Housing as critical infrastructure: Insights from Property Congress 2025

At this year’s Property Congress in Perth, one theme resonated loud and clear — housing is not just a product but infrastructure essential to a thriving society.

The recent Property Congress in Perth saw Hassell, in our capacity as an Associate Sponsor, convening with over 700 leading developers, policymakers, and industry executives to examine the major trends influencing the future of the built environment. One theme resonated with crystal clarity - housing is not just a financial asset or manufactured product but infrastructure essential to a flourishing society. 

Globally, the examples are clear. Singapore treats 80% of its land as public and plans housing as a matter of national strategy. Vienna combines state-owned land with low-profit developers to deliver affordability without cutting corners. Scandinavia prioritises quality and amenity over squeezing every square metre, while Tokyo champions flexibility and adaptability in design. Even Canada frames housing as a human right. The common thread? Systemic thinking, collaboration and a willingness to innovate.

Meanwhile, Australia is falling behind. By 2030, we could be short 500,000 homes — leaving over a million people without a safe place to live. Construction costs have jumped 65% over the last decade, labour shortages persist, and our housing market still prioritises scarcity and profit over sufficiency and social good. 

Affordability is just one part of the picture; the bigger question is whether what we’re building actually meets people’s needs, now and in the future.

At Hassell, we’re exploring how new approaches, such as Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), can help tackle these challenges. Our design for First Building at Bradfield City Centre in Western Sydney — the first completed building in this emerging hub for innovation — is a bold statement about the future of sustainable, adaptable design. 

With a flexible brief and a city still taking shape, we set out to design a structure that could be disassembled, reused, or relocated — a modular kit-of-parts built for change. The structural grid was refined and optimised through close collaboration with subcontractors, aligning design ambitions with real-world construction capabilities. When done well, MMC can enhance affordability, improve sustainability and deliver the kind of certainty people and communities need.

The conversations at the Congress highlighted the significant potential for doing things differently. From modular homes shipped to regional Western Australia, to new ideas for senior living and designs built to adapt over time — innovation is happening. But it needs systemic backing, not just one-off projects. Designers, developers, and governments all have a role to play in creating policies, funding models and practices that build capacity across the system.

It’s time we treated housing like any other critical infrastructure, something everyone has a right to access with long-term planning and public – private alignment. Because access to housing isn’t optional — it’s essential.