1. Flinders Institute for Housing, Urban & Regional Research The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Home Ownership as Social Policy? Andrew Beer With apologies to Emma Baker, Peta Raftery and Gavin Wood

2. Flinders Institute for Housing, Urban & Regional Research The Good Prime Minister Address to the Housing Industry Association, May 2008 ‘The objective of our Government is to continue and strengthen the great Australian dream of home ownership. It is to move Australia closer towards a home-owning democracy. Our ambition is for Australia to be a home-owning society, to extend the opportunity of home ownership to as many people as possible, and to provide high quality, safe, secure homes for those who aren’t yet in a position to own their own home. A place to call home is fundamental to Australian values. The home is the physical foundation of the family. It is a base from which we raise our children, to be part of a community and build a career. Home ownership is not just about ensuring that people have a place to live. Homes are also financial assets. For many Australians their home is their largest asset, accounting for an average 55 per cent of wealth. Owning a home give us the certainty of a roof over our heads when we retire, making it a little easier to live on the pension

3. Flinders Institute for Housing, Urban & Regional Research The Bad Home ownership as the ‘Great Australian Nightmare’, Kemeny $2bn plus in negative gearing costs in 2008 1 million households in housing stress More than 100,000 homeless persons

4. Flinders Institute for Housing, Urban & Regional Research The Ugly Over investment in housing Growth in second homes Unsustainable environmentally

5. Flinders Institute for Housing, Urban & Regional Research Our Study Three forms of policy intervention for low income households –Private rental assistance –Public rental housing –Assistance into home ownership (Homestart) Five years post a request for assistance –1700 response –Metropolitan and non metropolitan SA

6. Flinders Institute for Housing, Urban & Regional Research Preliminary Indications

7. Flinders Institute for Housing, Urban & Regional Research Preliminary Indications

8. Flinders Institute for Housing, Urban & Regional Research Preliminary Indications

9. Flinders Institute for Housing, Urban & Regional Research Preliminary Indications

10. Flinders Institute for Housing, Urban & Regional Research Preliminary Indications

11. Flinders Institute for Housing, Urban & Regional Research Preliminary Indications

12. Flinders Institute for Housing, Urban & Regional Research Preliminary Indications

13. Flinders Institute for Housing, Urban & Regional Research Preliminary Indications

14. Flinders Institute for Housing, Urban & Regional Research Preliminary Indications

15. Flinders Institute for Housing, Urban & Regional Research Thoughts Early days –Differences in children’s educational attainment –Health differences, but not significant –Gap in employment outcomes Cause or effect? Further analysis will retrospectively examine income and other circumstances in 2004 Qualitative data collection But maybe Hugh Stretton was right?