Affordable Housing
What is affordable housing?
State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021Affordable housing is housing for low to moderate income households.
Affordable housing is not the same as social housing.
Affordable housing is open to a broader range of household incomes than social housing. Households do not have to be eligible for social housing to apply for affordable housing, though people who are eligible for social housing may also be eligible for affordable housing properties.
Affordable Rent
Affordable housing rents vary, and are set either as a discount to the market rent or as a percentage of a household’s income.
Where rent is set as a discount of the market rent, the discount is usually between 20 and 25% compared to the market rent for a similar property in the area.
Where rent is set as a proportion of a household’s income, households may be charged between 25 and 30% of their before tax income for rent, although providers may charge slightly more in some circumstances.
Eligibility criteria
- Australian citizenship or permanent residency
- whether the household would be able to secure suitable or adequate housing in the private rental market
- whether the household owns any assets (for example, a property) which they could be reasonably expected to use to solve their housing need.
- Income limits, can vary depending on the way a property was funded or developed, and who manages it.