The 1998 national survey of rent assistance recipients: a report on key findings 

In July 1998 the former Australian Government Department of Families and Community Services (FaCS) commissioned a national survey of social security clients who received Rent Assistance payments. Prior to the survey, the main information available on Rent Assistance recipients came from the former FaCS administrative records. As per government protocol, the Commonwealth collects only essential items that are required to determine eligibility, payment amounts and so forth. The national survey, therefore, was designed to fill in the gaps, addressing questions such as 'who do Rent Assistance recipients live with?', 'what kind of dwellings do they occupy?', 'how much do these dwellings rent for?', 'who are the landlords?', 'how satisfied are they with their accommodation?'. The data collected in the survey, therefore, enables a more detailed social and housing profile of Rent Assistance recipients than available before.