2017-04-11 P&E Agenda Attachment 1 to Item 1 Housing Needs Assessment

There is clearly a need to ensure that affordable dwellings for people with disabilities are
available, either through special group accommodation or through increasing the number of
dwellings that are adaptable or universally designed at least to a moderate level. The difficulties
in achieving this in Noosa Shire due to the local physical constraints discussed above, and also
given the lack of higher density development, are however likely to remain a barrier to this being
widely achieved in the development market.

4.1.3    Low Income Groups/Young People
The Noosa Social Strategy 2015 identified several key issues with potential implications for
housing:

       Emerging vulnerable groups in the community include some lone person households,
        LGBTI+ people (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex), and disengaged young people;
       Homelessness is an increasing issue especially for young people;
       Availability of affordable housing (and limited housing diversity), rental housing and short-
        term crisis housing are issues;
       Availability of support, respite and affordable independent living options is limited for
        young people and adults with an intellectual or physical disability (and their carers).

The strategy suggests that Council aim to encourage accessible and affordable spaces and places
for people to live, meet and play, and influence housing affordability by encouraging a diversity
of housing opportunities. Key initiatives included that Council will:

       Plan for an increase in the number of elderly people living independently;
       Work with government agencies, not-for-profit organisations and the business sector to
        explore innovative ways of tackling housing affordability;
       Adopt a multi-faceted, coordinated approach with strong partnerships between
        government, not-for-profit groups, and the community to address homelessness.

The shortage of affordable housing was seen as contributing to homelessness. An analysis of
housing stress and housing affordability is undertaken below. Note that specific consideration of
housing for older people, some of whom may be low income households as well, is undertaken in
Section 4.1.1. A proportion of these are unlikely to be included in the data presented, e.g. on
housing stress, as they do not rent or have a mortgage. However appropriate and more
affordable housing may still be an issue.

Housing Stress
Housing stress is an indication of the level of vulnerability of the lowest income groups.

Households are said to be in housing stress when the lowest 40% of income earners are paying
more than 30% of their household income on accommodation. Rent stress is sometimes viewed
as more significant than mortgage stress as mortgage stress is generally offset by the accrual of
equity in the asset over time. However mortgage stress can still create difficulties in meeting the
basic costs of living.

Estimates of housing stress are compiled and published by the Public Health Information
Development Unit (PHIDU) using Census data. The data is published for ABS Statistical Areas
Level 2 (SA2s). Although these areas do not exactly align with Noosa Shire boundaries (for
instance Peregian Springs in included in the Peregian SA2) they are a close approximation.




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