The Australian dream of home ownership is just that: a dream for many Aussies.
Especially those under 35, it's more likely than not that you don't own your own home.
Many of us are grappling with that problem and one suggested answer has come from an unexpected corner.
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Sabra Lane: The Australian dream of home ownership is, well, it's just that: a dream for many Aussies. Especially those under 35, it's more likely than not that you don't own your own home. And for those on lower incomes, it's really bleak. Even the waiting lists for public housing are up to 10 years in some states. Many of us are grappling with that problem and one suggested answer has come from an unexpected corner. Soheil Abedian is an Iranian-born property developer on the Gold Coast and the founder of the Sunland Group. Soheil, welcome to The Bright Side.
Soheil Abedian: Thank you.
Sabra Lane: Soheil, tell me a little bit about you. How did you get into the building business?
Soheil Abedian: As a young student in architecture, I fell in love with India and I used to go a number of times at the time of The Beatles, you know, to find yourself spiritually. I went and traveled all over India. And I remember in New Delhi, once I was sitting and waiting for the plane to come. This was a young Australian traveling. And he said that he's from Australia. And I said, how is Australia? And he said, it's the country of the dream for everybody, to have a quarter acre of land with a house on it. I said, wow, I'm studying architecture. Hopefully, I come and visit. And I didn't know that one day I wouldcome and start with one house, whichended up to over 40,000 dwelling in my lifetime now.
Sabra Lane: One of the biggest problems, though, these days in Australia, especially in the cities, is housing. Now do you scratch your head and wonder how on earth it is that a country so well off as Australia is now struggling with, you know, what was the great Australian dream?
Soheil Abedian: The people talk about the housing crisis. I genuinely believe it is not about the housing crisis. It's a crisis of values. It's a crisis of understanding the cohesiveness of the fabric of society. Every single human being has the right for education, has the right for medical services and has the right of shelter. It's not a privilege to live in a house. It is a need of humanity to live in a house. When you look at that, one of the richest countries per capita in the world is Australia. We have 25 million population, a vast country, and we have one in200 homeless people. In my opinion, I have been very vocal about that, I think that our politicians on all levels of the government have failed miserably in that regard. I always say I do not see any problem why the board member of BHP or, for example, one of the four banks and the person that is the first home buyer or maybe even homeless to live next to each other.
Sabra Lane: Can you at the moment see any solutions on the table that will fix the affordability problem that we have in Australia? Are we too afraid to have the conversation in Australia?
Soheil Abedian: I definitely do feel that our politicians are coming with the slogans not for finding a solution, rather for finding a way to resonate with the heart and mind of the people to get re-elected. Why can't the government legislate that 5% of the total development that they do, no matter where it is, if it is in Toorak, if it is in Hedges Avenue, if it is in the best area and the lowest area, whatever it is, 5% of that has to be developed for affordable housing. If you look at it, the total construction that is happening every single year in Australia is around 175,000 dwellings. Just 5% of that, it gives us 8,700 dwellings, 1,000 more than we can in one year take everybody out of the street. The developer may come and they say that is not sustainable because it costs so much money. The government is pouring a massive amount of the money into creating a new dwelling or affordable housing, but the government is not a builder, is not a developer. Like for example, I say I have cancer and the government says, I will heal you. The government can provide a hospital, but the government cannot provide a solution to the problem. Solution to the problem can only happen by people like myself. If we accept that we can take a little bit away from our profit and invest it in a society to create a middle class and in turn, if we create a middle class, we can actually benefit long term and find a solution that is for the betterment of the whole humanity.
Sabra Lane: Some people listening to this might say that's all good and well, but what has Mr. Abedian done to help house people in affordable homes?
Soheil Abedian: I can only tell you what Mr. Abedian has done. Since 2011, I have created a foundation that all my money goes into foundation for education of the people. I give a scholarship to the people that they are in need. We have now proudly 546 individuals. They have graduated from Bond University and from Griffith University. Every year, 108 kids that they are in need, they are graduating in these two universities.
Sabra Lane: What do you think the consequences are for Australia if we don't fix this housing affordability problem?
Soheil Abedian: I think more and more people, they become disengaged with the beauty of this nation, disengaged with the opportunity of this nation. When you become so depressed, you have no choice but to see everything negative. I cannot, I get too emotional about it actually when I'm thinking that a country like Australia cannot even think for a moment that we are all one. I cannot even accept that the people that they are in Canberra or in Brisbane or in, I don't know, the capital cities, for one minute they do not accept that the people next to them maybe in wintertime, in summertime, they have to sleep under the bridge. Why should it be that way?
Sabra Lane: That's one of the hardest sites actually in Hobart since I moved here. The main road south is the southern outlet and I could not believe it the first winter I was here. There were people camping by this road because that's the only place they could find where they weren't being told to move on.
Soheil Abedian: And you know what is interesting, that how disengaged the people have become.
Sabra Lane: If Mr. Albanese and Mr. Dutton are listening to this, what would you say to them about solving housing affordability and the power they have to make it happen?
Soheil Abedian: Very simple. Mr. Albanese, Mr. Dutton, come out of your homes, walk with me, let us have a cup of tea with one of the homeless and put yourself in their position for five minutes. How can we resolve the crisis of values, the crisis of virtues, the crisis of identities that we do not recognise the people that they don't have a voice. And I genuinely believe, Sabra, you have the voice. You have to be the champion of that. I don't. I made one interview and I'm privileged to meet you and sit down with you. But you have that opportunity every day.
Sabra Lane: Well, we'll see what we can do.
Soheil Abedian: That will be lovely.
Sabra Lane: Soheil Abedian is the head of the Sunland Property Group up on the Gold Coast. That's just one idea. You might have one too. Every time I hear a story about interest rates going up or renters being squeezed more and more, I wonder about how communities are grappling with it and coming up with their own ideas on solving it. And I'd like this podcast to flesh out the answers to these problems, even if it's just on a small scale. And you might have your own ideas too and be putting them into practice. And if you want to share your experience, what's gone right and, well, what's still a work in progress, you can get in touch via the show notes.
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