A lack of affordable, appropriate and secure housing means many households and individuals face housing stress or complex trade-offs to ensure they are safely housed. While these trade-offs and challenges affect many people, women and gender minority people often face disproportionate barriers to housing security across all life stages and have unique needs and preferences when it comes to housing. This report outlines the findings and recommendations from an extensive cross-sectoral consultation process. It presents a practical roadmap for embedding a gender lens in housing investment, policy and program decisions across Australia. 

The report highlights a shared recognition that gender-neutral or gender-blind approaches often entrench existing inequalities and calls for gender-transformative action to address the root causes and impacts of women’s housing disadvantage. It identified five key areas central to advancing improved gender equity in housing decisions in Australia:

1. building buy-in
2. addressing broader housing and systemic challenges
3. understanding need and nuance
4. building knowledge and capacity
5. institutionalising change.

The report outlines short and longer-term actions across these domains. It includes proposals for improved data sharing, mandated gender-responsive budgeting, trauma-informed design standards, and formal partnerships between government, philanthropy and community housing providers. It argues to truly address Australia’s housing crisis gender must be recognised not as a marginal consideration but as central to equitable and effective housing policy.