Australasian Housing Institute, AHI

HOME SWEET STOCKHOLM: Notes from a housing study trip

Fresh from her study trip to Stockholm, Policy and Practice Manager from CIH Scotland, Ashley Campbell, relays her experience of the Swedish capital’s innovative approach to housing and sustainability.

As someone who has been calling for more investment in social housing my whole career, advocating for good quality affordable housing as the key to reducing poverty, improving wellbeing and giving people the best possible platform to succeed in life, I didn’t think my favourite thing about Stockholm would be that they don’t have any social housing at all.

 

Hear me out.

 

It wasn’t the lack of social housing per se but the gentle reminder that there are other ways of doing things, and we shouldn’t always cling doggedly to the familiar.

 

That’s not to say any one place has everything figured out or we can take an idea that works well somewhere else and transpose it onto our own complex matrix of people, culture and policy. But we should take the time to look up from our busy desks every now and again, which is exactly what I did when I was lucky enough to be invited on a study trip to Sweden to find out about Stockholm’s approach to sustainability.

 

The focus of the trip was to learn about net zero, but I left with so much more.

 

DAY ONE: LOOKING AROUND

 

Slightly travel weary, I and 40 or so housing practitioners-turned-students made our way to Stockholm’s old town in the late afternoon. We were met by a charming tour guide who spoke convincingly about the buildings and geography of a city that grew and thrived around a strategic shipping route sometime after the Vikings had passed their prime (despite what the souvenir shops stacked with Viking memorabilia might have you believe).

 

Perhaps more enthusiastically, he relayed the stories and gossip that underpin tourism in ancient cities like Stockholm. Does Ikea really name its rugs and doormats after places in Denmark so that people all over the world will tread dirt on Sweden’s old rival? Was mathematics really excluded from the Nobel Prize because of an affair that Alfred Nobel’s wife had with a talented mathematician who most certainly would have taken the top prize?

 

I won’t ruin the fun by factchecking what was an excellent opening gambit, perfectly setting the scene for a properly educational trip. 

 

DAY TWO: LOOKING BACK

 

On the second day, the learning started in earnest. An 08:30 coach from the hotel delivered us to the City Museum where academics and experts outlined the history of Stockholm’s housing system before we visited a housing development on the outskirts of the city.

 

Green heat


An impressive 80% of buildings in Stockholm run off district heating systems, while the other 20% use heat pumps. With just two per cent of UK homes connected to district heating and less than one per cent using heat pumps, this seems like a long way off for us. So, how did they do it?

 

Unfortunately, there doesn’t appear to be any magic at work here. Stockholm started developing the district heating infrastructure in the 1950s, so they have a significant headstart on the UK. Another speaker later in the trip emphasised this point, stating that net zero isn’t easy, and it doesn’t just happen: It requires active decisions and support from all citizens.

"I asked about fuel poverty, but it wasn’t really a term that was recognised."

I asked about fuel poverty, but it wasn’t really a term that was recognised. Homes connected to the network are provided with heat at around 21ºC as standard, with costs covered through rent or some kind of service charge (a little lost in translation, I think). Although, there was recognition that poorly insulated homes may struggle to maintain the heat, making it more of a comfort (and potentially health) issue than a financial issue.

 

Housing is not an investment


There is a very different attitude towards housing in Stockholm, and it is not seen as a personal investment or means to make money.

 

Even Stockholm’s approach to social housing is different. It doesn’t even have any. When a member of our group asked what they have instead, the speaker gently taunted: “We don’t have social housing like you, we have nice houses.”

"We don’t have social housing like you, we have nice houses."

Something akin to social housing was developed in the 1930s as part of an experiment dropped 12 years later following feedback from the residents who felt stigmatised. Instead, people on low incomes receive subsidies to help with their housing costs, hence no fuel poverty and no obvious differentiation between residents.

 

Homes are either rented through companies with strict regulations controlling tenancies and rent, which is negotiated annually through strong tenant unions, or bought through a co-operative model, meaning owners have a lot of involvement in the management of the buildings. This approach seems to ensure that owners are invested in the places they are living in, not in how much profit they might make when they decide to sell up.

 

Designing the perfect dwelling (scientifically speaking)


A research body was established in the 1940s to study how people use space in their homes to ascertain how rooms could be optimally arranged and proportioned. This scientific approach to space and design still seemed to be present in the developments we visited, with a strong focus on reducing energy demand. For example, keeping rooms and windows small to minimise the amount of space needing to be heated and to stop that heat from escaping.

