Analysis of the Australian Welfare System: Focus on Housing and AHURI

This report provides an overview of the Australian welfare system, with a particular focus on housing and the role of the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI). It highlights the importance of social security and social inclusion within the welfare framework, especially for vulner...Read More

Running head: WELFARE SYSTEM
Australian Welfare System
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

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Introduction
Welfare system refers to the initiatives of the government to promote and protect the
social and economic well-being of its citizens. This system highlights the equal opportunity,
public responsibilities, health equalities and equal distribution of the wealth (Burford, 2017).
Australia is popular for its social welfare system. Australian Housing and Urban Research
Institute or AHURI is a national non-profit organization. This organization provides fund to
support the homelessness people and it is involved in improving the housing. This study deals
with the urban development and improvement in the housing system in Australia.
Discussion of Australian Housing and Research Institute
Welfare system is a process to support the citizens by protecting their health and wealth.
In the recent years due to rising inequality in many developing countries, the governments have
taken initiatives to support the people (Aihw.gov.au, 2018). In Australia, social security is the
major welfare system to protect the citizens. Social inclusion is the main purpose of this welfare
system. However, vulnerable groups such as old population, women, child and disabled people
need support from the government. To protect the wellbeing of such group Australian
Government has taken social welfare payments approach. Australian Housing and Urban
Research Institute is an independent non-profit organization. This organization provides fund to
Australian people to improve the housing and to give shelter to the homelessness people. This
organization focuses on the development of urban community by introducing new policy for
better housing (Crea et al., 2017).

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Australian social welfare system aims to develop a positive social wellbeing include
healthy, happy and secure life. As argued by Crea et al., (2017), social inequality is a big
problem in the recent years. Often the high-class people exclude the low-class people as well as
the vulnerable people from the society. Therefore, the old population becomes humiliated by the
young generation. After the retirement, the old population does not have any source of income,
which creates a major social challenge for them. In order to reduce the social inequality it is
important to bring urban development in the society. AHURI is involved in urban development
and housing improvement. This organization gets funding from the Australian state government
and the territory government. AHURI aims to deliver effective policy for better urban and
housing development (Directory.gov.au, 2018). This organization carries out a high quality
research to develop the housing and urban community. AHURI policy influences institutional
investment in affordable rental. This investment includes affordable rental housing investment
through an intermediary. In the year 2015 residential property fund invested in the vehicles to
carry out an affordable housing supply.
AHURI is involved in affordable housing projects. In the recent years six affordable
housing projects are completed by this organization. However, government support helps
AHURI to purchase land at below market rate. This is helpful to carry out an affordable housing
project. From the various studies it has been received that AHURI has adapted bespoke funding
arrangement to make affordable housing project. AHURI is a non-profit organization that
conducts a huge research on the homelessness. In Australia many people who do not have
capacity to arrange shelter are called homelessness. AHURI supports these people by providing
funding as well as affordable housing (Taylor, Vreugdenhil & Schneiders, 2017). In the recent
years affordable housing is a big issue in Australia. However, the supply of affordable housing

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cannot meet the current demand. As per the statistical data 806,100 households are in
affordability stress on the other hand, 527,000 households are not formed due to affordability
constraints. AHURI addresses the supply shortage of affordable housing and provides public
housing renewal opportunity. They aim to retain the affordable housing in high amenity
neighborhood. Therefore, they focus on increasing the housing density as it helps them to
increase the affordable housing. AHURI reveals that lands need to sell to the private sectors.
This money can be reinvested to increase the supply of affordable and social housing (Gibson,
Samuels & Pryce, 2018). Another policy of AHURI focuses on the designing of new affordable
and social stock to maximize the supply of affordable housing. This will meet the daily needs of
the market.
On the other hand, AHURI research shows that diversity needs to bring by providing
different housing opportunities. As for example, social rental, market rental, market ownership,
affordable home and affordable rental are the various types of housing opportunity that can
reduce the issues of homelessness (Ahuri.edu.au, 2018). AHURI has conducted the research and
shows that renewal process is a good practice to maximize the housing density in a
neighborhood. Government can sell the land to the private sectors and use this fund for building
a new social housing. Such renewal will be effective to meet the housing demand of the people
and carry out the urban development in Australia. From the recent AHURI study it has been
found that supply of housing can be increased by minimizing the price of the housing. AHURI
shows that most of the growth in housing supply occurs in high price segment compared to low
price segment. This is major barrier of affordable housing supply. It is important to bring growth
in low price segment, which will help the homelessness people to get shelter at affordable rate.
On the other hand, AHURI research reveals that and affordable housing strategy is crucial to

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increase the supply of affordable and social housing (Aph.gov.au, 2018). Renewal policy of
AHURI is effective to improve the housing and to develop the urban. Such renewal policy is
effective to enhance the funding, which can be used in developing the public housing.
Conclusion
From the entire piece of work it has been found that housing is a part of social welfare. In
order to reduce the inequality from the society development of housing is crucial. AHURI is a
non-profit organization that conducts a vast research on urban development and homelessness. It
has been found that homelessness is a big issue in Australia. Hence, by developing the urban
areas and by providing affordable housing this social issues can be reduced. However, the
renewal policy of AHURI is an effective approach to maximize the affordable housing in
Australia.

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References
Ahuri.edu.au (2018). Ready for growth: Affordable housing supply solutions. Retrieved on 7
June 2018, from: https://www.ahuri.edu.au/events/recent-events/affordable-housing-2018
Aihw.gov.au (2018). Australia's welfare 2017: in brief. Retrieved on 7 June 2018, from:
https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-welfare/australias-welfare-2017-in-brief/
contents/welfare-in-australia
Burford, G. (2017). Family group conferencing: New directions in community-centered child
and family practice. Routledge.
Crea, T. M., Lopez, A., Hasson, R. G., Evans, K., Palleschi, C., & Underwood, D. (2017).
Unaccompanied immigrant children in long-term foster care: Identifying needs and best
practices from a child welfare perspective. Children and Youth Services Review.
Directory.gov.au (2018). Australian Housing & Urban Research Institute. Retrieved on 7 June
2018, from: https://www.directory.gov.au/portfolios/treasury/australian-housing-urban-
research-institue
Taylor, S., Vreugdenhil, A., & Schneiders, M. (2017). Social justice as concept and practice in
Australian social work: An analysis of Norma Parker Addresses, 1969–2008. Australian
Social Work, 70(sup1), 46-68.
Gibson, K., Samuels, G., & Pryce, J. (2018). Authors of accountability: Paperwork and social
work in contemporary child welfare practice. Children and Youth Services Review, 85,
43-52.

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Aph.gov.au (2018). A simpler welfare system. Retrieved on 7 June 2018, from:
https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/
Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/BudgetReview201718/SimplerWelfare