‘Active participants in the home building sector have a role to play in the solutions’
7 June 2021 at 4:39 pm
Mario Biasin, co-founder of Australia’s largest builder Metricon Homes, reflects on the importance of a home in giving people a sense of belonging and considers how the construction sector could contribute to alleviating housing distress.
This is the 10th of a 12-part series from Housing All Australians exploring the role that housing can and should play within Australian society and why it is important to our economy that we house all Australians, rich or poor.
I have been involved in the residential building industry for over four decades, playing a part in building homes for tens of thousands of Australians through Metricon Homes. With my co-founder George Kline, we had a clear vision when we started building back in 1976 – we wanted to build good quality homes for Australian families at an affordable price. Both of us, as child migrants to Australia, were acutely aware of the role a home plays in anchoring people, giving them a sense of belonging.
I can clearly remember the moment I first became aware of homelessness in Australia and how it impacts people in a devastating way. I was in Sydney for a work trip about 30 years ago and saw rough sleepers – a sight I’d not witnessed in Melbourne. This started my thinking about how the construction sector could contribute to alleviating housing distress.
When I reflect on how the property sector has changed over time, and the impacts on homelessness, the biggest change from my perspective has been the price of land relative to construction costs. Forty five years ago, the price of building a home was approximately twice as much as the land. This has shifted dramatically. Land now costs at least 50 per cent more than the home in most capital cities, while land prices in regional areas have also increased although perhaps not at the same rate. Relatively, construction costs have decreased. Numerous efficiencies in the construction process – from raw material prices to different building practices – have significantly reduced the cost of building a house. Land prices have increased disproportionately within this equation. This has resulted in homeownership and even fair rental prices being unattainable for many Australians.
Active participants in the home building sector have a role to play in the solutions. Government, industry, corporates, funders and the community sector have the capacity to collaborate to rethink how to provide more affordable housing solutions for the many people and families who are in desperate need of a safe roof over their heads. More intensive support for victims of domestic violence and those suffering mental health challenges will no doubt play a role too.
When I consider ways that our government, both state and national, could support better outcomes for those at risk of homelessness, two key opportunities come to mind. Firstly, government and councils own land in regional and metropolitan areas that is often well located and in close proximity to amenities. Could this land be better utilised as blended social, affordable and private market housing? Is some top-down urgency now warranted to drive activity in this area?
Secondly, the Victorian government has made an unprecedented commitment to enhancing social housing stock with the $5.3 billion Big Housing Build. Could this approach be used as a blueprint by other states to supercharge the development of social housing? AHURI research reports that $1 invested in last-resort housing generates $2.70 of benefit to the community over the subsequent 20-year period, including health cost savings, improved quality of life and reduced crime costs, amongst others. Additional value would likely be achieved with secure tenure. Furthermore, as well as benefiting those in need of housing support, it would also stimulate economic activity and jobs. Is the business and social rationale of this investment simply too compelling not to pursue?
As a business, Metricon has stayed true to its original vision to provide quality homes for Australians from all walks of life. In 2018 we responded to the increasing challenge of homelessness by creating a division of our organisation purely focused on building social, affordable and accessible housing. Called EveryOne, this business unit is part of our social responsibility to the broader community. EveryOne taps into Metricon’s expertise to deliver well designed and competitively priced homes for government and Community Housing Association clients, tailored for the tenants they support.
I’m proud to play a small role in unburdening more Australians from the stress of finding a safe and affordable home, one where they feel they belong. I also look forward to continuing the conversation about how we can collaborate to ensure that homelessness is significantly reduced.
This article is part of a 12-part series from Housing All Australians, which intends to draw on a range of perspectives centred around housing and homelessness. We will hear a range of views from business, the not-for-profit sector and government, as to why they believe housing is an important social and economic building block for Australia’s future prosperity.
Read the first article, Housing all Australians – a new paradigm, here.
See also:
Housing for all makes ‘good business sense’
Housing vulnerable Australians means making clear choices
Investing in housing is an opportunity to set people up for success
The time is right for the public and private sector to come together to solve homelessness
Investing in social housing, in the era of working from home
How do we solve a problem like rough sleeping?
