Rent assistance and the spatial concentration of low income households in metropolitan Australia

Summary

Low-income private renters are increasingly to be found in the middle and outer suburbs of Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. Overall, spatial concentrations of low-income private renters have declined in Melbourne and Adelaide, reflecting the shift of private renters towards the outer suburbs. The exception is Sydney, where overall concentrations have remained constant, because outward shifts have been towards locations with already high concentrations such as the western suburbs.


Project Number: 70217
Research Theme: Private_rental, Public_and_Community_housing
Project Leader: Randolph, Bill
Funding Year: 2003
Research Centre: UNSW-UWS

Research and Policy Bulletin

Research & Policy Bulletin

Issue 088: Where do low-income private renters live?

Low-income private renters are increasingly to be found in the middle and outer suburbs of Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.

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139 KB PDF Document

Description

This project used Census data to examine the locations of low-income private tenants at local government area and suburb levels. Comparisons were made with Centrelink data recording private tenants receiving Commonwealth Rent Assistance or on public housing waiting lists, to see if private tenants receiving or seeking assistance were in different locations than those not receiving assistance.

The key findings of the research are:

  • In Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, private tenant low-income households are increasingly locating away from the city centre.
  • In Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide CRA recipients, and those seeking to enter public housing, tend to live in the same places as other low-income private tenant households.
  • In Sydney and Adelaide there has been a slight increase in the geographic concentration of CRA recipients from 2000-2005. In Melbourne there has been no significant change.

More Information

Download now Research and Policy Bulletin: Issue 088: Where do low-income private renters live?
139 KB PDF Document

Download now Final Report: No. 101: Rent assistance and the spatial concentration of low income households in metropolitan Australia
2.42 MB PDF Document

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