Apart from being perennially underfunded in a country recording rapid population growth, public housing policy is rarely innovative or exciting interest. This paper has one basic premise: that investment in affordable housing for low-income women provides both micro and macro economic benefits for cities and communities.

Three communities, the small rural shire of Nebo Shire in Central Queensland, the remote area council of Lockhart River in Cape York and the large, urban Ipswich City Council in South East Queensland, used various strategies to engage councillors, council staff and the community. These case studies highlight the challenges of designing and building sustainable...