 

We heard from an architect later in the trip who told us single-person households are the most inefficient, needing to heat space and water all for one person when resources ideally would be shared. Again, a very scientific approach, but I did wonder how well the rigid boundaries of science can be applied to the messy realities of life.

"Stockholm’s housing model may seem idyllic, but it’s far from ideal."

Indeed, the housing system in Stockholm isn’t actually perfect. Stockholm’s housing model may seem idyllic, but it’s far from ideal. Long waiting lists mean it can take around 10 years to secure a tenancy, and high costs mean younger people are being priced out.

 

Next stop, Starkholmen


In the afternoon, we travelled to Starkholmen district to visit a housing development that was part of the ‘million homes programme’ delivered in the 1970s. The scheme was a highly ambitious government project that saw the inefficient and derelict buildings demolished and replaced with one million new homes over a 10-year period.

 

While the buildings reminded me of post-war urban Scotland, it seemed like the community had been planned in a very different way from Glasgow’s suburbs, which were created as part of the slum clearances in the 1960s. These developments have since been criticised for their lack of social infrastructure and potential contribution to ‘the Glasgow effect’, significantly shortening the life expectancy of many city residents to this day.

 

At the centre of the Starkholmen community, we visited a large open square with a fountain, shops, fresh fruit and veg stalls, cafes and people sitting out enjoying the sunshine. Our guide informed us there were three churches serving different religions, a sports centre, theatre and school all within a couple of minutes’ walk.

"Cars were practically absent."

Cars were practically absent, with underground carparks on the periphery of the development, and a metro station that can whisk residents and visitors into the city centre in under 15 minutes. Instead of roads, green spaces and parks weaved between buildings.

 

But our guide also spoke openly about issues with integration in this neighbourhood and other areas of the city; an influx of migrants without enough focus on support for new arrivals has led to clashes and gang violence.

 

DAY THREE: LOOKING AHEAD

 

If the previous day had been about the history of Stockholm, our final day was very much about the future.

 

It began with a trip to Hammarby Sjöstad, which was extensively regenerated as part of the city’s bid to host the Olympic Games in 2004. Stockholm didn’t win the bid, but Hammarby Sjöstad did get a new environmental programme focussing on waste management, water purification, heat and electricity.

 

However, it became clear that, beyond the infrastructure, more work needed to be done with local residents to reduce energy use and reach the district’s carbon-neutral goal.

 

ElectriCITY now supports communities to work with companies, local authorities and academics in a bottom-up approach to carbon neutrality. We heard about ‘energy managers’, volunteers in each building acting as champions for energy reduction, sharing ideas and involving building residents in decision-making.

A royal ending


Possibly saving the best for last, our guide from the city council was clearly proud of what was being created here – and rightly so.

 

He showed us around the new Royal Seaport development, which is set to transform formal industrial sites with a mixture of 12,000 new homes and 35,000 working spaces neighbouring a working port.

 

Beautifully preserved and intricate brickwork of the city’s old Victorian gasworks will form the centrepiece of the regeneration project as a hotel and music venue attracting visitors to mix with local residents. The homes, which are being built on the edge of a national park, reflect a range of innovative technologies, with solar panels on show and an underground vacuum waste disposal and recycling system.

"Testing blue-sky thinking and sustainable solutions is at the heart of the city’s approach to innovation."

We were met by a young architect outside an ‘energy plus’ building he had designed as part of a competition. He explained the building generates more energy than the residents use. It wasn’t clear that this type of building could be realistically (or affordably) replicated, but testing blue-sky thinking and sustainable solutions here is at the heart of the city’s approach to innovation.

 

Unlike my home city of Edinburgh, where new buildings are often required to be “in keeping” with the surrounding areas, and planning disputes in conservation areas can last for decades, in Stockholm, the buildings need to be different.

"One building can’t be separated out for being different when they all are."

Intentional disconnect between buildings reflects the jigsaw of styles that piece together to make up the old neighbourhoods. One building might be timber clad, the next a weathered corrugated metal. This makes it even more difficult to tell the rented homes from the owned. One building can’t be separated out for being different when they all are.

 

Carefully considered landscaping creates beautiful spaces for residents to relax and socialise, but it also provides natural flood drainage and ‘green bridges’ for wildlife supporting biodiversity. Developers in Sweden also need to contribute one per cent of the development cost to the municipality to invest in public artwork.

