Do PPP faciltate affordable housing outcomes in Queensland?

Internationally, Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) are becoming a fashionable supplement to traditional public sector funding models for delivering public infrastructure and related services by using private funding (Broadbent & Laughlin, 2003; Edwards & Shaoul, 2003). The Queensland government released a PPP policy in September 2001 with the aim of improving ëvalue for moneyí in public infrastructure and service delivery projects, including housing. As a consequence of the reduction of Commonwealth government funding for housing, these partnerships with the private sector are seen as providing an opportunity for the supply of affordable housing. This study aims to identify current problems in implementing PPPs in affordable housing by conducting open interviews and literature searches. PPPs become a specious attraction for the public sector. No affordable housing projects have been implemented using the PPP framework in Queensland because of the restrictive definition of PPP projects. Moreover, the contradiction in traditional investment decision-making criteria between public and private sector has impeded the implementation of PPPs. Accordingly, PPPs may not facilitate increasing the supply of affordable housing without major guideline changes.