Renting in Australia is no longer just expensive. It is unstable, exhausting and quietly wearing people down.

In this episode of Navigating the Rental Market During Housing Crisis, I am joined by Alice Pennycott, Principal Lawyer (Tenancy) at Circle Green Community Legal in WA, and Leo Paterson-Ross, CEO of the Tenants' Union of NSW and a representative of the National Association of Tenant Organisations.

This is an honest conversation about what renters are facing, beyond the headlines and the data:

• Why Australia’s rental system rewards profit while stability falls through the cracks
• How vacancy rates mask the reality of people being pushed out, not just priced up
• Why doing everything right no longer protects renters from serious mental and financial strain
• Why different eviction laws in NSW and WA still produce the same fear of losing home
• What we lost when housing stopped being a public good, and why rebuilding at scale matters
• Why rental or homelessness insurance won't solve this, and what actually would

This conversation names what renters know but rarely say out loud: the fear of being labelled difficult, the data you give up just to compete and the exhaustion of living on the edge.

Contrary to what we hear often, this is not a wicked or unsolvable crisis. It’s systemic, human-made and entirely fixable — not through personal resilience, but by changing a system broken by design.

What would it actually take to make renting stable, dignified again and humane again?

If you rent, work in housing or want to understand why so many people feel stuck despite doing everything right, this is a grounded and necessary discussion worth listening to.

#HousingAffordability #HousingInsecurity #HousingJustice #NSWRenters #TenancyRights #WArenters

Before recording this Episode 12, I read a story about a man who had been given a bath all his life and was finally able to take his first independent shower after moving into an accessible home.

That moment captures my conversation with Nicole Makin-Doherty, CEO and Managing Director of Empowered Liveability, about dignity, independence and inclusion and why so many Australians are still locked out of housing that works for them

We explored why only 5% of new homes meet basic accessibility standards and how more than 40% of SDA rooms are unoccupied while thousands of people are still searching for a place to live.

Nicole explained how this mismatch comes down to location, design and misunderstanding of how the NDIS actually works and what can be done to fix it.

Here are some key takeaways:

• Why over 1,000 SDA homes are vacant and how location, design and policy all play a role
• The biggest misconception investors have about SDA and why the NDIS doesn’t guarantee rent
• How inclusive design benefits everyone, from parents with prams to people recovering from injury and anyone who wants to age in place
• The crossover between SDA and social housing could help bridge the gap for people who need accessible homes but aren’t NDIS participants

People thrive when they can stay in their own homes. We need to move beyond compliance and design truly inclusive communities that don’t lock people out by focusing on:

• Physical access – homes that work for daily life
• Sensory access – design that support sensory needs
• Financial access – housing that is affordable, not just available
• Ageing in place – staying close to family improves health and connection
• Community access – transport, public spaces and workplaces that include everyone

Any of us could need accessible housing tomorrow. Inclusive homes and infrastructure create communities that support independence, connection and dignity for everyone.

Resources mentioned:

• Housing Hub – quarterly data on demand and funding
• Summer Foundation – research and advocacy on accessible housing
• Empowered Livability – provider insights and case studies

#AccessibleHousing #SDA #NDIS #AgeingInPlace #UniversalDesign #DisabilityInclusion #SocialImpact

Over the past 48 hours, four states - Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria - have been hit by extreme weather. Record-breaking October heat, destructive winds and severe storms have left parts of the country reeling from floods and widespread power outages.

If anyone still thinks climate change is a future problem, look outside.

By 2050, more than one million Australian homes could be uninsurable. According to the Climate Council, flood-prone properties have already lost $42 billion in value and disaster costs are projected to reach $73 billion each year.

In Episode 12, I spoke with Danny Rose, Manager Roads and Stormwater Engineering at ⁠Tweed Shire Council⁠ and Deputy President ⁠Floodplain Management Australia⁠, ⁠ and ⁠Patrick Leahy⁠, Director at ⁠SG Group Real Estate Advisors,⁠ about what happens after the disaster .

We explored what happens after disaster strikes and how communities are rethinking resilience. Here is what they shared:

• How the 2011 and 2022 floods reshaped entire regions and led many residents to stop rebuilding
• What happens to roads, drainage and utilities when buybacks transform neighbourhoods
• How councils decide what to rebuild, relocate or retire to reduce future risk
• Why advanced flood modelling and the checkerboard effect are changing where new homes can be safely approved
• How buyback lessons are informing recovery in bushfire, wind and landslide-prone areas
• Why community education and trust-building are essential before disaster strikes

We are already seeing this play out across NSW and QLD as communities work out what it really means to rebuild safely.

This episode builds on:

• Episode 8 Engineering and Planning Solutions for a Climate-Ready Australia with Pradesh Ramiah and Rob Cowle
• Episode 10 Can we solve the housing AND climate crisis at the same time? with Ammon Beyerle and Jeremy Mansfield OAM

🎧 Tune in to hear how councils and communities are rewriting the rulebook on rebuilding after disaster, and what it means for your home, your investment and your future.

