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Australia is an urban nation. People arriving in Australia from all over the world during the last 230 years have built and, predominantly, lived in cities. Many of these cities began as prison settlements and strategic sites of military occupation; others were established to exploit the wealth of the land, and some claim more enlightened origins.

The sudden hard lockdown of nine Victorian Government-managed public housing towers during the current COVID-19 pandemic in order to prevent the spread of the disease has raised issues about the responsibilities of social landlords in supporting vulnerable tenants.

AHURI has presented submissions to both the Federal and Victorian Governments’ current inquiries into homelessness, with Dr Michael Fotheringham, Chief Executive of AHURI, speaking as a witness to both inquires in early July.

Australian cities show a growing mismatch between the locations of employment and the geography of affordable rental housing. Low-income workers, who play a critical role in urban labour markets, are finding it increasingly difficult to access affordable rental housing near major employment centres.

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The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting Australia in many different ways, with the implications for cities and housing markets likely to be significant.

Before the pandemic, immigration fuelled the growth of Australia’s largest cities, with Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney among the fastest growing urban places in the OECD.

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