Note for confused readers: the raspberry mentioned in the headline is not the delicious fruit, it is the disgusting noise created by exhaling a stream of air under a protruded tongue.
A vast, worldwide, low-end hotel/motel industry specializes in providing affordable housing. Should it voluntarily take charge of solving the affordable housing crisis internationally, or in any single country? We might ask the same question about the wildly successful internet-based B&B industry.
With few exceptions, governments universally seem to be adopting an ‘anybody but us’ attitude to the housing crisis. But they don’t really need a motel or B&B industry to take charge of defeating affordable housing enemies, whoever they might be. That’s because governments have already found their patsy to lead the charge out of the trenches: the homebuilding industry.
Why them? The homebuilding industry itself is far from certain why. It was never in question that they would provide logistical support for such a war against housing unaffordability. But carrying far beyond that, nations are enticing homebuilders to voluntarily lead the war, not to mention helping to fund it.
The enticements? A mixture of grants, tax breaks and by-laws washed down with patriotic/political rallying cries, such as ‘the free market private homebuilding sector can do it better!’
At worst, and only very occasionally, there is a bayonet prod to the industry butt.1
From a government viewpoint, volunteerism by the homebuilding industry is apparently the order of the day. A recent Australian article bemoans the lack of affordable housing in that country, based on an expectation — unfulfilled — that the nation’s homebuilding industry will voluntarily lead the way.
The article moves on to an international search for examples of government actions that have successfully wooed the homebuilding industry into voluntarily funding, as well as spearheading, the war on unaffordable housing. The conclusion: positive results have so far been extremely limited, not only in Australia, but everywhere. Read more in Domain: If It’s Voluntary For Developers To Make Affordable Housing Deals With Councils, What Can You Expect?
Footnotes
- For one of the latest prods, try: 20-20-20 Vision: Screw The Carrot. Montreal Brings The Stick to Affordable Housing.
