How public and community housing works in Australia

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There is a diversity of residents in social housing just as in other forms of housing. Source: Getty / Yanzisland

Australia Explained

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In Australia, government-subsidised rental housing is available for eligible households. Assessment is based on need under criteria that vary depending on your state or territory. Here’s what to expect when applying for different types of housing assistance, some common myths around social housing and where to reach out for help.

Key Points

Demand outweighs supply for social housing across Australia.
Every state or territory has its own register for social housing applications.
Anyone can find themselves under rental stress, experts say.
Affordable housing refers to subsidised rent programs that sit between the social housing system and the private market.

What is social housing, public housing and community housing?
Who can access housing assistance?
Are people who migrated to Australia eligible for social housing?
How do I apply for housing assistance?
How many social housing dwellings exist in Australia?
How long is the wait for public housing in Australia?
Why do people choose or end up in social housing?
What is affordable housing?
How can I apply for affordable housing?

The terminology used for lower rent housing programs can be confusing.

For example, public housing and community housing are different categories within the same system.

Dr Michael Fotheringham, managing director of the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, breaks down the terms.

What is social housing, public housing and community housing?

“Social housing is an umbrella term that covers both public housing and community housing,” Dr Fotheringham explains.

Public housing is owned and managed by state governments.

Community housing is managed and often owned by nonprofit community housing providers working in partnership with government.

Rent in social housing accommodation is set based on household income and capped at around 30 per cent of household income. Source: Getty / Matt Grehan

Who can access housing assistance?

Rules for accessing long term social, public or community housing are set by state governments.

“Each state and territory has its own set of criteria. They're similar but not identical,” Dr Fotheringham says.

Most jurisdictions will offer housing assistance to low-income households.

“Those with particular vulnerabilities, people escaping domestic violence, people with disability are also eligible. There is a range of criteria on priority and eligibility.”

Are people who migrated to Australia eligible for social housing?

Migration is not one of the eligibility criteria for social housing.

People won't be eligible just on the basis of having migrated here.
Dr Michael Fotheringham

“And just being a migrant doesn't necessarily prevent you from qualifying for other reasons,” Dr Fotheringham says.

How do I apply for housing assistance?

To get on the social housing register—what is colloquially known as the wait list—you need to apply to your local housing authority.

As part of the registration process, you will need to complete required forms and have your eligibility assessed.

You can find out more and apply through your state or territory’s housing authority:

How many social housing dwellings exist in Australia?

As of June 2024, there were around 452,000 social housing dwellings in Australia. This translates to approximately 4 per cent of total homes in the country.

“So it's not a big segment of the market,” Dr Fotheringham says.

“That means that we have more demand than we have supply for social housing. It also means it can take some time to work through eligibility and availability of suitable accommodation.”

Low to moderate income households who are not eligible for social housing may qualify for affordable housing. Credit: tap10/Getty Images

How long is the wait for public housing in Australia?

Data collected by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show that in 2023-4 the average wait time for public housing was nearing 18 months.

Wait times vary depending on the applicant’s circumstances and location, even within the same jurisdiction.

But demand exceeds supply across both regional and urban areas, Dr Fotheringham says.

“Most states and territories these days are looking to increase housing supply across the whole jurisdiction. So we're not just talking about capital cities.

“There's certainly demand in regional areas, particularly in regional centres.”

Why do people choose or end up in social housing?

The most common myth around social housing is the stereotype of vulnerability and risk around its residents, according to Dr Stefanie Plage.

She's a Research Fellow at the University of Queensland School of Social Science, working on the relationship between housing and health.

You have a diversity of residents in social housing just as in other forms of housing.
Dr Stefanie Plage

She points to rental stress as one of the main reasons why people choose or end up in social housing.

“Whether people have a background of long-term social disadvantage or if they're just now starting to struggle, the one thing they have in common is that they're priced out of the rental market.”

Housing affordability is also a key driver.

