Confronting the Global Housing Affordability Crisis Political Economies, Cities and Housing

Hosted by the Urban Transformations Research Centre, we welcome international guest Dr Steffen Wetzstein for a timely discussion Confronting the Global Housing Affordability Crisis Political Economies, Cities and Housing INTERNATIONAL GUEST SPEAKER | FREE | Registrations essential | Places limited 3.00–4.30 pm | Book launch and discussion followed by refreshments and networking Housing affordability has become one of the defining challenges facing cities across the advanced economic world. But why has the crisis become so entrenched – and why have governments and housing systems struggled to respond? Dr Steffen Wetzstein will introduce the key arguments and insights from his new book, Confronting the Global Housing Affordability Crisis. Drawing on international experience and comparisons across cities and housing systems, the book examines the structural forces driving housing unaffordability, why established policy responses have so often fallen short, and what might be needed to respond more collectively, equitably and over the longer term. At a time when governments across Australia are grappling with housing supply, affordability and delivery, these international comparisons offer an important opportunity to look beyond our own system: to understand which challenges are shared across countries, where different policy and institutional choices matter, and what Australia can learn from approaches and experiences elsewhere. The event will be particularly relevant to policymakers, practitioners and housing advocates looking for new perspectives on the housing affordability challenge and the choices available to governments, cities and the housing sector. It will also be of interest to researchers and students working across housing, planning, economic development and political economy. Dr Wetzstein will be joined by UTRC Co-Director Professor Nicky Morrison, who will introduce the event and connect the book’s international arguments to the contemporary housing affordability and delivery challenges facing Western Sydney and Greater Sydney. Find out more about the book: Confronting the Global Housing Affordability Crisis – Routledge About Dr Steffen Wetzstein Dr Steffen Wetzstein is a Senior Researcher at the Transport and Spatial Planning Institute, University of Applied Sciences Erfurt, Germany, and an internationally experienced social scientist, political economist and urban policy expert. He brings more than 30 years of experience across academia, policy and the private sector in Germany, Australia and New Zealand, with particular expertise in housing affordability and policy, strategic urban planning, governance and international policy learning. He is a URBACT Validated Lead Expert, Joint Working Group Coordinator for Policy and Research with the European Network for Housing Research (ENHR), and a Sounding Board Member of the Research Center for New Social Housing at TU Wien (Technical University of Vienna).