The cost of housing and a shortfall in housing supply are
creating housing stress for many Australians, with over a million
and a half households being helped by Government housing assistance
programs, according to a report released today by the Australian
Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
'The ratio of median house prices to median household income has
more than doubled in the past 30 years,' said David Wilson of the
Institute's Housing Assistance Unit.
'And housing supply is not meeting demand, with an estimated
shortfall of about 30,000 dwellings in 2007, and more in future
years.'
'The stresses are showing up even after assistance has been
provided. For example, 35% of households receiving Commonwealth
Rent Assistance are still, after assistance, paying more than 30%
of their household incomes on their rent, which is a common measure
for housing stress,' Mr Wilson said.
These are just some of the many facts put together in this
reference publication about housing assistance in Australia.
According to the AIHW report, Housing assistance in
Australia, governments in Australia spend over $4 billion each
year on housing assistance programs. The four largest are:
- the 2003 Commonwealth State Housing Agreement (CSHA)
- the Commonwealth Rent Assistance scheme (CRA)
- the First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) scheme
- the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP)
The CSHA provided assistance to over 334,000 public renter
households and 34,000 community housing tenants in 2007.
Nearly 1 million Australians renting privately received help
through the Commonwealth Rent Assistance scheme.
States and territories provided $78 million of CSHA-funded
private rent assistance to more than 134,000 households.
Home purchasers also received assistance with $1 billion in
loans and other assistance provided under the CSHA to 36,000
households.
In addition, each year approximately 107,000 households receive
$7,000 of assistance at the time of their home purchase through the
First Home Owner Grant.
Despite Australia's current period of economic prosperity, and
the fact that the majority of Australians have suitable housing,
homelessness continues to be a major social problem that, on a
given night, affects more than 100,000 Australians, many of them
children.
The Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) is the
major government response to homelessness. In 2005-06 the Program
provided assistance to 161,000 people, including 54,000
children.
Friday 22 February 2008
Further information: David Wilson, AIHW mob.
0419 251 763.
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, AIHW, tel. 61 2 6244 1032.
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications
Catalogue for the availability of Housing assistance
in Australia.