
Who wants to build social housing? Not the housing industry. They’ve been quite upfront and vocal over the past few years about the housing they would prefer to build — luxury housing. (That might be truly luxurious housing, or the highly profitable luxury-looking housing, a.k.a McMansions.)
But the industry has been quite frank about needing a solid bribe to build so-called ‘affordable’ housing. As for public housing, don’t even mention it.
That was before COVID-19.
Government investment and the construction of social housing was an important engine that provided precious employment and helped power nations out of the Great Depression of the 1930’s.
Suddenly, housing industries looking to climb back towards profitability are taking a long hard look at the potential of social housing construction as an important stepping stone.
And that’s leading to some important though unlikely alliances of industry, charity, local government and housing activists. Here’s an Australian initiative to build what everyone agrees is much-needed. Read more in the Sydney Morning Herald: Private-Sector, Charities Push For Social Housing-Led Economic Recovery