Amanda Winks, Chief Executive Officer, Housing Trust
When I set out to write this piece, my first step was a callout to the Housing Trust team seeking ideas and inspiration. Within minutes, a suggestion popped up in our team chat (thanks Nat!) to a resounding flurry of thumbs up and love heart emojis:
“How investing in social and affordable housing is beneficial to the economy—challenging negative perceptions about housing being a burden that creates extra cost for taxpayers.”
It’s a timely and important topic. And, as we head into the cold winter months, my thoughts naturally turn to the human need for shelter, warmth, and security. Instinctively, we know that safe, affordable homes lead to better outcomes. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s 2023 National Social Housing Survey confirms this with 80% of social housing tenants reporting economic, health and social improvements.
As one Housing Trust tenant, Tyrone beautifully said: “Finding a stable place to call home has felt like such an enormous weight has been lifted off my and my mum’s shoulders. We are forever grateful and know we are very fortunate to have the support and encouragement that we have received. I wish everyone in our position was as lucky.”
But this isn’t just about compassion or matters of the heart, it’s also about smart economics.
A new report by Swinburne University of Technology, Maximising Investment in Social and Affordable Housing in Australia evaluates the Housing Australia Future Fund (a federal government initiative established in 2023 to improve housing outcomes for Australians). It estimates that each funded home generates over $4,000 annually in societal benefits through reduced spending on health, justice, and homelessness services. On top of that, tenants benefit from nearly $10,000 per year in cost-of-living relief thanks to affordable rents, energy savings and improved living conditions.
These numbers show that investing in housing is not a drain on public resources at all, it is an investment in our future, creating long-term value both for individual households and society. It makes sense that when people have a safe, secure and affordable home they are healthier, more likely to hold down a job and less likely to require emergency services or crisis support. One by one these benefits add up.
The 2022 Give Me Shelter report by SGS Economics and Planning reinforces this, showing that every $1 invested in social housing returns $2 in benefits through improved health outcomes, reduced crime and increased workforce participation to name a few. These returns are comparable, if not better than traditional infrastructure projects like roads and rail.
The newly released 2025 State of the Housing System Report by the National Housing Supply and Affordability Council echoes these findings and recognises social housing as essential infrastructure that reduces homelessness, strengthens communities and supports economic productivity. It also highlights the growing gap between housing supply and demand and the flow on effects including the impact on lower income households who are simply unable to meet their housing needs in the private market.
This is not a new problem, it’s the result of decades of underinvestment. The consequences – rising homelessness, sustained social housing waitlists, and a generation of Australian’s who can’t afford to pay the rent, let alone save for a deposit or repay a mortgage are getting harder to ignore.
The evidence clearly shows that public investment in housing is not a cost. It’s a catalyst for economic and social progress.
After all, a home is not a commodity, it is the foundation of dignity, stability and opportunity. A home offers shelter and warmth from the elements, a place to connect with family and friends, to study, to recover in hard times, to retreat when we’re not feeling well, and is ultimately the place where we feel comfortable and empowered to make the decisions about the things in life that affect and fulfil us.
That’s why the community housing sector continues to call for a long-term, legislated national housing and homelessness plan backed by all political parties, consistent funding and a commitment to one in ten homes being social or affordable.
This isn’t only about fixing a crisis. It’s about building a better future. One where our economy is stronger because our people are healthier, more secure and thriving.
There’s no question we have a national housing crisis. But we also have a national opportunity to build the homes and the housing system that Australia needs. Doing so, will lead to a fairer, stronger Australia for us all, one where there is a decent home for everyone.
Data sources:
https://sgsep.com.au/assets/main/SGS-Economics-and-Planning_Give-Me-Shelter.pdf
