It’s supply of affordable housing that is key

February 11, 2026

Surely Michael Keating you meant that the key to raising living standards is the supply of affordable housing, where people want to live, with accessible, efficient infrastructure, including pubic transport and public green spaces. Living standards and quality of life will increase with an increased supply of housing that creates and sustains socio-economically diverse, livable cities. Supply of housing without discussion about type, where and how, sounds like trickle-down economics, which we know works for only a few (and not the poorest). And surely Michael you would take issue with state governments that are preparing to sell off public land, with a view to approving, high-density housing developments of which none must be affordable/social or publicly-managed housing, because, you know, supply magically raises living standards. The public will lose public assets and the government will use the proceeds to subsidise developers to build high-rise, unaffordable apartments. Supply on its own is not the answer. It’s the mix of housing supply, density, with the efficient public infrastructure that’s required to make it work that is vital for livable cities, for a range of generations of residents.