Mainstreaming sustainable housing: policies and programs that work

This paper draws on the findings of research by the Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF) for the Queensland Environment Protection Agency (QEPA) into attitudes towards sustainable housing. The aim of the research was to examine what drives housing provision and choice from both the housing industry and consumer perspectives, and how sustainability fits within this picture. The research also aimed to demonstrate how this understanding can better inform sustainable housing policy. The research found that for consumers, cost and lifestyle are the most powerful drivers of housing choice. For industry the drivers for action (from product supply and service delivery to building practices) are profit and market edge, both of which are largely driven by perceived consumer demand. There is a significant mismatch between the perceptions of consumers and industry in that each group perceives the other as lacking commitment to advancing sustainability in the housing sector. The study underlined the value of social research in informing sustainable housing policy in the mainstream housing market in order to ensure that these drivers and conflicts are addressed.