Reform of public housing in Australia has been prominent on the political agenda recently, most particularly through deliberations of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG). In the parliamentary context a Senate Committee (Community Affairs Reference Committee) is also currently holding an inquiry into Federal Government proposals for reform to the public housing system. This paper concentrates on the provision of public housing under the auspices of the Commonwealth-State Housing Agreement (CSHA). The first CSHA came into force in November 1945 and since that time it has been the main vehicle for providing public housing to Australians. It is estimated that there are 386 000 public dwellings in the eight States and Territories, the combined value of which is of the order of $31 billion. Besides the CSHA, the Commonwealth's other main program designed to help low income earners access housing involves the payment of rent assistance to private renters.
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