The search is on to recruit two housing and affordability experts to newly created positions, who will drive new and innovative solutions to aid in the construction of more affordable homes in South Australia.

The creation of a Housing Affordability Manager is an initiative of the Malinauskas Government’s Housing Roadmap.

The role will join the Department for Housing and Urban Development and be responsible for innovative policy that removes unnecessary red tape on affordable housing.

They will develop policies that streamline processes and reduce complexity for South Australian homebuyers, tradespeople, builders and developers.

The Housing Affordability Manager will also assist in safeguarding South Australia from regulations that unnecessarily slow the construction of affordable homes.

The Masters Builders Association of South Australia first proposed the need for a specialist role within government to address housing affordability.

Additionally, recruitment has opened for a Housing Development Executive to engage with all parts of the housing and development industry, including developers, builders, tradespeople, and associations.

The role will provide a conduit for industry engagement and industry voices on a broad range of housing policy issues – ensuring government policies support the viability of housing projects.

Both roles will be crucial in ensuring that all South Australians have access to more affordable, safe and quality homes.

The Malinauskas Labor Government has introduced a range of initiatives to address housing affordability and help more South Australians own a home:

• Reached the halfway milestone on the Affordable Housing Initiative to build more than 1000 affordable homes
• Renewal SA is delivering 3650 new homes with 30 per cent to be affordable
• Scrapped Stamp Duty for all first home buyers who buy or build a new home
• Removed the cap on the First Home-Owner Grant for new builds
• Introduced a new 2 per cent deposit home loan available through HomeStart
• Deferred National Construction Code changes until October 1

Applications have now opened for both roles, which can be found through SEEK and I Work for SA.

Quotes

Attributable to Nick Champion

The creation of these new roles will help develop policies and engage with industry to make home ownership more accessible for South Australians.

The only way to moderate house prices is to increase the supply of housing and this Labor Government is looking at every available option to build more homes, faster.

Housing security is a springboard for future success, so we must continue to look at new ways to get more people in their own home.

Attributable to Will Frogley, CEO Master Builders SA

This is a great initiative by the Malinauskas Government and Minister Champion.

We must do all we can to keep the dream of home ownership alive. The Government is doing a great job of working to increase housing supply, through Stamp Duty relief and investment to remove SA Water infrastructure bottlenecks.

This new position will build on that work by ensuring every regulatory decision is looked at through the lens of housing affordability, at this crucial time.