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Housing Assistance: Public tenants NATURE OF OCCUPANCY(a)
Source: Census of Population and Housing
State differences Consistent with its relative size, 21% of households renting PHA accommodation in 1991 lived in Sydney. However, since public housing activity varies between States, the distribution of PHA renters is not necessarily related to population size. Adelaide has a smaller population than Melbourne, Brisbane or Perth, but a higher share of PHA renters (13%) than those cities. The smaller capital cities tended to have higher proportions of households who rented from PHAs. About 40% of households who rented their accommodation in Darwin and Adelaide were PHA tenants, while both in Hobart and Canberra the proportion was 37%. Melbourne had the lowest proportion of public tenancies among households who rented their accommodation (15%). HOUSEHOLDS WHO RENT, 1991
Source: Census of Population and Housing Families who rent One parent families and retired people, whether couples or individuals, represented 30% and 19% respectively of households who rented from a PHA in 1991. These life-cycle groups represented 12% and 6% respectively of households who rented privately. People living alone and couples without children were more likely to be renting privately if they were young, and more likely to be renting from a PHA if they were old. Although PHAs accommodate a large proportion of low income families, such as one parent families and retired people, private or other landlords provide the majority of rental accommodation in Australia. In 1991, of all households who rented their accommodation, 22% rented from a PHA, 73% from a private landlord and 5% rented from some other government body. The latter group includes families whose employment conditions included provision of rental accommodation e.g. members of the defence forces and country teachers. For some specific life-cycle groups who rented, the proportion in PHA accommodation was as high as 50%. One parent families with 3 or more dependent children and lone people aged 65 years or more both fell into this category. HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION, 1991
(b) Comprises other family households and group households. Source: Census of Population and Housing PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY TENANTS AS A PERCENTAGE OF ALL TENANTS(a), 1991
Source: Census of Population and Housing Income Families and individuals who rent from a PHA generally have greater security of tenure than private renters. This, combined with the lower rents, makes public housing attractive to lower income recipients2. Although the income eligibility criteria for PHA rental accommodation preclude high income earners from qualifying for accommodation, once housed, the economic circumstances of tenants can improve without loss of tenancy, although rents may be increased (in general) to a maximum level of 25% of the tenant's income. However, during the financial year 1991-92, the great majority of PHA tenants were receiving rebates on their rent due to low income. On average, over 80% were paying less than the maximum rent to income rate1. When PHA tenants are grouped on the basis of income quintiles, the characteristics of the income units in the quintile groups are clearly different. In 1990, income units in the 1st and 2nd quintiles of PHA tenants (accounting for the 40% who had the lowest incomes) were almost all (95%) dependent on government pensions or benefits for their income. In comparison, 54% of income units in the 1st and 2nd quintiles of private renters were dependent on government pensions and benefits. Further, 76% of PHA renters in the bottom two quintiles were one person income units and 21% were one parent income units. Among private renters in the bottom two quintiles, 66% were one person income units and 21% were couples. Income units in the 4th and 5th quintiles of PHA renters (accounting for the 40% of tenants who had the highest incomes) were mainly wage and salary earners (69%) although 26% of income units in this group were dependent on government pensions or benefits for their principal source of income. Among equivalent private tenants, 92% had wages or salary as their principal source of income. 53% of income units in the top two quintiles of PHA renters were couples with dependent children. Among private tenants in the top two quintiles, about one-third were couples without dependent children, one-third were lone persons and one-third had dependent children. SELECTED CHARACTERISTICS OF TENANTS BASED ON INCOME DISTRIBUTION, 1990
Moving house PHA tenants are generally considered to move less frequently than private tenants3. The 1991 Census found that 49% of PHA tenants and 79% of tenants renting from a private landlord had been living at their current address for less than 5 years. However, mobility is strongly related to age and life-cycle and the census findings reflect this. Certain groups are less likely to move than others, for example, couples and lone persons aged 65 years or over were less likely than other groups to have moved regardless of their landlord. Conversely, young couples without children and lone persons under 35 years of age were more likely to have moved in the past 5 years regardless of their landlord. A proportion of PHA tenants who had a different address 5 years ago would have been new PHA tenants. The exact proportion cannot be determined but is likely to be greater for lone persons, lone parents and couples with dependent children since these groups represented 29%, 32% and 21% respectively of the applicants accommodated in PHA properties in 1991-921. MOBILITY RATE(a) FOR TENANTS, 1991
(b) Age is the age of the reference person. (c) Comprises other family households and group households. Source: Census of Population and Housing Endnotes 1 Housing Assistance Act 1989 Annual Report 1991-92 Department of Health, Housing, Local Government and Community Services. 2 Housing and Location Choice Survey, 1991 (Sydney and Melbourne) and Housing and Locational Preference Survey, 1991 (Adelaide and Canberra). 3 The National Housing Strategy (1992) Housing choice: reducing the barriers.
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