I would move here in a heartbeat… but could I afford to?

 

We did some rough calculations and currency conversion: An average two-bedroom apartment would cost around £600,000.  Add on the service charges, and I think most people would be priced out of this paradise.

 

Nevertheless, it was inspiring to see what can be done with clear vision and strong leadership. This place was city led, not developer led.

 

HOW CAN WE BE MORE LIKE SWEDEN?

 

The short answer is, we can’t. We’re living in a different time and place. We have different buildings and infrastructure, different cultural norms and a different economic outlook than that of post-war Sweden. We shouldn’t try to be like Sweden, but we can certainly borrow a few ideas.

"We need our politicians to lead by example if they expect us to follow."

If we are to have any chance of meeting net zero in the UK, we need strong political leadership on the big decisions and a long-term financial commitment to create certainty for housing organisations, industry and individuals. Constantly dropping targets, cutting funding and slipping deadlines for regulations doesn’t help. We need our politicians to lead by example if they expect us to follow.

 

Everyone must be on board if net zero is to work in people’s homes. We need to foster a sense of social sustainability as well as climate sustainability; we need people to be involved in decarbonising their homes and their lives outside of them.

 

People need to feel the benefits of carbon reduction, whether that’s in reduced bills, warmer, more comfortable homes or greener places to enjoy outdoors.

 

We all need to be able to see the value in net zero.

 

Many thanks to the National Housing Maintenance Forum (NHMF) for organising the study tour, and to the city officials, academics, guides and residents who shared their knowledge so freely and invited us into their communities.

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Brighter Future Awards nominations now open!!

February 14, 2025
It is with great pleasure that we announce nominations are now open for the ahi: 2025 Brighter Future Awards .