“You get more and more people who have really never had problems finding a place to stay or getting a rental or getting a unit, who are just now realising it can happen to anyone,” Dr Plage adds.

Three in four public housing dwellings in Australia are in major cities. Source: Getty / Andrew Merry

What is affordable housing?

In the context of rental housing assistance, the term ‘affordable housing’ is sometimes mistaken for social housing, but it’s different.

Affordable housing is a lower-level subsidy which varies state by state and program by program.

Simon Newport, Chief Executive Officer of Homes Victoria, describes it as ‘the missing middle’ in the housing continuum.

“At the very start of the housing system, you have supported housing homelessness services, then social housing, being public and community, and then you have affordable housing, which sits somewhere between social and private market.”

Serving people on low to moderate incomes, affordable housing programs offer reduced rent accommodation, compared to market standards.

“Affordable housing is generally delivered at no more than 75 per cent of market rent, or 25 per cent less than what people would pay in the market,” Mr Newport says.

How can I apply for affordable housing?

Affordable housing programs are run by community housing providers, and don’t draw from the social housing wait list.

“So you can apply directly through the community housing providers.”

You can find providers managing affordable housing in your area via the nationwide Community Housing Provider Register.

Are you in need of crisis accommodation?

Understanding shared housing in Australia

Subscribe to or follow the Australia Explained podcast for more valuable information and tips about settling into your new life in Australia.   

Do you have any questions or topic ideas? Send us an email to australiaexplained@sbs.com.au 

Transcript

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SBS acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country and their connections and continuous care for the skies, lands and waterways across Australia.

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You're listening to Australia Explained, an SBS audio podcast helping you navigate life in Australia.

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Finding a stable, affordable place to live is becoming harder for many people right across Australia, and social housing is in great demand. And you might want to ignore any stereotypes around what a public housing resident looks like.

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You get more and more people who have really never had problems finding a place to stay, or getting a rental or getting a unit, who are just now realising it can happen to anyone. The one thing they have in common is that they're priced out of the rental market.

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This is Australia Explained. I'm your host Melissa Compagnoni, and in this episode we look at how rental housing assistance works, what to expect when applying for social housing, and where to go for help. And get ready for some myth busting along the way.

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In Australia, government assistance is available for people having difficulty finding or sustaining affordable and adequate housing. This support sits within a system known as social housing, and every jurisdiction has different rules and criteria for accessing long-term social housing rentals. But let's take a step back and start with the basics. What exactly is social housing?

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Dr Michael Fotheringham is the managing director of the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute. He helps us break down the basics.

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So there are a number of terms that get used in this space. Social housing is an umbrella term that covers both public housing, which is owned by state governments and managed by state governments, and then there's community housing, which is managed and possibly owned

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by nonprofit community housing providers working in partnership with government,

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There's no national one-stop shop for social housing applications. To get on the social housing register, often referred to as the waiting list, you need to apply to your local housing authority. As part of the registration process, you'll complete required forms and have your eligibility assessed.

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Dr Fotheringham explains that the process differs depending on your circumstances and where you live.

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Rent in those types of accommodation is set based on household income, capped at around 30 per cent of household income. There are variations.

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And people are able to access that based on eligibility, so very low income households, those with particular vulnerabilities, people escaping domestic violence, people with disability type issues, a range of criteria, and the different priority or the eligibility criteria operate in different parts of the country, so each state and territory has its own set of criteria. They're similar but not identical.

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Because of these differences, it's important to check what applies where you live by contacting your state or territory housing authority.

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Dr Fotheringham says some people wrongly assume that those born overseas are not eligible for social housing. That's not the case. It's also not true that you can automatically enter into social housing as a migrant.

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People won't be eligible just on the basis of having migrated here, and depending on what sort of visa arrangements or residency arrangements they've moved here with, there are different conditions attached.

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And just being a migrant doesn't necessarily prevent you from qualifying for other reasons.

