In the next 20 years, NSW needs 570,000 new homes to accommodate our growing and changing population. We need to produce more than 25,000 new homes every year to meet this demand. But at the moment, we produce less than 15,000 new homes per year. Without a drastic and quick uplift in supply, housing will be unaffordable for the vast majority of NSW households, and the state will become increasingly inequitable and uncompetitive, driving investment out and livability down.

The Home Conference looked at how important players and influencers could address the gaps in the NSW housing market. The priorities were explored in three streams, held as concurrent sessions:

 DEFINE: What is home?

• Why is the concept of ‘home’ so important?
• The relationship between home and ‘ontological security’ (the confidence that comes from self-identity and constancy of social and material environments)
• How the Great Australian Dream has evolved

RETHINK: What do we need to do differently?

• The state of our housing supply
• How home ownership rates are likely to change in future years and who will be
• The gap between aspiration and reality

 INSPIRE: Leadership models

• What kind of housing do we need?
• Case studies of current housing innovations
• A workshop on the 21st Century Living Program at Thornton

The keynote address was given by Mr Michael Brooks, Partner at Aird & Berlis LLP and former CEO of the Real Property Association of Canada (REALpac). Other speakers included directors from Cox Architecture, Dr Owen Donald, Ms Jane-Frances Kelly and Dr Tim Williams. In addition, the Hon. Brad Hazzard and the UrbanGrowth NSW Chairman, John Brogden, also addressed the conference.