Submission in response to the Draft NSW Homelessness Strategy 2025 - 2035

February 14, 2025
About the Australasian Housing Institute The Australasian Housing Institute (ahi) is a professional body for workers in the social and affordable housing and Specialist Homelessness Service (SHS) sectors across Australia and New Zealand. It has Branch Committees in each state and territory, as well as in New Zealand. The ahi is submitting a response to the Draft NSW Homelessness Strategy (the Strategy), representing the collective feedback of the NSW Branch Committee, with the support of the entire ahi organization. With over 2,000 members across NSW, ahi members work in both government and non-government housing organizations. The ahi has a long history of collaborating with SHS, Specialist Disability Services, and other mainstream services, including health, education, and local councils. For the past 25 years, ahi has been proudly delivering training for industry housing professionals across a wide range of areas, including tenancy management, asset management, and governance. The ahi also hosts masterclasses and networking events to support its members. The ahi provides professional development to the workforce through: Training and knowledge-building on a range of issues relevant to social housing professionals, from induction programs for new workers to advanced and specialized training in areas such as asset management, trauma-informed approaches with applicants and tenants, personal development, and community participation. A mentoring program that pairs experienced professionals with newer or younger members to help them achieve their career aspirations and goals. A certification program for social housing professionals to uphold professional standards and ensure success in their area of expertise. Leading the Annual Brighter Future Awards, which recognize excellence in the social housing industry. Promoting active, engaged, and connected membership through the delivery of topical events, seminars, webinars, masterclasses, and more. As a member-based professional body, the ahi is uniquely positioned to build trust, enhance skills, and foster relationships across both the government and non-government sectors, as well as between organizations. Summary The ahi congratulates the NSW Government on its significant investment of $6.6 billion in the 2024 budget, aimed at tackling the unprecedented housing stress and the rising numbers of individuals experiencing homelessness driven by the ongoing rental crisis in both the private rental and social housing sectors. The Strategy for 2025-2035 is highly commendable, with its three core goals—rare, brief, and non-repeated—standing out as ambitious and impactful objectives aimed at addressing homelessness. These goals are set to bring about significant changes in the social housing system and provide a clear policy framework to guide efforts toward achieving meaningful outcomes over the next decade. The ahi recognizes the importance of this Strategy and the critical role that the social and affordable rental housing system plays in meeting these goals, emphasizing the need for genuine, whole-of-government collaboration in delivering results. This approach involves collaboration across government, the not-for-profit community housing sector, and mainstream services, all supported by SHS’s within a Housing First framework and guided by a clear governance structure. It marks a shift from a deficit-driven perspective to a solution-focused, positive approach. The success of this transformation relies on collective efforts through co-design, co-evaluation, and co-delivery, ensuring the long-term effectiveness of the change. For this paradigm shift to succeed, it will require a skilled, committed, and dedicated workforce, as outlined in Principle 8 (The Workforce is Strong and Capable). Recognizing the need for a sustained, locally connected workforce is crucial to addressing the diverse needs of individuals experiencing homelessness across all three phases of their journey. In its feedback on the Strategy, the ahi emphasizes the importance of focused attention on homelessness and social housing workforce planning, professional development, industry support, and the need for culturally competent workers—both paid and voluntary—who bring diversity, inclusion skills, and lived experience. Finally, the ahi urges that Principle 8, which highlights the strength and capability of the workforce, be prioritized, particularly in supporting First Nations people experiencing housing stress and homelessness, with a long-term vision extending beyond the next 10 years. Detailed response The following is more a detailed response from the ahi to the questions outlined in the consultation paper for the Strategy. SECTION 1: The Guiding Principles of the Strategy 1. What do we need to consider as we implement services and system reform guided by these principles (total 9) over the next 10 years? As we implement services and system reform guided by these principles over the next 10 years, the ahi suggests the following approaches be prioritized: Workforce planning should be a key focus in the first rolling action plan (2025-2027), with an emphasis on forecasting the ongoing skills and competency needs throughout the life of The Strategy. This will ensure the workforce is equipped to meet evolving demands. Increasing the supply of dwellings to address crisis, transition, and permanent housing needs must be matched by a parallel increase in the workforce. This includes expanding both paid employees and volunteers within social housing, community housing organizations, and Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS). A well-supported workforce is essential to ensuring the successful and sustainable delivery of outcomes envisioned by the Strategy. Skilling workers who assist First Nations people experiencing homelessness should be prioritised. This requires a culturally competent workforce at all levels to provide high-quality services and ensure that First Nations people do not experience repeated homelessness. By focusing on cultural competence, we can foster better outcomes and long-term stability for these communities. 2. Which Principle should be prioritized and why? The ahi fully supports all nine Principles, with particular emphasis on Principle 8: Workforce is Strong and Capable, as being foundational. Addressing homelessness is a person-centered solution that requires culturally competent employees and volunteers who can establish strong, supportive networks with wraparound services at the local community level. This is essential to meeting the evolving needs and remains a high priority in the First Action Plan (2025-2027). Ongoing professional development for workers is crucial to ensuring long-term success in meeting the changing social, economic, and environmental needs of those living in quality housing. It is also vital for ensuring tenants not only live well but stay connected to their communities. Supporting the workforce’s safety and wellness is key to maintaining a capable, resilient workforce, which in turn ensures the best possible quality of housing, management, and support for tenants. SECTION 2: Strategy focus areas: 1. To make homelessness rare, what should NSW prioritise for action and why? The ahi believes that adequate funding for SHS’s is essential to ensure they are properly resourced to assist individuals at risk of or in a crisis state of homelessness at the point of need. The ability to identify risks and allocate resources effectively for intake assessments and service coordination is key to early intervention and prevention. A triage system is vital for facilitating positive outcomes, aiming to make homelessness a one-off experience. The ahi also supports dedicated funding for staff training and development in this field, recognizing its importance in preventing homelessness from becoming a long-term issue. Investing in training allows for timely and appropriate interventions, helping to break the cycle of homelessness early on. 2. What opportunities and risks are there for implementing actions under this outcome? Delaying action in assisting individuals experiencing homelessness can lead to a loss of faith and hope in the NSW housing system, pushing them toward the justice system or, in the case of older people or women escaping domestic violence, even premature death. Implementing this outcome presents an opportunity to build a culturally competent, and trauma-informed workforce, a key factor to transforming lives while simultaneously increasing the supply of housing. Supporting a resilient workforce, where high job satisfaction is fostered, creates committed and effective workers who can make a lasting difference. 