Australia, with its unique geographical feature, displays an equally-different array of Housing options.
As Australia is inhabited more along its coastlines, large cities are prevalent along the coastal lines and there are “Sub-urban cities“ or “Suburbs“ which are growing at a faster pace.
The Commonwealth State Housing Agreement provides a framework to provide affordable housing to all the residents. Under this the Federal and State Governments fund projects called as “Public Housing“ which are administered by the Territory and State Governments.
One can find typical inner-city public housing in cities like Sydney and Melbourne which are of, Apartment models ranging from Medium size to high-rise buildings. The towns and cities in the Suburbs boast of townhouses of individual villa types, apartments and master-planned estates.
The Department of Social Services runs schemes to provide Housing Support with a mission to reduce homelessness and to provide necessary services and benefits to make more homes available. It even runs Housing Affordability Fund (HAF) to promote new buyers in the Housing Market.
To boost housing in Australia, the Office of Revenue of Western Australia even provides a grant titled “First Home Owner Grant“ as a one-off grant, to residents who satisfy certain criteria of eligibility laid down by them, as a measure to promote more new houses.
The Land Titles are maintained in a Central Register by each State Government and such registries also provide Search services on the credentials of the title to the property.
The Department of Environment provides eco-friendly ideas to build homes which are economical and eco-friendly and which provides comfort.
Public Housing showed rise in the early 1945 and followed up in the 1980s. It is seen as a boon for low income earning group, the economically deprived and elderly.
Social Housing is another feature of housing in Australia. Under this, not-for-profit housing providers develop houses to ensure provision of affordable houses to people who wish to rent them. Such services can be registered for with the respective agencies and will be allotted and communicated to the prospective tenants.
Defence Housing Australia, works especially to provide Housing services to Defence Personnel/Staff, and their families.
Affordable housing to moderate or low income earners is ensured by a programme namely Mission Australia Housing which is funded by the Governments and has the National Rent Affordability Scheme (NRAS) and Social Housing Growth Fund (SHGF). Under this houses are provided at 80% of the prevailing market rentals and supported by Government funds.
Community Housing undertaken by Community Housing Federation of Australia (CHFA) is aimed at providing accessible housing to the needy and the disabled. Their vision is to ensure provision of houses which develop as a community and to develop a tenant-focused community housing sector. Shared-support accommodation is also available to the disabled.
The Housing Sector is witnessing a high-growth of late and as per the consultancy agency, RP Data, residential prices have spiked by almost 11% in Melbourne and about 16% in Sydney in the past one year. The Central bank of Australia, Reserve Bank of Australia ( RBA ) has warned that the country’s housing and mortgage market is becoming “ unbalanced “ by its report dated September 24, 2014 and has indicated of taking strong actions to control the sharp rise in realty prices in the big cities of Australia.
