Abstract:

Community housing consists of rental housing managed on a not for profit basis by non-goverment organisations and consists of person living independently rather than those living in institutions such as nursing homes or hostels. There are 6 broad streams of community housing funded under the Commonwealth State Housing Agreement (CSHA): affordable housing aimed at low and moderate income households (about 7,000 units); social housing targeted to low income persons - different to public housing (16,300 units); housing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders (13,000 units); housing for the aged or disabled (unknown - probably more than 30,000 units); other long-term housing, housing for ex-offenders and privately funded not for profit housing and student housing (12,000 units); and crisis accomodation for the temporary homeless (5,000 units). In total there is about 83,000 units of community managed housing in Australia or about 20% of all social (i.e. public) housing. In Australia, private rental is 3 times the size of the social rental market and public housing is the overwhelming model of social housing. Community housing needs to play a more important role as it delivers a more intensive housing management; can level finances via joint ventures with the private sector; provides choice of housing management; and provides a greater variety of housing options. Investment in public housing by goverment has been progressively falling since WW2 and is largely at an end - probably for a considerable amount of time. Therefore, community housing needs to play a greater role in the development of housing in Australia.