3. What types (s) would be most useful to measure our impact and why? A key target in the First Action Plan (2025-2027) is to reduce the number of people on the social housing waitlist during the reporting period. This measure will serve as an indicator of success and validate the effectiveness of early intervention policies in preventing homelessness. Additionally, setting targets for the number of employees and volunteers in the social housing and SHS sectors, as well as tracking turnover rates, is essential to assessing the success of building a stronger, more capable workforce. 4. To make homelessness brief, what should NSW Priorities for action & why? Domestic violence, family abuse, and coercive control are major causes of homelessness among women, with the number of homeless women and children increasing according to the latest data. Adequate funding for this vulnerable group is a top priority. Supporting these women has a profound impact on their recovery, resilience, and ability to raise their children, leading to positive generational outcomes in the long term. The rising trend of older women experiencing homelessness for the first time also requires early intervention to prevent premature death. 5. What opportunity and risks are there for implementing actions under this outcome? The continued trend of women dying as a result of domestic violence and family abuse is deeply concerning. In 2024, 14 older women aged 55 and over were killed, a distressing statistic according to the Commissioner for Domestic and Family Violence, Michaela Cronin. These women are at a higher risk of vulnerability, often with no support systems to rely on. Implementing actions under this outcome presents a crucial opportunity to save lives, reduce the number of women experiencing both domestic violence and homelessness, and help them rebuild their lives. 6. What types of target(s) would be useful for measuring our impact and why? Reducing the number of women who die as a result of domestic violence and family abuse during the First Action Plan (2025-2027) is an important metric to track and report, demonstrating the efficacy of The Strategy. Individual success stories are powerful testimonies that show the goals of the Strategy are benefiting both individuals and the housing system. The skills required for employees and volunteers in this area demand dedicated funding and training resources. Implementing a measure to evaluate the outcomes of training courses would be valuable, helping to refine and improve the content and application of these programs. 7. To ensure homelessness is not repeated, what should NSW prioritize for action and why? First Nations people are overrepresented in experiencing homelessness and face significant challenges in breaking the cycle. Priority should be given to this group under the Housing First Principle, supported by skilled and capable staff and volunteers, to empower them and prevent repeat homelessness. Rental tenancy laws in NSW should be reviewed, particularly regarding the cessation of tenancy due to prolonged absences. Cultural customs related to death and bereavement (Sorry Business) should be recognised as acceptable reasons for absences and incorporated into tenancy policies. 8. What opportunities and risks are there in implementing actions under this outcome? The risk of not achieving the goals outlined in the National Agreement on Closing the Gap for the NSW Government is significant if priority is not given to properly housing and supporting First Nations people. There are valuable opportunities in collaborating with Aboriginal leaders through a co-design, co-evaluation, and co-delivery approach. Their collective commitment to improving the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can lead to positive outcomes in housing, health, education, employment, justice, safety, and inclusion. 9. What types of target(s) would be most useful to measure the impact and why? Increase the number of Aboriginal workers with certified qualifications across various areas of the Aboriginal housing sector. Aboriginal tenants depend on highly qualified and culturally competent workers and volunteers to help build their resilience and prevent repeated homelessness. Regular customer satisfaction surveys should be conducted to measure tenants’ satisfaction levels and identify areas of strength and improvement. Conclusion The ahi supports an ambitious supply growth program throughout the life of the Strategy to address homelessness in NSW. With 63,260 households (based on 2023-2024 data) currently on the waiting list, it is crucial to reduce this number over the next 10 years through the rolling action plans. Successfully delivering the Strategy will require a skilled, trauma-informed, and competent workforce to implement an integrated housing system. While workforce planning is mentioned as one of the nine principles, its lack of detailed planning is concerning. The ahi strongly suggests that the principles of co-design, co-evaluation, and co-delivery be incorporated from the outset in developing the rolling action plans. The ahi thanks the NSW Government for the opportunity to submit feedback and for its ongoing consideration of building a strong and capable workforce that is recognised and supported by a broad range of industries. The value of including people with lived experience and their unique knowledge and skills cannot be overlooked as an essential voice in this transformative process. Contact NSW Branch Committee - Australasian Housing Institute admin@housinginstitute.org www.theahi.com.au (02) 6494 7566 Date submitted: 11/2/25 Submitted to: Homelessness.strategy@homes.nsw.gov.au

Appointment of new auditor

October 24, 2024
Australasian Housing Institute (the Company) wishes to announce that effective from today, 24th October 2024, Accounting & Audit Solutions Bendigo (AASB) has been appointed as auditor of the Company. The change of auditor has occurred due to the resignation of Kelly Partners (Sydney) as the company’s auditor. The company received approval from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) to change its auditors in accordance with section 329(6) of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth). Accordingly, the Company has accepted the resignation of Kelly Partners (Sydney). AASB’s appointment is effective until the next Annual General Meeting of the Company. In accordance with section 327C of the Corporations Act, a resolution will be put to members at the 2025 Annual General Meeting to appoint AASB as the Company’s ongoing auditor.
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