Housing cost and shortage are the significant problem in Hong Kong. In some housing environment,

This policy brief is prepared to give some insights of the housing affordability problem in Australia. In addition, the paper also suggests some approaches in which the Government should consider in tackling the issue in the Australian context. Housing affordability always

What is known about the dearth of inexpensive living spaces in high-cost, heavy populated areas is its scarcity is a function of supply. Demand remains a non-issue for policy makers as demand has

“Gentrification” captures class disparities and injustices created by capitalist urban land markets and policies. This in turn can cause an increasing house expense encumbrance for low-income and working-class households, and the associated personal catastrophes of displacement, removal, and homelessness, are symptoms of a set of institutional arrangements (private property rights and a free market) that support the creation of urban environments to serve the needs of capital accumulation at the expense of the social needs of home, community, family. Displacement from home and neighbourhood can be a shattering experience. At worst it leads to homelessness, at best it impairs a sense of community. Public policy should, by general agreement,

Many large cities are experiencing skyrocketing rental/housing price because of the excessive demand and more importantly, the scarcity of land. San Francisco, as one of the most important financial centers in the world, is facing a serious dilemma due to its inflated rental/housing prices; people’s dissatisfaction over the government grow as they are excluded from the access to proper housing. San Francisco has the highest rents of any large city in the United States, which makes people, especially from low and medium income group, hard to acquire housing near their workplaces and force to commute from other regions of Bay area into the city. In other words, the high housing prices are pushing people as well as the productive industry out of the city. While people are accusing the government of being responsible for the failure of housing since it underestimates the rate of population growth, which leads to a shortage in the housing market. However, statistic shows that San Francisco actually built more than 30 percent more housing units per capita than New York City and Los Angeles in 2014. (Henry Grabar, 2015) It is because such shortage is artificially created by the policy makers to constraint land use, hence, increasing the supply of housing does not efficiently decrease the housing. The fundamental cause of this imbalanced housing market is the poor allocation of land use.

For many individuals the difference between their current income and the cost of increasing housing in their neighborhood puts them at a risk, houses need to be affordable for people with even lower incomes before they consider being homeless. As stated in the Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders it has been said that, “ Homelessness is an acute version of residential instability, which can be compared or contrasted with definitions of poverty” (Homelessness). Homelessness and poverty have similar factors, difficult choices have to be made when individuals have a limited amount resources to provide for themselves and their families. The problem of insufficient incomes has been attributed to the growth of homelessness in the country. Those individuals that are employed are continually at risk of being homeless because by the time they pay their rent and utilities, there is not enough money to buy food or necessities. It is a disparaging thought that many homeless people are living on the streets due to them not receiving an equal opportunity to afford housing. It is equally discouraging when you have a job and still unable to sustain a valuable life, that will not lead you to being homeless. In a recent study, authors Doug Smith and Shelby Grad wrote that, “More than 2 million households in L.A. and Orange County have housing costs that exceed 30% of income, according to data from

The aim of the City of Sydney Affordable Rental Housing State Environmental Planning Policy Strategy (SEPP) is to protect existing affordable housing and to facilitate ¬¬¬¬¬new affordable housing in the City of Sydney to provide for social, cultural, environmental and economic sustainability. The key of this strategy is to increase the amount of affordable rental housing in the local area to very low, low and moderate income households; protect existing stock of low cost rental accommodation; encourage a diverse range of housing in the local area; and work with other inner Sydney councils to address affordable rental housing at a regional level. According to the SEPP, affordable housing is refers to housing that does not take more than 30% of a very low, low or moderate household’s income. It defines affordable housing as very low income household as

Housing is a big concern of every family because it is where the family established. Most of families are willing to spend most of their income to own a house. However, the housing markets are not always fair and reasonable for normal people. Rich people are buying more than 1 house, but a lot of hardworking wage-earning classes cannot even afford 1 small apartment. Since the real estates are the rigid demand and a good way to keep value, too much money flow into the real estate markets. Sometimes it makes the housing price too high for normal people to afford.

Although the Singapore Housing Development Board (HDB) is a strong and vast organization within a long-standing history of public service, an examination of the HDB reveals three key elements or challenges of the current situation, which without alteration - will hinder or prevent the change and growth of HDB (Jick, & Peiperl, 2011). The first challenge to change is the balancing of heavy workloads of employees with change. This issue of ‘balancing’ must be addressed, since forcing employees balance the strain of large workloads and change strategies can result in the stretching of resources and the destruction of employees from both their routine work and the change agent’s goals (2011). Second, the full integration of a new and improved customer service mindset is not fully completed and harmonized into the organization’s culture (2011). Change within this area is necessary since the lack of customer service integration and support for the new mindset - by managers - has caused an attitude of blaming amongst management and employees, and increased inter-department tensions. Finally, passive and mechanistic response of the staff must be addressed (2011). The passive response of staff must be addressed as these characteristics can delay or holt the growth and development of the change process (Bell, & Barkhuizen, 2011).

