Academics and esteemed industry experts will address one of Australia’s enduring social crises at the 2018 Affordable Housing Symposium to be held in the CBD this month.
To be opened by Griffith Business School Dean (Academic) Professor Fabrizio Carmignani, this year’s symposium will be held at the Mercure Pullman King George Square on Friday 9 November.
The event is jointly hosted by Griffith University, the National Affordable Housing Consortium (NAHC) and Sustainable Living Infrastructure Consortium (SLIC), with support from the Queensland Government.
Griffith Business School researchers Professor Eduardo Roca, Associate Professor Richard Chung and Dr Benjamin Liu convened this year’s program, which focuses on delivering and managing a Build-to-Rent market within a whole-of-life approach, alongside NAHC Chairman and SLIC CEO Professor George Earl and NAHC CEO Mike Myers.
“In Australian society, housing affordability has become a major social, economic and political challenge, and one of increasing importance and urgency,” Professor Roca said.
“In conjunction with our friends at the NAHC and SLIC, we expect to engage in robust discussion with thought leaders from across government, businesses and the community to determine how best to deliver a whole-of-life-informed Build-to-Rent market, and what the economic and social impacts of such a market may be.”
Topics to be canvassed at the symposium include government/industry strategies for addressing the nation’s housing crisis (such as the establishment of a Management Investment Trust for Affordable Housing), sustainability, and other economic and social opportunities and barriers that could potentially affect the development of viable affordable housing solutions at a national level.
“This symposium will present a range of high-quality research into a variety of aspects of social and affordable housing,” Professor Roca said.
“It is our hope that we are able to work effectively across industry and governmental lines in order to help the vulnerable people at the core of the country’s housing problem, and provide the nation with workable recommendations and solutions to help put roofs over their heads.”
Joining Professor Roca, Professor Earl, Professor Carmignani and Mr Myers on the symposium’s speakers’ list are Michael Zorbas of the Property Council of Australia, JLL’s Mr David Rees, Griffith academics Professor Mark Brimbleand Associate Professor Leigh Shutter, UNSW Professor Hal Pawson, Port Phillip Council member Gary Spivak, and industry representatives Nils Miller (Investec), Ryan Rathborne (Clean Energy Finance Corp) and Chris Menz (Commercial & General).
Griffith has an extensive history of research in the field, being the home of the Social and Affordable Housing Program, a group of more than 25 academics from a range of Australian and international universities, colleges, SLIC and the NAHC.
The program provides a platform to bring together academics, researchers, practitioners and policy-makers to carry out research and exchange ideas to develop innovative solutions to the financing of social and affordable housing.
For more information about Griffith’s Social and Affordable Housing Program, see the Griffith Business School website.