Resources mentioned:

• Australia’s National Climate Risk Assessment (2025) – Australian Climate Service
• Floodplain Management Australia – national network for flood resilience and planning
• Tweed Shire Council Floodplain Management – practical examples of recovery and adaptation

#Buybacks #BuiltEnvironment #HousingResilience #FloodManagement #SustainableHousing

Australia needs 1.2 million new homes by 2029, yet housing stress, rising homelessness and climate risks are intensifying. A typical new home releases around 185 tonnes of CO₂ before anyone moves in, and housing and construction already make up nearly 20% of national emissions.

In this Episode 10, I spoke with Ammon Beyerle, Architect & Director of Here Studio, and Jeremy Mansfield OAM, Board Chair of Green Cross Australia and Founder/Director of Mansfield Advisory Pty Ltd about how adaptive reuse and nature-based urban design can help deliver the homes we need while cutting carbon and building more liveable communities.

A few things from our chat really stayed with me:

• 40% of carbon is locked in existing buildings and we simply can’t afford to demolish them all
• 90% of existing buildings will need redesigning by 2040, not just for carbon but for accessibility and maintenance

• Key worker housing affordability has dropped below 1% in some Australian cities indicating secure job is no longer enough to guarantee a place to live for many
• Nearly every regional town in Australia has an underutilised heritage buildings that could provide housing

Ammon shared his vision to transform 1,000 empty buildings across 1,000 towns in 10 years – not as the full solution, but to instill the culture of "We can’t afford to solve all problems by building everything new but work with what we’ve got".

Jeremy questioned why we don’t have consistent policies across Australia’s 500+ planning schemes that ask: “Do we really need to build new?”

We also talked about:

• How walkable, nature-connected neighbourhoods can reduce emissions and improve wellbeing
• How ecological design, e.g. using trees, green spaces and natural systems, can cool cities and lower embodied carbon
• How lightweight timber extensions can add three or more affordable housing floors without demolition
• The $1.3 billion Household Energy Upgrades Fund and the need to measure what actually requires upgrading
• Why success should be measured beyond carbon – through inclusion, health and resilience

If you care about housing policy, sustainability or urban design, this episode builds on earlier conversations about rooming accommodation, airspace development and modern methods of construction – exploring how innovation and policy can work together to meet housing targets while moving toward net zero.

#SustainableHousing #Nature-basedUrbanDesign #AdaptiveReuse #Decarbonisation #ClimateAction #BuiltEnvironment #NetZero

When more than 10,000 Australians experience homelessness every month and rental vacancy rates sit just above 1%, you would think every state would be doing everything possible to encourage affordable housing. The reality tells a different story.

In this episode, I am joined by Paul Zanetti, Founder and Director of Brisbane Rooming Houses, to explore a housing model that provides secure, executive-style studios (30-60 sqm) designed for long-term residents at a more affordable price than traditional rentals, featuring:
✓ Private ensuite and kitchenette✓ All bills included (power, water, internet)✓ Furnishings, air conditioning and digital security✓ Rents around $400–$500 per week compared with $700+ for a typical one-bedroom apartment

There is strong demand for this housing, especially from low-income workers and vulnerable households, and half of all enquiries come from couples who could share costs at about $200 each per week. However, Queensland’s rules prohibit shared occupancy, creating another barrier to supply when affordability is already under pressure.

In the past five years, Queensland has gained about 146,000 new residents from other states, leading the nation in population growth. Yet it remains the only state charging up to $26,000 per room in infrastructure fees, rising by $2,000 each year, and adding more than $130,000 to a typical five-room project before construction even begins.

Our discussion explores:🔹 Whether infrastructure charges reflect genuine growth costs or are limiting new housing supply🔹 What Victoria and Western Australia are doing differently to attract investment and expand affordable options🔹 How ‘convenient living’ of accommodation can reduce rental stress and create faster pathways to housing🔹 The real cost of policy inaction and what reforms could make an immediate difference

Paul’s key message is clear: government and private providers need to work together. With 95% of Australia’s housing delivered by the private sector, supporting affordable models like rooming accommodation could make a meaningful difference fast.

🎧 Listen to Episode 9 to hear:– Why consistent national policies could unlock thousands of affordable rooms– How small regulatory changes could halve rent for many tenants– Real examples of investment shifting between states– What practical reforms could start unlocking supply tomorrow

What is your view? Should housing policy be consistent across states, or do local conditions justify the current differences?

#RoomingAccommodation #HousingCrisis #AffordableHousing #QueenslandHousing #UrbanPolicy #InfrastructureCharges

Climate change, housing affordability and infrastructure resilience are colliding into one of Australia’s biggest challenges. Disaster costs already exceed $38 billion a year and are projected to reach $73 billion by 2060 – with Queensland and NSW expected to bear two-thirds of the burden. At the same time, property values in high-risk zones continue to rise even as insurance costs make many homes unliveable or uninsurable.

