Retirees, creatives and housing market complexity: challenges for policy-makers

Retirees and creatives, significant cohorts in the Australian economy, are used in this article to demonstrate the challenges faced by policy-makers when addressing the housing environment. The housing market is characterised by many participants, often with competing needs and wants, all contributing to the complexity of housing policy. As a result, policy can be difficult to define with multi-directional interdependencies. We identify five characteristics of complexity-uniqueness, layers of government, dynamism, actors and knowledge spheres-that if duly considered in the policy formation process could contribute to a more integrated approach that minimises negative and conflicting policy consequences.