Complex changes are having
an impact on the shape of the Australian community. The
effects of shifting demographics,
economic growth, globalization and new technologies have
not been uniform across the country. These changes have
prompted various government responses to the ensuing
problems of inequity, exclusion and community disillusionment.
Emerging policy discussions and initiatives have focused
on the idea of building stronger or sustainable communities.
Sustainable communities can be loosely defined as communities
in which the ingredients exist to support social and economic
participation by its members. However to gain an understanding
of how housing might play a role in building sustainable
communities the term needs to be considered in greater
detail. In particular the relationship of the term to the
actual
policy interests of the day must be addressed.
The Forum
held a seminar (March 2000) and has prepared a group
of discussion papers to help providers, administrators
and policy makers consider the place of housing in the
current
policy discussions about building stronger communities
- particularly the place of community housing.
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