91����

91���� welcomes this opportunity to provide a submission to the Senate Inquiry into “the worsening rental crisis in Australia.” As a national, independent research institute, 91����’s mission is to deliver high quality research that influences policy development and practice change to improve the housing and urban environments of all Australians.
 
Australia’s rental markets have been experiencing increasing strain, as the result of a complex set of drivers. These drivers include persistently low rental vacancy rates, insufficient supply relative to population movement and growth, depletion of rental supply through conversion of stock to short term rental (tourist) accommodation, declining home ownership and residualised social housing supply.
 
This submission provides a response to the terms of reference of the Inquiry, referencing mainly 91���� research and policy consultation. It is structured according to the Inquiry Terms of Reference which relate to the “worsening rental crisis in Australia,” with particular reference to: 

• the experience of renters and people seeking rental housing 
• rising rents and rental affordability 
• actions that can be taken by governments to reduce rents or limit rent rises 
• improvements to renters’ rights, including rent stabilisation, length of leases and no grounds evictions 
• factors impacting supply and demand of affordable rentals 
• international experience of policies that effectively support renters 
• the impact of government programs on the rental sector, and 
• other related matters.

91���� welcomes this opportunity to comment on the Tasmanian Housing Strategy discussion paper. This submission responds to the questions posed in the discussion paper, and points to relevant 91���� research that is relevant to the strategy.

The submission rightly canvases a range of key housing issues facing Tasmania, from rapid population growth, high rates of low income households, dispersed social housing across regional areas, an older and ageing population and increasing population living with disabilities. Issues of particular relevance for Tasmania that could be better covered include:

• The regional dimension of the ageing of population, including towns in the northern part of Tasmania and how this is managed (for relevant 91���� research see Li et al. 2022).
• The permanence or otherwise of migration to regional locations due to COVID related factors (Baker and Daniels 2020), and the recovery of housing markets following COVID (Verdouw et al. 2021).
• The role of tourism in the Tasmanian economy and the rise of the short-term rental market, which has reduced the availability of private rental housing for longer term tenants (Phibbs and Ely 2022).
• Trends in homelessness in Tasmania, which have increased from 2006 to 2016, centring particularly on Hobart and north-eastern Tasmania (Parkinson et al. 2019).

This submission seeks to provide constructive, evidence-informed observations in response to many of the questions posed by the Issues Paper released by the Productivity Commission as part of the consultation process for the Review of the NHHA. The Issues Paper considers a wide range of issues relating to the performance of the NHHA and the importance of a coordinated and coherent housing strategy.

This submission focuses primarily on the substantive housing agreement and housing policy issues relevant to this, and seeks to provide constructive, evidence-informed observations in response to many of the questions posed by the Issues Paper. 91���� remains willing to continue to work with the Productivity Commission in developing nuanced, evidenced understandings of these issues and to broader issues relevant to housing policy, markets, subsidy, and assistance.

91���� is pleased to make this submission in response to Infrastructure Victoria’s draft 30-Year Infrastructure Strategy for the state.

Our submission has been structured according to the same four main ideas that give shape to the Infrastructure Strategy itself:

1. Confront long-term challenges
2. Manage urban change
3. Harness infrastructure for productivity and growth
4. Develop regional Victoria

The detailed content of the submission is derived from 91����’s extensive body of evidence and research on housing, homelessness, cities, and urban policy issues.

91����'s submission to the Senate Economics Legislation Committee’s the Housing Australia Future Fund 2023 package of bills. The Australian Government is to be commended for the pace and ambition of the legislative agenda being pursued through this legislative package, and for moving not only to directly respond to the housing crisis, but to work in partnership with other tiers of government, community sectors and industry in addressing these complex housing system challenges seen across the nation.

91���� recognises the time critical nature of the Housing Legislative Package, and is broadly supportive of each of the Bills. While some areas, noted above, are not addressed in detail in the draft legislation, some of these details are not legislative matters but are more operational. Whether amendments to the Bills address these concerns, or they are addressed subsequently through other processes, 91���� is available and capable of assisting the Commonwealth in ensuring the Government’s housing reform agenda leads to improved housing outcomes for Australians.