The Build SoLiHD Study. Building Social Licence for Housing Developments: Consulting Community, Planning with Care, Building Homes

Insufficient housing supply is a key factor impacting housing affordability. Increasing affordable housing stock to make it easier for people to find a stable home has become the focus of policy interventions and is subject to often polarising debates. This study aimed to better understand the concerns and wishes regarding affordable housing developments of diverse stakeholders including homeowners, people living in social housing and people with experience of housing instability, including homelessness. Using a methodology called the Comfort Board, we invited the 37 study participants to take the perspective of a protagonist in three fictional scenarios presenting current approaches to expanding affordable housing. We then asked them to rate the perceived benefits and their trust in the proposed solution and if there was anything that would make them more comfortable with it.

We found that the perspectives of participants varied significantly, reflecting contemporary tensions in the housing policy landscape. However, across the participant groups we identified a key theme: there is more to increasing affordable housing supply than building more houses. We elaborate five findings under this theme that provide leverage for improving social licence for affordable housing developments. 1) Affordable housing and the variety of housing models currently on offer in Australia are poorly understood due to system complexity and stigma. 2) To fit into the neighbourhoods where housing developments are to be, community engagement and activities need to accompany and extend beyond construction. 3) Housing developments need to be fit for purpose to provide a home for the people who live there, including building design, tenancy mix, and housing governance. 4) There needs to be planning for safety and neighbourly relations built into the housing model. 5) Housing and its governance need ongoing learning for continuous improvement.

The evidence note concludes with recommendations that can inform processes of community consultation in ways that include the perspectives of all key stakeholders, including those who otherwise might be overlooked.