Generational reform: the health implications of housing change

Abstract

Housing is the place we spend the majority of our lives and it is well established as a key determinant of health. However, the relationship between housing and health is complex and poorly understood. Regardless of the complexity of the relationship, it is clear that good housing and good health go together. This statement is especially pertinent for Australian policy makers in the current climate of reform to the Australian housing system. The Australian Federal Government is gradually moving away from supporting the public provision of housing, and this housing sector’s role is increasingly one of welfare provision. In response, the South Australian Government recently announced a process of ‘generational reform’ to the public and low-income housing sector. Central to these reforms will be a loss of public housing, and an increased movement of low-income households into the private rental sector and low-income home ownership. Government policies aimed at housing necessarily affect the health of populations, and low-income households are especially vulnerable. This paper examines the relationship between housing and health and discusses implications of the current reform process in South Australia.