For the past 30 years I have lived and breathed residential development. From land subdivisions and medium density housing through to high-rise mixed use apartment complexes, I am fortunate that my career has allowed me to work with people who create communities in these areas.But it is understanding the drivers of housing affordability and the importance of housing for all – rich or poor – that has ignited a passion to drive change. Through General Management roles with one of Australia’s largest property developers, to working directly with government ministers, policy makers, community housing providers and their support services, I have worked tenaciously to increase awareness that “housing for all” is essential economic infrastructure and underpins Australia’s prospects for stable, long term economic growth. I believe Australia needs more affordable housing and more social housing. I also believe that we need to unlock institutional investment in this sector. We need to think differently and create new and innovative funding mechanisms similar in principle to those adopted in the UK and the US.Part of the solution is to also disrupt the construction sector with new ways of building.For well over a decade, I have worked to change the way we build low-rise apartments. I led and managed the team at Australand that designed and constructed Australia's first five-storey lightweight timber residential apartment complex, The Green, in Parkville, Melbourne.The Green was designed to showcase the ability of the domestic construction sector to create more affordable housing options. It was a success, achieving construction cost savings of over 20% and reducing materials-related climate change impacts by 22% (The Fifth Estate, 4 July 2014). Constructing in timber will "disrupt" the construction sector and will provide excellent growth opportunities especially in the social and affordable housing space.Photo: The Green, supplied by Frasers Property Australia