On Tuesday 3 June, Shelter NSW CEO, John Engeler, and Housing Officer, Drew Beacom, met with the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) as part of the RBA’s community liaison program. This is part of a concerted effort on the part of the RBA to meet with organisations across various sectors to better understand the on-the-ground picture of the state of the economy.  

Shelter NSW provided a high-level perspective on the state of the housing system and highlighted emerging areas requiring attention from policy makers such as the rapid growth of affordable housing delivery, and the need for greater regulation of the short-term holiday accommodation market. ‘Strata-stress’ is also an emerging area of concern, and we pointed out that strata fees might need to be better considered when assessing the housing costs borne by households. Talking about strata, there also needs to be better consideration of the needs of families in management of residential flat buildings. Shelter NSW was most pleased to engage constructively with the RBA on housing issues and their interactions with macroeconomic policy, and we look forward to continuing working with the Reserve Bank in the future.