Overview
The statement of issues is a fundamental component of your housing strategy, and will determine what issues are placed on the policy agenda of the local council, what Council’s housing policy priorities are, and the scale and type of resources applied to the problem. Developing such a statement begins with an assessment of the local housing market, and concludes with a list of the problems and opportunities that are identified through this assessment, and which will then be addressed by the housing strategy. For example, if an assessment of the housing market reveals that housing rents or prices in the local government area cannot be afforded by those on low to moderate incomes, and if the local council regards this as a problem because specific categories of workers such as teachers or nurses may not be able to live in the area, then the local housing strategy will have to address the problem. Another example would be where local government identifies public land holdings which may be developed for affordable housing. This opportunity would then be addressed in the housing strategy. Other issues might include such matters as the loss of existing low cost housing stock due to gentrification, or a mismatch between housing supply and housing need (such as where a preponderance of larger free standing houses provides less opportunity for young people or seniors to procure smaller, more appropriate units).
A good appreciation of how the housing market operates will thus help councils develop sound approaches to preparing local development frameworks and local housing strategies. Before you can start preparing a housing strategy, you will need some understanding of recent trends in your local housing market and the major characteristics of that market.
This section of the Housing Kit gives you a framework for accomplishing this task. It includes detailed explanations of the main elements that should be addressed in a local housing market demand and supply analysis, and what data are available to describe and analyse the local housing market. From this section, you will be able to download specific data for your Local Government Area (LGA) and comparison regions in a series of spreadsheets from the Housing Kit Database.
Analysis shows that each local market has different problems and opportunities. Local housing strategies need to be tailored to address these differences. Using a consistent approach enable us to compare local housing market studies across NSW, which will enhance our understanding of local housing markets. The Database includes hypothetical examples to show how particular indicators can be interpreted in different contexts and then used to inform the development of a local response.
This section is designed for housing officers and other staff who might be responsible for producing an analysis of their local housing market. It may be particularly relevant for councils who are:
- required to undertake a local housing market study under a regional planning strategy; or
- preparing a local housing market study as part of their Local Environment Plan, Development Control Plans, etc.
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