City Affordable Housing Projects
What is Affordable Housing?
Affordable Housing is defined by the Adelaide City Council as housing that is provided to eligible lower income households at 75 per cent of market rent, with the goal that such households do not pay more than 30 per cent of their gross income in rent.
Why is Adelaide City Council interested in Affordable Housing ?
The Adelaide City Council’s interest in providing affordable housing is directly related to its vision statement:
‘The City of Adelaide, as the Capital City of South Australia, will be a vibrant and populous central place for work, study, leisure and living, invigorating the cultural, commercial, educational and community life of the State’.
In order to realise this vision, the Adelaide City Council has developed a number of strategies and plans, including the Residential Growth Plan.
Who qualifies for Affordable Housing?
The Residential Growth Plan of the City of Adelaide has a goal that by 2010:
‘The City of Adelaide (CBD) will have an overnight population of 34,000 people including at least 26,000 permanent residents’
The Residential Growth Plan aims to offer affordable housing to people who otherwise may not be able to afford market rents in the City, including:
- People with low and medium-low incomes
- Artists and other creative people
- New migrants and other people from non-English speaking backgrounds
- Older people
- People with disabilities
- People under the age of 30 who work in the City
Creating a Vibrant and Sustainable City
The Council Vision and the Residential Growth Plan are based on a conviction that to create conditions for sustainable activity and quality of life, the City must be:
- Culturally vibrant
- Environmentally sustainable
- Economically viable
- Outward looking
- Socially just
Adelaide City Council’s involvement in Affordable Housing
The Adelaide City Council has adopted an active project based approach to the provision of affordable housing in the City. Following is information on the first two affordable housing projects: Sydney Place Apartments and Whitmore Square Eco Housing.
Sydney Place Apartments
What is Sydney Place?
This affordable housing project consists of 12 two bedroom apartments in a street known as Sydney Place. Construction was completed early in 2005, at an average of $238,000 per apartment.The apartments measure 75 square metres and include two equal sized bedrooms, living, dining, kitchen area and bathroom/laundry. They also have a generous balcony and one carpark space per apartment. They are in a CBD location, close to cafes, restaurants, shopping and cultural facilities.
Who can access Sydney Place Apartments?
These apartments are primarily aimed at the under 30 age group who work or study in the City of Adelaide, earn $20,000 to $34,500 p.a. and are willing to live with another person who meets the eligibility criteria. This criteria may be changed and expanded for future projects.What is the cost?
Rent for the apartments is $269 per week including carspace, or $229 per week excluding carspace.Getting more information
The apartments are managed by a non-profit organisation called Lutheran Community Housing, which acts as a Rental Management Agent for the Adelaide City Council.Please contact them on 8332 8644 or 8332 4899.
Whitmore Square Eco Housing
What is the Whitmore Square Eco Housing Project?
This affordable housing project was the subject of a national design competition held in late 2004. The competition was initiated by the Adelaide City Council with the support of the State Government and the Royal Australian Institute of Architects as part of the Year of the Built Environment.The jury was chaired by Mr Gregory Burgess, winner of the 2004 RAIA Gold Medal, who stated that:
“The competition represented a significant design challenge; the most fundamental being that of achieving housing affordability and a high level of environmental performance at the same time”.
A total of 45 high quality entries were received from architects around Australia. SA based firm, Troppo Architects won first prize, with second prize going to a Victorian firm, and joint third prizes to WA and NSW firms.
During design development, the challenges of affordability and environmental performance continued. The project aimed to provide housing that is both affordable to rent and affordable to live in by reducing energy and transport costs for the tenants.
What principles were considered in the development of the project? Ecologically Sustainable Design principles of the project include:
- Providing northern orientation to a maximum number of apartments
- Providing opportunities for cross ventilation
- Use of Greywater to irrigate the adjacent public square
- Provision of solar cells for electricity generation
- Solar hot water heating using rainwater, supplemented by mains water
- Provision of natural gas for heating and cooking
- Use of rainwater tanks to irrigate common landscaped areas
- Provision of some secure bicycle storage areas
