Why Housing Affordability Is Everyone’s Business

In our latest P.O.W.E.R. Podcast episode, Melissa Ashcroft sat down with Kirsten Steedman from Shelter NSW, a leading voice in the fight for equitable housing, to explore the deeper issues that underpin the housing crisis, and what we can all do to help.

When we talk about housing affordability, the conversation often starts with numbers - median house prices, interest rates, and how far your deposit can stretch. But at its core, housing isn’t just a financial transaction. It’s about people. It’s about safety. And it’s about opportunity.

More Than a Roof Over Your Head: Housing as a Social Issue

Kirsten Steedman’s background in corporate shopping centre development may not seem like the obvious path into social sustainability, but it gave her a front-row seat to the importance of community. Through those early years, she saw how closely our sense of belonging, safety, and well-being are tied to where and how we live.

Housing affordability isn’t just an economic issue. It’s a social issue. Without safe, secure housing, it’s difficult for people to access employment, education, or health services. It becomes harder to break cycles of poverty, family violence, or generational disadvantage. It’s a domino effect, and more often than not, housing is the first tile.

Breaking the Cycle with Community-Focused Programs

Programs like FOYER are redefining what it means to “house” someone. By offering secure, transitional housing paired with life skills, education, and wraparound support, they’re creating pathways out of homelessness, not just short-term solutions. Shelter NSW plays a vital role here, advocating for long-term policy reform and inclusive urban planning that prioritises people, not just profits.

These programs don’t just change lives, they have the power to change entire communities and create a positive future for those who may never have been able to imagine one for themselves.

How Developers and Investors Can Step Up

While the property development and investment sectors are often criticised in affordability debates, they also hold immense power to influence change. Through inclusionary zoning, social housing partnerships, and prioritising build-to-rent or affordable options within their projects, developers can help shape a more sustainable housing landscape.

This isn’t just about philanthropy, it’s good business. Vibrant, safe communities are attractive to tenants, buyers, and investors alike. When we build neighbourhoods that work for everyone, everyone benefits.

The Broker’s Role: Lending With Purpose

At AAA Mortgages, we see first-hand the impact that access to lending can have on someone’s life. Whether it’s helping a single parent secure their first home, supporting a young person into shared equity housing, or advising developers with a vision for community-first projects, our role goes beyond interest rates and loan comparisons.

Melissa has always believed in using your position to help others wherever you can, and that ethos is ingrained in our approach. As brokers, we’re in a unique position to:

• Educate and empower buyers from all backgrounds

• Advocate for flexible lending options that serve marginalised communities

• Work with clients who want to include affordable housing in their developments

• Support organisations that champion social equity in the housing space

  
  

We’re proud to align our business with a bigger purpose: helping people access housing that creates stability, growth, and dignity.

Every Step Counts

Housing affordability is a complex issue with no single fix. But change doesn’t require perfection - it requires participation. The more we connect the dots using the unique skills, expertise, and networks that we each have - between housing, community, affordability, and equity - the closer we get to a future where everyone has a place to thrive.

Whether you’re a homeowner, investor, broker, developer, policymaker, or simply a member of your local community, you have a role to play in creating a more sustainable and equitable housing system. Listen, learn, share, speak up, and support organisations doing the work.

Start by tuning in to our full conversation with Kirsten Steedman - a powerful reminder that housing is about more than property. It’s about people.

🎧 Listen to the full podcast here on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch on YouTube.

If you're experiencing challenge to homeownership, please reach out to us and we'll work hard to find any possible solutions for you. Book an appointment with us today, we’re here to help.