In Episode 8 of my podcast, I am joined by two leading experts at the intersection of planning and climate resilience:

• Pradesh Ramiah – Urban and Environmental Planner at Moreton Bay Council, experienced in sustainable development and climate adaptation across Queensland and NS

• Rob Cowle – Property Risk Consultant and Director at B3Creative and Greenstar Accredited Professional, helping communities future-proof property and business assets

The conversation explores some big questions:

• With all 13 ‘Black Zone’ suburbs (where more than 80% of homes are high risk) still recording price growth, how can planning systems redirect housing to safer locations while keeping it affordable?
• Should Australia focus more on managed retreat, adapting in place or building denser housing in safer zones especially when 1.2 million homes are already climate-exposed?
• Why isn’t climate-ready construction standard practice when resilient features add just 2-3% to costs but can halve disaster repair bills?
• How should we respond when insurers withdraw from high-risk areas, with premiums in North Queensland already exceeding $5,000 a year?
• What would a climate-adapted housing system look like in 2040 and which international lessons could Australia adopt now?

Find out why these final pieces of future-proofing advice matter for Australia's climate-ready housing future:

• Strengthen the NCC to address climate risks at location, precinct and property levels
• When buying or renting, check for gaps and cracks that affect energy efficiency
• Make climate risk disclosure mandatory, as most people don’t know what to ask
• Balance permanent and relocatable housing in resilience planning and buyback programs

🎧 Tune in to Episode 8 to hear some practical and innovative solutions for building safer and more resilient communities in a changing climate

Traditional construction now takes about 55 weeks just to finish one home and meanwhile more than 160,000 households are waiting for social housing. On top of that around 10,000 people fall into homelessness every month. We can’t keep up if we keep building the old way.

In this Episode 7 of Season 1 Australian Housing Challenges and Solutions I talk with Nicholas O’Neill, Managing Director at Moov Modular, and Damien Crough, Co-founder and Executive Chairman of prefabAUS, about how prefab and modular housing might help ease Australia’s housing crisis by delivering the speed, quality and affordability we desperately need.

What we ask

• How do prefab homes get built in 16 weeks versus 55 weeks and, if it works, why isn't everyone doing it?
• Why is some legislation e.g. NSW's Manufactured Building Act still blocking prefab homes that meet the NCC and even preventing the local governments from delivering affordable and social housing?
• Could prefab be the most practical option for regional and remote areas where builders are scarce and climate demands are tough?
• How do different transport rules across state borders create hidden costs and extra complexity for moving modular homes?
• Why does CommBank now back prefab mortgages and how do factory checks ensure fewer defects and lower risks thank traditional projects?

Things you will discover

• How the end of the car industry in 2010s transferred automation knowledge and skills into the prefab sector
• There are six categories of prefab with 1,190+ companies in the supply chain, creating resilience but requiring coordination for quality standards

• Upcoming release of a standardised contract backed by major banks will boost lender participation and build confidence in finance, planning and regulation.
• Channel 9 will air the TV program 'Epic Builds: The 90-Day Challenge' in 2026 showcasing the speed, quality and performance of prefab construction including its benefits for the housing sector.

Damien and Nick cautioned that not all construction companies and builders have the expertise in MMC. It requires knowledge of both factory manufacturing processes and site-specific solutions, from assessing access constraints to matching the right prefab methodology to each location’s unique conditions.

Stay informed about prefab housing regulations and certification schemes, and explore industry information plus a directory of local manufacturers and builders by state through resources such as the NCC Modern Method of Construction Handbook, prefabaus.org.au, CommBank Prefabricated Homes

Keywords: affordable and social housing, Australian housing crisis, housing finance, modular housing, modern methods of construction (MMC), prefab construction, sustainable housing

By 2050 half of Australians are expected to live in strata accommodation, yet most buyers do not fully understand what they are purchasing, and this lack of awareness sits at the centre of Australia’s strata education crisis.

As the housing crisis continues to deepen, strata developments have the potential to provide far more than a management framework by offering ways to increase urban density, strengthen communities and support sustainability

In this episode, I speak with Kate McHugh, Co-Founder and Engagement Lead at Strata Futures, and Michael Lovell, Senior Strata Development Consultant at Strata Dynamics, about how strata management can reshape communities and drive meaningful change in Australia’s housing ecosystem.

Here are key takeaways:

• The ownership illusion: Do you really own your apartment - or just the space inside it?
• The surprise costs: Are strata levies just fees, or are they investments that protect your property's value?
• The lifecycle pattern: How can strata adapt as people move from apartments to houses and back again, while balancing geography, building lifecycles and socio-economic pressures?
• The transparency gap: How can buyers and tenants make informed decisions when disclosure laws vary so widely between states?
• The uncomfortable truth: If spending a million dollars on any other asset requires sophistication, why is housing treated like a free pass?

The bigger picture

With 3 million additional strata units forecast across Australia’s capitals, this is not just about individual buyers, it is about the future of urban living and housing supply. .

Does getting it right requires:

• National consistency in strata regulations
• Recognition that strata is a legal construct of ownership, not a housing affordability solution
• Better education so buyers understand they are making an investment, not just buying a home

The industry reality check: We can't just build apartments and claim the housing crisis is solved without understanding what happens to those buildings after people move in.

Catch the full conversation here