Australia doesn't have a housing crisis, it has an innovation crisis

For years Australians have been told that housing affordability is one of the nation's greatest priorities. Every election brings new promises, billion-dollar funding announcements, ambitious housing targets, taskforces and policy reviews. Yet despite all the rhetoric, home ownership continues to move further out of reach for ordinary Australians, rental vacancies remain critically low and young families are wondering whether they will ever be able to afford a place to call home.

The uncomfortable truth is that Australia does not have a shortage of housing ideas, it has a shortage of governments willing to embrace innovation and back practical solutions that already exist.

Several months ago, I wrote to Federal Housing Minister Clare O'Neil seeking the opportunity to demonstrate an Australian housing model that is already operating successfully in Victoria. I also invited the Victorian Housing Minister to visit our communities, speak directly with residents and see firsthand how we are helping Australians achieve affordable home ownership.

To date, I am still waiting for a response.

Ironically, while governments here remain silent, we have received enquiries from overseas organisations wanting to understand how our model works because they see its potential to address housing affordability in their own countries.

It is difficult not to ask the obvious question. Why are international markets showing greater interest in Australian housing innovation than our own governments?

After more than 40 years working in property development as a licensed valuer and real estate professional, I have seen almost every cycle the property market can produce. My journey towards developing Land Title Communities did not begin in a boardroom or government department. It began in the early 2000s, when caravan parks across Australia were being purchased and redeveloped, forcing many retirees to leave the communities they loved.

These people owned their homes, but they did not own the land beneath them. When the land changed hands, they often had nowhere to relocate their homes and little security over their future.

Watching that unfold convinced me there had to be a better way.

That experience led me to develop what is now the Registered Leasehold Title model, providing residents with a recognised legal interest in both their home and the land it occupies. It delivers far greater certainty and security than traditional land lease arrangements while making home ownership significantly more affordable than conventional residential developments.

It is this model that now underpins Land Title Communities.

Today we have four Victorian locations offering opportunities for downsizers, first-home buyers and holiday home owners, with plans to expand further as demand continues to grow. Our long-term vision is to build the business into a nationally recognised organisation capable of listing on the Australian Securities Exchange, but more importantly, capable of changing the way Australians think about affordable housing.