This study examines how contemporary Australian affordable housing projects are designed, financed, developed, and managed. The study aims to deepen
understanding and raising awareness of the various trade-offs that shape the design and development of affordable housing projects in Australia, and suggesting ways in which such trade-offs can be managed to deliver outcomes that are socially, environmentally, and financially sustainable. The study also offers a tool for project-level evaluation of affordable housing. Governments across Australia are increasingly turning to not-for-profit housing providers to help address shortages in housing that is affordable to low and moderate-income households. Consequently, various new forms of affordable housing projects have been developed or procured by not-for-profit organizations in recent years. Previous research has examined some of the challenges faced by not-for-profit organisations involved in this rapidly emerging industry and has focused on organizations or the wider policy and regulatory contexts in which they operate (Milligan et al. 2009, 2004; Lawson et al. 2010; Travers et al. 2011). The focus of this study is on delivery at the project level, using a sample of eight affordable housing projects that have been selected on the basis of specified criteria.