Bradfield MP calls for national definition to tackle affordable housing crisis

A Bradfield MP is calling for a national definition of affordable housing amid growing waitlists and dwindling rates of new affordable builds. Public housing was brought into the spotlight on Wednesday when the Australian Council of Trade Unions tabled a proposal to parliament. The proposal demanded a five fold increase in the number of new public housing builds that would return to levels not seen since the 1980s under the Hawke government. On Friday, Bradfield MP Nicolette Boele held a roundtable in Canberra to discuss why money poured into affordable housing isn’t delivering for those who need it most. MORE: Unions demand 1980s solution to rent crisis A housing roundtable was held on Friday to bring together private and public sector housing leaders. Picture: Supplied MORE: ‘Low’: Report today to force RBA to cut rates They identified a lack of a national definition means it’s virtually impossible to track, according to Tom Alves, acting managing director of the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute. “By 1956, Australia had one of the highest homeownership rates in the world and was producing 100 ‘affordable rental’ dwellings per week,” Mr Alves said. “In 2026, we don’...