2021

Articles

28 September 2021

COVID provided a real-life experiment on house price theory and what makes owning a home unaffordable

Closing the international borders was the sort of experiment economists had only ever carried out with a spreadsheet, never expecting it to actually happen. The results surprised a few, and have many questioning whether the right lessons are being learned.

27 September 2021

On why we need to stop telling lies about our housing and planning policies

Professor Peter Phibbs got a rousing retirement send off from his gig as director of the University of Sydney’s Henry Halloran Trust on Wednesday but he didn’t leave without a few piercing observations on housing and planning.

10 September 2021

City dwellers are being lured by small town dreams. Can the regions cope?

There aren't many of us who haven't dreamed of packing it all up, moving to the country, and setting up the family with more space, friendly neighbours and lots of fresh air. Now, thanks to flexible work arrangements, the pandemic's made that dream a possibility for a lot more people.

12 August 2021

Why are home prices soaring?

House prices in Australia are climbing at rates we’ve seldom seen. In all age groups, there is more renting and less home ownership than there used to be. Is housing supply part of the problem?

21 July 2021

Why Byron Bay shows us that regional housing has become the new gold rush

For all of the glitz and glamour of Hollywood moving to Byron Bay, lies a problem that is playing out across many parts of regional Australia: homelessness and housing affordability. While supply is the long term solution, what can be done now to people who are having their roofs over their head being sold from underneath them?

01 July 2021

Bad Housing Supply Assumptions

Glaeser and Gyourko G&G) famously argued that if the marginal cost of a square metre of housing lot land is less than the average cost, this is evidence of a price effect from “artificial” supply constraints. However, the economic assumptions behind G&G’s approach are implausible. This note explains why.

05 May 2021

Urban productivity and affordable rental housing supply

Professor Nicole Gurran spoke at the Australian Housing & Urban Research Institute webinar on the Inquiry she lead on Urban Productivity and Affordable Rental Housing Supply.

30 April 2021

Finding Answers to the Rental Boom

Professor Nicole Gurran discusses rental affordability on ABC Life Matters.

20 April 2021

Webinar: Dog Ownership, Mental Health and City Planning/Design

The third webinar of the Network for Research in Built Environment and Mental Health, led by the Matilda Centre and the Henry Halloran Trust (both University of Sydney).

14 April 2021

New Director for the Henry Halloran Trust

Professor Peter Phibbs, after leading the Henry Halloran Trust since 2013, has stepped down from his role and has been succeeded by Professor Nicole Gurran, from the Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning.