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

Universally designed dwellings are generally more suitable for people with a disability and for
older people where steps and level changes can create trip hazards and significant injuries. Far
from being a niche issue, research in the United States estimates that around 60% of new homes
will be occupied by at least one person with a disability during its lifetime (40 years), and this
increases to around 90% of homes considering visitors to the dwelling such as friends or relatives
(Australian Government 2010).

In late 2009, a national dialogue on universal housing design was convened bringing together
participants from all levels of government and key stakeholder groups to develop a strategic plan
for universal housing design. The strategic plan was released in July 2010 (Australian Government
2010). The purpose of the national dialogue was to develop the Livable Housing Design
guidelines, universal housing targets, and other strategies to increase the provision of universal
housing in Australia.

In July 2010, the Livable Housing Design Guidelines were launched, and Dialogue members
committed to the Strategic Plan. The Australian Government pledged $1 million over four years
to support the implementation of the initiatives set out in the Strategic Plan. In June 2011,
National Dialogue members agreed to establish a new not-for profit organisation, Livable
Housing Australia, to drive the strategic directions set-down by the National Dialogue and to
champion the Livable Housing Design Guidelines.

The agreed interim targets for voluntary uptake of the guidelines for all new residential housing
were:

       25% to Silver level by 2013;
       50% to Silver level by 2015;
       75% to Silver level by 2018;
       100% to Silver level by 2020.

National dialogue members believed that the Commonwealth and all state and territory
government providers of social housing should commit to delivering all new public housing to an
agreed universal housing design standard. The targets proposed for the uptake of the guidelines
by the Commonwealth and States were:

       100% to Silver level by 2011;
       50% to Gold level by 2014;
       75% to Gold level by 2017;
       100% to Gold level by 2019.

The Livable Housing Design guidelines outline the design elements required to meet the silver
and gold performance levels, as well as the higher platinum level. The third edition of the Livable
Housing Design guideline was released in 2015 (Livable Housing Australia), and provides sixteen
livable design elements that can be integrated into a new home or existing home renovation. The
three performance levels relate to the achievement of these housing design elements as below:

       Silver level – meets the eight core livable housing design elements which focus on key
        structural and spatial elements for flexible and adaptable use.
       Gold level – meets a higher standard for most of the eight core livable housing design
        elements and achieves some of the additional design elements.




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