Board). Their hospitality and invaluable time greatly enriched our learning experience.

Read the full report: https://www.linkwentworth.org.au/insights-from-london/