The Future of Housing - Part 4
Continuing our look at the Environmental, Financial and Health impacts of the 3 current strategies being employed to fight the housing affordability fight –
1. Open up more land for development and increase supply
2. Reduce Government Fees & Charges
3. Create Smaller Products
Now let’s focus on topic 3 - Creating Smaller Products.
There has been a charge towards smaller and smaller land parcels, living areas, and house sizes over the last 10-15 years. I agree that whilst Australia has been blessed with vast open spaces, and the dream of the traditional quarter acre block is something that defines us, we simply can’t continue to expand.
But neither can we continue to reduce the size of our living conditions. There is a limit to how small a house or unit can be, or how small land area can be, before it starts to impact our emotional and social health, both as individuals and as a community.
Of course emotional and social health have rarely been a consideration in the Property Development game in Australia, but it’s coming. This is a major issue in European countries and surprisingly China, who are looking at new types of construction, bringing nature into our living spaces, and improving access to services that improve our standard of living and our social and emotional health…all whilst being conscious of affordability.
There are some very exciting topics to come in this space…
Next week…Affordability V Location
John Rosel