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Another common misunderstanding around social housing is who lives there. The most common myth around social housing is the stereotyping of residents, according to Dr Stephanie Plage.

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She's a research fellow at the University of Queensland School of Social Science, working on the relationship between housing and health.

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I think from the work that I've seen, it's the stereotype of our vulnerability and risk coming concentrated in a public housing residence that is quite stereotypical. So you have a diversity of residents just in other forms of housing as well.

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Dr Plage points to rental stress and housing affordability as the main reasons why people choose or end up in social housing.

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You get more and more people who have really never had problems finding a place to stay or getting a rental or getting a unit who are just now realising it can happen to anyone.

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The most common experience that I come across in my work is whether people have a background of long-term social disadvantage or if they're just now starting to struggle. The one thing they have in common is that they're priced out of the rental market. There's desperation when you show up for an inspection for the 40th one, and there's so many people.

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Have you heard of the term affordable housing?

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It's sometimes mistaken for social housing, but affordable housing is different. It's a lower level of subsidy, and it varies state by state and program by program.

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Simon Newport, chief executive officer of Homes Victoria, explains,

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In the context we're talking about, we talk about affordable rental housing, and it really is what I would describe as the missing middle in the housing continuum. So at the very start of the housing system, you would have supported housing homelessness services.

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You then have social housing being public and community, and then you have affordable housing which sits somewhere between social and private market, and it tends to serve people who are on low to moderate incomes.

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Reduced rent accommodation, when compared to market standards, is made available to eligible applicants through

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affordable housing programs. Mr Newport gives an overview of how affordable housing works in the state of Victoria as an example.

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Affordable housing is generally delivered at no more than 75% of market rent, or 25% less than what people would pay in the market. The other big difference, of course, is affordable housing doesn't draw necessarily from the waitlist.

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So generally the affordable housing part is run by community housing providers and so you can apply directly through the community housing providers. We have our own scheme which we run through Homes Victoria which you can apply through our website, but effectively each provider will have their own way for you to apply. And that's very much depending upon the cohort that they serve.

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You should contact your local housing authority for information on affordable housing where you live, as programs and eligibility differ across jurisdictions. Affordable housing programs are harder to monitor for nationwide data, but there are detailed reports on social housing programs for each state and territory.

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We know from the most recent data snapshot that there are some 400,000 social housing dwellings in Australia and that 3 in 4 public housing dwellings are in major cities. Demand exceeds supply across both regional and urban areas, Dr Fotheringham says.

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There's certainly demand in regional areas, particularly in regional centres. Most states and territories these days are looking to increase housing supply across that whole jurisdiction, so we're not just talking about capital city as things currently stand. We have

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something like 11 million homes in this country, and about 4% of them are social housing. That means that we have more demand than we have supply for social housing. It also means it can take some time to work through eligibility and availability of suitable accommodation.

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So where should you start if you need help?

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Regardless of the type of housing assistance you're seeking, your state or territory housing authority is your first point of contact. Mr Newport again from Homes Victoria.

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Community housing and public housing are actually two parts of the same system. They're not there to compete against each other, they really are to work side by side. It's really important that people understand that there's really no wrong door, they can actually reach out through a variety of different mechanisms to get some assistance.

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Understanding how housing assistance works can help people make informed decisions at a difficult time. Public housing, community housing and affordable housing each play a role within Australia's broader housing system. While eligibility and access vary across states and territories, there's no wrong door. Your local housing authority is the best place to start for information, support and guidance on what options may be available.

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Thanks for listening to this episode of Australia Explained, written and produced by Zoe Thomaidou and mixed by me, Melissa Compagnoni. Australia Explained managing editor is Roza Germian.

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This was an SBS audio podcast. For more Australia Explained stories, visit SBS.com.au/australiaexplained.

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Subscribe or follow the Australia Explained podcast for more valuable information and tips about settling into your new life in Australia. Do you have any questions or topic ideas? Send us an email to australiaexplained at sbs.com.au.

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