iBuild is pleased to become a member of the Housing Industry Association, the voice of Australia’s home building industry.
HIA is Australia’s peak residential building association. We look forward to working with HIA and other organisations and government agencies to help improve Australia’s housing affordability.
The Context – Affordable Community Housing Crisis in Australia
Public Housing
Public housing provides secure, stable and affordable housing for over 300,000 Australians. It helps reduce pressure on the low cost end of the rental market and makes sure that people who may never be able to buy their own home have safe, secure and appropriate housing.
- There are 173,000 Australians on public housing waiting lists.
- The number of affordable public housing properties shrank by 32,000 while the population grew by 2.8 million people.
- Australia has just 5 per cent of all housing as public and community housing. Similar countries, like the UK, have approximately 20 per cent of their housing stock as public and community housing.
- Source: http://housingstressed.org.au/get-the-facts/
Homeless
Homelessness has many faces, women, young people, older people, families and singles. Homelessness can happen for a number of reasons, but the simple fact is that the problem can’t be solved without an affordable housing solution.
- On any given night over 105,000 people in Australia are homeless.
- 16,000 children are homeless in Australia.
- 58 per cent of people seeking accommodation in 2009-10 were turned away because services were unable to meet demand.
- Source: http://housingstressed.org.au/get-the-facts/
Home Purchase
The majority of Australians aspire to own their own home – but it’s getting harder
- in the last ten years house prices increased by 147 per cent, while incomes in comparison grew by 57 per cent.
- The rate of home purchase among 25 to 44 year olds has declined 15 per cent in the last 20 years.
- In 1991 the median house price was five times the average income. In 2011 it is seven times the average income, and it’s getting even worse in 2014.
- The average first home loan has gone from three times the average annual income in 1996 to six times the average annual income in 2010.
- One in four Australians aged between 24 and 35 now live with their parents. This has been increasing over the last 20 years.
- Source: http://housingstressed.org.au/get-the-facts/
Rents
More people are now renting for longer, but rents are high and there is little security as rents can be increased every year and tenants can be evicted at any time – for no reason at all.
- In the last five years capital city rents have risen at twice the rate of inflation.
- Australia has a shortage of 493,000 rental properties that are affordable and available to people on a low income.
- Over 150,000 people in private rental are paying more that 50 per cent of their income on housing costs, even after receiving rent assistance.
- Source: http://housingstressed.org.au/get-the-facts/
iBuild’s Affordable & Sustainable Demonstration Building Project
Demonstration of Low Cost Innovative Construction Method
iBuild has established a portable building display area adjacent to the Eastern Innovation Business Centre at 5a Harnett Close Mulgrave, showcasing alternative low-cost innovative construction method to relevant government housing agencies, not-for-profit organisations, building industry practitioners, our clients, and interested parties.
The project demonstrates a wide range of potential applicaitons such as
- Affordable Community Housing
- Sustainable Housing with off-site construction & solar power system
- Aged Care Housing
- Retirement village
- Classrooms for education
- Community Club Houses
- Caravan park cabins
- Tourism and farming accommodation
- Site Offices
Melbourne Display Building
