Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1995 Week 8 Hansard (25 October) . . Page.. 2032 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

In addition to providing appropriate choices for an ageing population, future housing in urban forms must also offer a range of options to meet diverse community needs and changing lifestyles. We know that the profile of our households is changing. They are smaller, with a growing proportion of one- and two-person households. Social, economic and technological changes will affect work, transport and lifestyle patterns. These in turn will influence the type of demand for housing and residential environments. The housing strategy will be considering current practices and initiatives in relation to housing design and principles of environmentally sustainable development, to identify key issues for the ACT over the next 10 years. In assessing current and future housing needs, it is important that we examine groups within the ACT housing market with special needs. Single-parent families, people with disabilities, youth, Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders, and people from non-English-speaking backgrounds, particularly if they have low incomes, are likely to need special consideration to ensure that their housing needs are met.

The housing market in the ACT is characterised by high housing prices and rents, despite the fact that they have been static or indeed declining slightly in recent times. Compared with the rest of Australia, they are still relatively high. This presents special challenges to the Government in promoting more housing choices for people with low to moderate incomes and in providing appropriate housing assistance options to those unable to access housing privately. Already ACT Housing has commenced a number of projects that will give a better understanding of the dynamics of supply and demand in the housing market and housing needs. An important component of the housing strategy will be a study that analyses the determinants of housing costs in the ACT, with particular attention to the lower end of the owner-occupied and rental markets.

The strategy will also address the needs of households with limited financial resources. A major report on housing needs assessment is currently being prepared for ACT Housing by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. It will help the Government to better target its assistance to households most in need. The study has found that in 1991 almost 16 per cent of households in the ACT had problems in paying for adequate housing. The study also noted that without housing assistance the incidence of housing need in the community would have been considerably higher. Unlike other affordability benchmarks, which do not differentiate between households' requirements, the institute's measure analyses the capacity of households of different compositions and different incomes to meet housing costs. This work will be crucial to planning programs of housing assistance that ensure good targeting and effectiveness.

As part of the development of a housing plan for the ACT, the Government will also be examining options for financing affordable housing, particularly brokerage and partnership arrangements that foster the growth of non-traditional supply arrangements. The Government recognises that improving the supply of affordable housing and range of housing choices relies on efficiency in the housing and land development industries. For this reason, a key objective of the housing plan will be strategies to provide a stable environment for these industries and to support their capacity to deliver affordable housing choices. This is consistent with the Government's commitment to facilitating opportunities for first home buyers to access home ownership. The Government also will be looking at options to support the expansion of the community housing sector.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .