Glossary

See housing affordability

See dwelling type

Tenancy legislation formally defines the rights of tenants to occupy dwellings, the length and terms of their tenure, and the grounds for termination. These legislative provisions, which can also include regulation of rent increases and minimum amounts for advance rent and bonds, are critical to security and affordability of rental housing. They also affect rental supply and rental costs.

See housing affordability

The residual income method is a housing affordability measurement which calculates how much is left over for housing (such as rent, mortgage or other housing costs) after paying for a standard budget of household goods and services relevant to different household types and sizes. The advantages of the residual income method (over the 30:40 rule) are that it incorporates local housing costs and income levels; covers households earning in a wider range of income levels; and can include private rental market tenants, home owners and those renting in affordable housing programs.

Retirement villages can operate under a number of different legal ownership and leasing structures, but generally they involve an individual (with a restricted lower age limit, often 55 years) buying a form of ongoing accommodation usually from a for-profit housing provider. Housing may be provided in multi-storey buildings, semi-detached low level residences or even stand alone detached housing.

See homelessness

Rooming houses are buildings that contain multiple bedrooms or units that are supplied on a furnished basis, often with shared access to communal facilities such as kitchens, bathrooms, laundries and living areas. They are usually let on a weekly basis to multiple, unrelated residents and are considered a form of marginal housing (i.e. relatively insecure housing with limited legal housing rights).

A term describing people experiencing homelessness living mostly on the street, in parks or other forms of non-sheltered or insecure places.

See homelessness

See income support

See tenure types

Cities that make use of digital information and communication technologies while reshaping the urban fabric. Smart cities acquire appropriate data about a particular built or natural environment and use that data effectively to understand and, if appropriate, control what is happening in that place.

Social housing is government-subsidised short and long-term rental housing for people on low incomes, and who often have experienced homelessness, family violence or have other special needs. Social housing is made up of two types of housing: public housing, which is owned and managed by State and Territory Governments, and community housing, which is managed and often owned by not-for-profit organisations. In the housing market continuum, social housing sits between emergency accommodation and private rental.

See social housing

A form of investment product that finances provision of key basic services. Social impact bonds are targeted at investors seeking appropriate risk-adjusted returns while also achieving valuable social outcomes.

See social housing

Tenure mix refers to the mix of housing tenures in a particular location. The idea underpinning tenure mix policies is that a diversity of tenure types in a given area will engender socio-economic diversity that will reduce the area effects of concentrated disadvantage and engender social inclusion.

Refers broadly to the growing gap between rich and poor households in both socio-economic position (socio) and geographic location (spatial).

Spatial mismatch is the mismatch between where low-income, working poor and underemployed households reside and suitable job opportunities for those households.

See NDIS