MTalks—Lost Property: The Challenge of Uncovering Residential Vacancy

What if we have enough vacant properties to house the 80,000 people on Victoria’s public housing waiting list? If you believe housing is a human right, this talk is for you. Renegade economist Karl Fitzgerald explains how the traditional methods of evaluating residential vacancy rates are inaccurate and favour investors. Urban geographer at the University of Melbourne Dr Kate Shaw weighs in on the economic, social, and cultural factors and incentives that cause property to be hoarded—and what policies need to change to correct the situation. Data science officer Flavia Barar discusses the challenges around obtaining data that shines a light on housing issues in Australia and spatial data marketing and communications expert Emma Joughin moderates on using data to uncover residential vacancy rates with the hopes of exposing the vacant residential properties that could house more Victorians