Australian Election 2025: The housing crisis and the case for co-operatives
With the housing crisis front of mind for many Australians about to vote in the federal election, Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals (BCCM) CEO Melina Morrison joined Deborah Knight on 2GB‘s Money News to discuss how co-operative housing could offer a long-term rental solution for Australians shut out of the property market.
🔑 Key takeaways discussed :
– Co-operative housing offers secure, long-term rental with tenant agency, allowing renters to “live like owners.”
– While co-op housing makes up just 1% of housing stock in Australia, it’s as high as 30% in parts of Europe.
– The model is ideal for key workers, single parents, older women, and downsizers — those typically priced out of traditional housing options.
– Delivered by non-profit housing developers and managed by residents, co-op housing avoids speculative investment and focuses on affordability, sustainability, and community.
– A modest policy goal (proposed by ACHA): grow co-operative housing to 10% of community housing stock through government support and funding mechanisms like the Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF).
As Melina puts it, co-op housing doesn’t replace the current system — it adds much-needed diversity and security to Australia’s limited rental landscape.
đź“» Listen to the full interview (from 30 mins): https://bccm.coop/election-2025-the-housing-crisis-and-the-case-for-co-operatives/