| Australian Bureau of
Statistics (ABS) |
The ABS provides statistics on a wide range of economic,
industry, environment and energy, people and regional
matters, covering government, business and the community
in general. |
| affordable housing |
Housing that is affordable for households on low to moderate
incomes, when housing costs are low enough to enable the
household to meet other basic long-term living costs. For example, housing costs should be less than 30 per cent of
household income for occupants in the bottom 40 per cent
of household incomes. |
| affordability index |
Compiled by the Commonwealth Bank and the Housing
Industry Association, the index relates the monthly loan
repayment on a typical 25-year mortgage loan covering
80 per cent of the cost of a dwelling of median price paid
by first home buyers, to household income. |
| Australian Housing and
Urban Research Institute
(AHURI) |
A national research organisation, specialising in housing and
urban research. |
| betterment levies |
A charge that recognises the uplift in land values created by
the scope of the development permitted on a particular site. |
| broadhectare sites |
See greenfield sites. |
| brownfield sites |
Development sites typically surrounded by existing built-up areas. |
| Census |
The Census of Population and Housing carried out by the
Australian Bureau of Statistics. It aims to accurately measure the
number of people in Australia on census night, and to gather
information on their key characteristics and the dwellings in which
they live. Census 2006 is the most recent Australian census. |
| Commonwealth Rent
Assistance (CRA) |
A non-taxable Commonwealth Government supplementary payment added on
to the benefit or family payment of persons who rent in the private rental
market above applicable rent thresholds. |
| Commonwealth State
Housing Agreement (CSHA) |
A multilateral agreement between the Commonwealth
Government and each State and Territory that provided
appropriate, affordable and secure housing assistance for
those who most needed it, for the duration of their need.
The CSHA was replaced by the National Affordable Housing
Agreement (NAHA) in January 2009. |
| community housing |
Housing that is managed and sometimes owned by
a non-profit community organisation. |
| Consumer Price Index (CPI) |
An Australian Bureau of Statistics measure of price change
based on a set basket of goods and services. |
| Council |
See National Housing Supply Council. |
| Council of Australian
Governments (COAG) |
The peak intergovernmental forum in Australia, comprising
the Prime Minister, State Premiers, Territory Chief Ministers
and the President of the Australian Local Government
Association. COAG’s role is to initiate, develop and monitor
the implementation of policy reforms that are of national
significance and require cooperative action by all levels
of government. |
| crisis accommodation |
Short-term accommodation for people who are experiencing
or are at risk of homelessness, including refuges and shelters.
|
| Crisis Accommodation
Program (CAP) |
A Commonwealth Government program that provided
the funding for dwellings used by governments, churches
and other welfare organisations to assist people in actual
or impending crisis or homelessness. It is now part of the
National Affordable Housing Agreement. |
| Data Sub-Group (DSG) of
the COAG Housing Working
Group |
A group of Commonwealth, State and Territory government
officials established to provide the Council with information on
potential land supply and demand. |
| deposit gap |
The amount by which the dwelling price exceeds the amount
that a household can borrow. |
| Development Assessment
Forum (DAF) |
A partnership between government, industry and professional
organisations to streamline development assessments and
cut red tape without sacrificing the quality of the decision
making. The Forum’s membership includes the three spheres of
government; Commonwealth, State and Local Government, the
development industry and related professional associations |
| developer contributions |
Usually payments or in-kind works required by state and
local governments to contribute toward the provision or
upgrade of infrastructure. |
| dual occupancy |
The development of two dwellings on the one allotment of
land. Dual occupancy may consist of two dwellings attached
to one another (attached dual occupancy) or two separate
unattached dwellings (detached dual occupancy). |
| efficient vacancy rate |
A vacancy rate that indicates sufficient turnover of rental
properties to accommodate demand from renters. It is
generally acknowledged to be 3 per cent of rental stock. |
| equivalised disposal income |
Equivalence scales devised to make adjustments to the
actual incomes of households in a way that enables analysis
of the relative wellbeing of households of different size and
composition. For example, it would be expected that a
household comprising two people would normally need more
income than a single person household if the two households
are to enjoy the same standard of living. |
| FaHCSIA |
Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services
and Indigenous Affairs. |
| financial deregulation |
A process that occurred from the mid-1980s with the aim
of releasing the previous extensive controls on the financial
sector in the interests of promoting competition and flexibility
of the finance industry. |
| first home buyer |
A person or couple purchasing their first home in Australia. |
| First Home Owners Grant
(FHOG) scheme |
A Commonwealth Government scheme introduced in 2000
giving a lump-sum grant to first home buyers. |
| First Home Owners Boost
(FHOB) |
A scheme established by the Commonwealth Government in
2008 providing eligible first home buyers with additional grants
of up to $14,000 to purchase their first home. |
| 457 visa / Subclass 457 visa |
A visa that forms part of the Skilled Migrant Program.
Visas under this program are the most commonly used for
employers to sponsor overseas workers to work in Australia
on a temporary basis. There are also special arrangements for
employers in regional areas across Australia. A 457 visa can
be valid from three months to four years. |
| greenfield sites |
Former agricultural or undeveloped natural land on the
periphery of towns and cities that has been rezoned for urban
development. |
| Housing Affordability Fund
(HAF) |
A Commonwealth Government scheme that commenced on 1
July 2008 investing $512 million over five years in infrastructure
linked to housing developments. |
| Henry Review |
A review into Australia’s future tax system commissioned by
the Commonnwealth Government and chaired by Dr Ken
Henry, Secretary to the Treasury. |
| homeless |
A person is homeless if he or she does not have access to
adequate housing that is safe and secure. |
| homelessness |
People who are homeless fall into three broad groups – that is,
those who are:
- sleeping rough (living on the streets)
- living in temporary accommodation, such as crisis accommodation
or staying with friends or relatives
- staying in boarding houses or caravan parks with no secure
lease and no private facilities.
