The sustainable and affordable housing debate in Australia

Improving the sustainability and affordability of housing tend to be parallel objectives among Australian policy makers. Whereas traditionally the objectives of housing affordability and housing sustainability were considered in isolation, policy responses are increasingly recognising the importance of both. However, any policy attempting to foster best practise in terms of affordability and sustainable housing must be able to link housing outcomes with the broader community; that is, affordable and sustainable housing must be socially sustainable. This paper considers social sustainability in terms of social acceptability, the minimisation of social exclusion and the fostering of social capital. Affordability is also analysed at a conceptual level before the concluding discussion attempts to overlay the two concepts in suggesting how social sustainability may be fostered in affordable and sustainable housing.