The cost of housing is increasing while the amount of income of low-class workers is decreasing. Housing is considered unaffordable when it consumes more than thirty percent of the household income (DiNapoli 4). In 2012, forty-percent of the households that earned less than $40,000 per year spent more than forty to sixty-eight percent of their income on rent (Mathias). Affordable housing has also decreased in a twelve-year period. From 2000 to 2012, approximately 400,000 apartments renting for less than $1000 were lost (DiNapoli 1). In order for a minimum wage worker who earns eight dollars an hour to afford a two-bedroom apartment in New York City, at a fair market rent, must work 124 hours per week, 52 weeks per year, which is also disregarding costs for food and health care (Out of Reach

Housing can be related to four key aspects, which can all have a direct influence on social, mental and physical health, these comprise of the home itself including the economic and psychosocial construction of the household, the physical structure, the neighborhood and environment and the community (Braubach, Jacobs & Ormandy, 2011, p. 1). The quality of homes has a considerable affect on human vigor and wellbeing as warm, dry and secure homes are proven to be associated with better health, and can also decrease the potential for stress and behavioral health problems (Houses of parliament, 2011 p.1; Ellen & Glied, 2011, p. 136). Research shows that 80-90% of a persons day living in a developed country is spent inside consequently exposing health risks if housing conditions are unsatisfactory. For the sick, elderly, poor and disabled the home is a place where they spend most of their leisure time, however if they live in substandard housing they are more vulnerable and are in need of healthy living environments to prevent further illness and to promote recovery (World health organization, 2010 p.3). Much research has been conducted that suggests that poor housing is associated with many health impairments such as respiratory diseases, mental health, injuries including burns and cuts, and morality. Inadequate housing can be extremely stressful for the owners and residents including financial worries and concerns about mortgage and payments (Braubach, Jacobs & Ormandy, 2011, p.

Housing demand includes household growth, real incomes, real wealth, tax concessions to both owner-occupied and rental housing, concessions to first homebuyers, returns on alternative investments, cost and availability of finance for housing and the institutional structure affecting housing finance provision (Yates, 2008). The growth in the number of households and in real income results in the increased pressure on housing demand.

Multiple reasons exist for the the lack of affordable housing. On the demand side these include population growth and increased migration to urban areas, easily accessible housing finance, tax incentives and a “strong cultural preference for owner-occupied detached houses”. On the supply side, affordability problems are exacerbated by inflexible and slow responses to the need for new housing stock, lack of infrastructure and generally inefficient planning processes and development assessment by local governments.

In order for the government to accommodate for the unprecedented population boom during the Industrial Revolution that took place in 19th century Britain, millions of people were shoved in cramped and hastily built compartments known as slums, lacking sanitation and basic necessities. Unfortunately these conditions are prevalent in modern-day Mumbai, where massive amounts of people migrate to the city’s slums in search of jobs and opportunities. The Mumbai government has posed inefficient solutions to the issue of overpopulation, all of which result in the demolition of the residents’ homes without due compensation. What the people need is a solution that fixes the state of the slums but doesn’t destroy their homes. Without the

The public housing authority, Housing Development Board (HBD) was a very important aspect to Singapore’s basic shelter needs. In 2007, basic shelter needs were used for 3.7 million of Singapore’s population. Singapore is considered a city-state in South East Asia where the government is heavily involved. As a non-profit organization, the local government is responsible for overseeing and administering certain decisions and responsibilities of Singapore’s public housing. The Housing Development Board was mainly involved in the pricing, marketing and sales of the public housing authority (Jick & Peiperl, 2011).

This report examines the housing affordability crisis in Auckland, the current situation of the housing market, and extent of this problem. Auckland is in a deficit of houses due to the difference in demand and supply factors. The demographic and economic factors are the main reason for the increase in demand for houses. The supply side is not performing up to the mark to satisfy the demand in the market. The first home buyers are finding difficulties to make choice on their housing needs. The median households are struggling with the high rentals in Auckland market. Lower income households with faces a greater affordability pressures than those are living outside Auckland. There is a shortage in land and houses that are affordable for lower income households. The report suggests some new factors that can be considered to solve the affordability crisis.