Social and Affordable Housing

The purpose of the Social and Affordable Housing Strategy 2019–23 is to assess the need for social and affordable housing in Glen Eira and to identify Council’s role in developing solutions that will see an increase in the provision of social and affordable housing.

Affordable housing is integral to the liveability and accessibility of communities throughout Glen Eira. The trend over recent decades for rising house prices and rents with limited investment in social and affordable housing, has led to an increase in the number of households experiencing housing stress.

Through community engagement, the Glen Eira community supported the need to ensure there is enough affordable housing locally, to reduce the displacement of households due to housing stress, to help maintain social networks, and to provide housing for specific groups who are in need of housing assistance.

What is social and affordable housing?

Affordable housing is housing, including social housing, that is appropriate for the housing needs of any of the following:

1. very low income range up to $52,940 per annum*
2. low income range $25,221 to $84,720 per annum*
3. moderate income range $40,341 to $127,080 per annum*^.1

*This is dependent upon the household composition from a single adult to the number of dependent children.

There many types of housing that are provided by government and the community and private housing sectors, below are the key definitions used in Glen Eira to describe affordable housing:

Private market housing

Housing being purchased
Mortgage repayments are at or below 30 per cent of household income.

Housing being rented
Rental payments are at or below 30 per cent of household income. (may include some student housing, church housing, charity organisation housing).

Social housing

Public housing
Long-term rental housing owned and managed by the Office of Housing on behalf of the Victorian Government for those assessed most in need.² Tenants pay 25 per cent of income in rent. Subject to income and asset tests.

Crisis and emergency accommodation
Short-term housing (up to six weeks) managed by not-for-profit organisations with funding from Government, providing emergency shelter to persons in crisis (includes women’s/youth refuges).²

Community housing
Long-term rental housing owned or managed by not-for-profit organisations who are registered and regulated by the Victorian Government.² Tenants pay 25–30 per cent of income in rent.

Transitional Housing Management Program
Short-term temporary housing (12–18 months) managed by not-for-profit organisations with funding from Government, providing accommodation for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.³

Council provided units
Social housing owned and managed by Glen Eira City Council. Tenants pay either market rent or a rebated rent. Available to persons 60 years and over, subject to income and asset tests.⁴

Homeless

A person who does not have access to a suitable alternative and:

‘is in a dwelling that is inadequate; has no tenure, or if their initial tenure is short and not extendable; or does not allow them to have control of, and access to space for social relations’.

Includes persons:

• living in improvised dwellings, tents, cars or sleeping out
• living in short-term supported accommodation for the homeless
• staying temporarily with other households
• living in boarding houses/rooming houses
• living temporarily in other lodgings
• living in severely crowded dwellings (requires four or more additional bedrooms to properly accommodate occupants).⁵

^{1 Planning and Environment Act 1987.
2 Housing.vic.gov.au — housing options.
3 Department Health and Human Services.vic.gov.au/housing — housing establishment fund.
4 Glen Eira City Council /Aged care facilities — Independent living units.
5 Australian Bureau of Statistics.}