|
| Housing Industry Association
(HIA) |
A peak body representing the building, renovating and land
development industries, covering residential house and
land development and refurbishment, commercial building,
manufacture and supply of building products, and financing of
property development. |
| housing infrastructure |
Infrastructure, such as a supply of safe drinking water and
effective sewerage systems. |
| housing stress |
Condition of households (in the bottom 40 per cent of income
distribution) paying more than 30 per cent of their gross
income on mortgage or rental repayments. |
| housing submarket |
An independent subset of a larger housing market. For example the rental
apartment market, smaller units on the urban fringe, medium density housing,
aged persons housing and first home buyers. |
| HUD |
The United States Department of Housing and Urban
Development, which has developed measures of affordable
housing supply. |
| impact fees |
Fees that apply when a development creates unanticipated or unplanned
demands on local infrastructure because of its design. |
| improvised dwelling |
A structure used as a place of residence that does not meet the building
requirements to be considered a permanent dwelling. This includes caravans,
tin sheds without internal walls, humpies and dongas. Permanent dwellings
are buildings designed for people to live in, with fixed walls, a roof
and doors. |
| income support |
Commonwealth Government pensions, allowances, supplementary payments,
family payments or housing assistance. |
| Indicative Planning Council (IPC) |
The former peak advisory body to the Australian Government on the housing
industry outlook. The IPC ceased in 1997 |
| infill |
Infill sites are housing development sites within existing urban areas
(as opposed to greenfield sites). |
| interstate migration |
The movement of people between States and Territories. |
| low income household |
Households with income in the bottom 10 to 30 per cent of all household
income distribution. |
| lower income household |
Households with income in the bottom 10 to 40 per cent of all household
income distribution. |
| multi-unit development |
Development that involves building three or more residential buildings
on a single lot. |
| National Affordable HousingAgreement (NAHA) |
The National Affordable Housing Agreement replaced the Commonwealth
State Housing Agreement and the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program
Agreement in 2009. The new agreement encompasses housing and homelessness
assistance provided at all levels of government (Commonwealth, State and
Territory and local government). |
| National Housing Supply Council (NHSC) |
The National Housing Supply Council was appointed by the Minister for
Housing and announced by the Prime Minister in May 2008. The Council will
provide forecasts, advice and analysis of trends in land availability
and construction rates to measure and assess the supply of land and housing
and its relationship with demand to assist the Government in assessing
adequacy of supply and future needs for up to 20 years. |
| National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) |
A Commonwealth Government scheme that commenced on 1 July 2008, providing
annual incentives to institutional investors and other eligible bodies
for ten years to create 50,000 new affordable rental properties rented
to low and moderate income families at 20 per cent below market rents. |
| negative gearing |
A taxation arrangement applicable when costs exceed investment income,
the loss may be deducted from other taxable income. |
| net overseas migration |
A figure calculated from incoming and outgoing passenger movements at
Australian ports maintained by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship. |
| net transition probability approach |
A statistical tool to provide projections at the national and subnational
levels to estimate the probable change in household types. |
| not-for-profit sector |
Community organisations providing a broad range of social services,
including in relation to homelessness, education, health, conservation
and recreation. |
| overcrowding |
In the housing context, overcrowding occurs when two or more additional
bedrooms are required to meet the national standard. The standard used
in this report is that as measured by the Canadian National Occupancy
Standard. |
| owner-occupier household |
A household in which at least one member owns the dwelling in which
they reside, either with or without a housing mortgage on that dwelling. |
| positive externalities |
An economic term used to describe positive effects associated with market
activities, such as the proximity to shops and services that comes with
development. Externalities can also be negative, e.g. increases in road
traffic. |
| potential dwelling yield |
The number of residences that can be added to an existing site or produced
in a new housing development |
| Productivity Commission |
The Commonwealth Government’s independent research and advisory
body on a range of economic, social and environmental issues affecting
the welfare of Australians |
| Property Council of Australia |
An independent body which represent the interests of the property sector. |
| public housing |
Housing, other than employee housing that is funded and provided by
government directly. |
| quintile |
A proportion of a set of data that has been ranked and divided into
five groups, each of which contains an equal number of data items. When
persons (or any other units) are ranked from the lowest to the highest
on the basis of some characteristic such as their household income, they
can then be divided into equal sized groups. When the population is divided
into five equally sized groups, the groups are called quintiles. |
| rental yield |
Annual rental income as a proportion of the dwelling value. |
| residential title |
Residential title refers to:
- the land title that is registered under a Torrens system of registration
– the certificate of title for the land; or
- the last instrument by which title to the land and dwelling was
conveyed.
|
| sleeping rough |
See homelessness. |
| State Owned and Managed Indigenous Housing (SOMIH) |
Housing owned and managed by the State governments and allocated specifically
to Indigenous Australians. |
| social housing |
Rental housing that is provided and/or managed by government or non-government
organisations including public and community housing. |
| subdivision |
The fragmentation of rural land or rezoning of other land for the purpose
of housing development. |
| Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) |
A joint Australian and State and Territory government program providing
accommodation and support services to people who are homeless or at risk
of becoming homeless. This is now incorporated in the National Affordable
housing Agreement. |
| tenure type |
The nature of a person’s or social group’s legal right to
occupy a dwelling.Tenure types include owner (fully owned or being purchased/with
mortgage), renter (private housing or public housing/ community housing),
rent free, life tenure scheme, shared equity or rent/buy scheme. |
| Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) |
A federation of five State associations that aims to promote the urban
development industry. |
| urban fringe |
Housing on the urban fringe is geographically distanced from the inner
city area and adjacent to non-urban land. |
