4102.0 - Australian Social Trends, 2006  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 20/07/2006   
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Contents >> Housing >> Housing Data sources and Definitions

Housing Data sources and Definitions

HOUSING: DATA SOURCES

IndicatorsData source

1Australian Demographic Statistics, September Quarter (ABS cat. no. 3101.0).
2–3ABS Building Activity Survey, September Quarter; Building Activity, Australia (ABS cat. no. 8752.0).
4–16ABS 1999 Australian Housing Survey; ABS Surveys of Income and Housing.
17Consumer Price Index, Australia (ABS cat. no. 6401.0).
18Reserve Bank of Australia, Indicator Lending Rates – F5 <http://www.rba.gov.au/statistics/bulletin/F05hist.xls> accessed 24 March 2006.
19, 23–27 Housing Finance, Australia (ABS cat. no. 5609.0).
20–21House Price Indexes: Eight Capital Cities (ABS cat. no. 6416.0).
22Producer Price Indexes, Australia (ABS cat. no. 6427.0).
28–30Steering Committee for the Review of Government Service Provision, Report on Government Services 2006
<http://www.pc.gov.au/gsp/reports/rogs/2006/housing/attachment16.xls> accessed 16 March 2006.
31–33Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs administrative data.



HOUSING: DEFINITIONS

Alterations and additions
all approved structural and non-structural changes which are integral to the functional and structural design of the dwelling, e.g. garages, carports, pergolas, reroofing, recladding etc., but excluding swimming pools, ongoing repairs, landscaping, and maintenance and home improvements not involving building work.
Reference: Housing Finance, Australia (ABS cat. no. 5609.0).

Applicants accommodated
the number of public rental applicants (households) accommodated in a year.
Reference: Australian Institute of Heath and Welfare Commonwealth-State Housing Agreement national data reports 20022005, Public rental housing.

Applicants on housing waiting lists
the number of applicants (households) waiting for public rental accommodation on 30 June.
Reference: Australian Institute of Heath and Welfare Commonwealth-State Housing Agreement national data reports 20022005, Public rental housing.

Average number of bedrooms per dwelling
the average number of bedrooms in occupied private dwellings.
Reference: Housing Occupancy and Costs, Australia (ABS cat. no. 4130.0.55.001).

Average number of persons per household
the average number of usual residents in occupied private dwellings.
Reference: Housing Occupancy and Costs, Australia (ABS cat. no. 4130.0.55.001).

Canadian National Occupancy Standard
for housing appropriateness, measures the bedroom requirements of a household by specifying that: there should be no more than two people per bedroom; children less than five years of age of different sexes may reasonably share a bedroom; children less than 18 years of age and of the same sex may reasonably share a bedroom; and single household members 18 years and over should have a separate bedroom, as should parents or couples.
Reference: Housing Occupancy and Costs, Australia (ABS cat. no. 4130.0.55.001).

Established house price index
measures changes in the price of detached residential dwellings on their own block of land, regardless of age (i.e. including new houses sold as a house/land package as well as established houses) expressed as an index, with base year 1989–90=100.0. Price changes therefore relate to changes in the total price of dwelling and land.
Reference: House Price Indexes: Eight Capital Cities (ABS cat. no. 6416.0).

Finance commitments
firm offers to provide finance for owner-occupation or alterations and additions which have been, or are normally expected to be, accepted. Commitments to provide housing finance to employees and commitments accepted and cancelled in the same month are included. Owner-occupied dwellings being purchased can be either established (completed for more than 12 months or previously occupied) or new (completed for less than 12 months with the borrower being the first occupant).
Reference: Housing Finance, Australia (ABS cat. no. 5609.0).

First home buyers: average loan size
first home buyers are persons entering the home ownership market for the first time. Their average loan is calculated by dividing the total value of lending commitments per month by the total number of dwellings financed per month.
Reference: Housing Finance, Australia (ABS cat. no. 5609.0).

Flat, unit or apartment
includes all self-contained dwellings in blocks of flats, units or apartments. These dwellings do not have their own private grounds and usually share a common entrance foyer or stairwell. This category includes houses converted into flats and flats attached to houses such as granny flats. A house with a granny flat attached is regarded as a separate house.
Reference: Housing Occupancy and Costs, Australia (ABS cat. no. 4130.0.55.001).

Household
a group of related or unrelated people who usually live in the same private dwelling or a lone person living in a private dwelling.
Reference: Housing Occupancy and Costs, Australia (ABS cat. no. 4130.0.55.001).

Households with insufficient bedrooms
households living in dwellings that do not have enough bedrooms to meet the requirements of community standards. See Canadian National Occupancy Standard.
Reference: Housing Occupancy and Costs, Australia (ABS cat. no. 4130.0.55.001).

Households with two or more bedrooms above requirements
households which have at least two bedrooms above that required to meet Canadian National Occupancy Standard.
Reference: Housing Occupancy and Costs, Australia (ABS cat. no. 4130.0.55.001).

Housing interest rate
the financial year annual average of the interest rate applicable on the last working day of each month to standard variable rate loans for owner-occupation extended by large bank housing lenders. It is the predominant or representative rate of major banks, although some banks may quote higher or lower rates.
Reference: Reserve Bank of Australia, Bulletin.

Income units receiving private rental assistance
families or individuals who pay rent or similar payments for private accommodation and receive a rental assistance payment from the government. Rental assistance may be payable to pensioners without children, families receiving above the minimum family payment and people already receiving a government allowance or benefit.
Reference: Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.

Materials used in house building price index
measures changes in prices of selected materials used in the construction of dwellings expressed as an index, with base year 1989–90=100.0. Data for national total are a weighted average of the six state capital cities.
Reference: Producer Price Indexes (ABS cat. no. 6427.0).

Mean rental assistance received
average rental assistance received fortnightly by eligible social security customers who pay rent in the private rental market.
Reference: Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.

Mean rent paid by rental assistance recipients
the average rent paid fortnightly by social security customers who receive rental assistance.
Reference: Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.

Occupied private dwellings
the premises occupied by a household. For population estimation purposes, the total number of occupied private dwellings is treated as being equal to the total number of households of the usually resident population.
Reference: Australian Demographic Statistics (ABS cat. no. 3101.0).

Other dwelling
includes caravans, houseboats, or houses or flats attached to a shop or other commercial premise.
Reference: Housing Occupancy and Costs, Australia (ABS cat. no. 4130.0.55.001).

Owner with a mortgage
a household where the reference person or partner owes an amount on a mortgage or loan secured against the dwelling. Includes persons who have an outstanding mortgage amount but who are not making any payments.
Reference: Housing Occupancy and Costs, Australia (ABS cat. no. 4130.0.55.001).

Owner without a mortgage
a household where the reference person or partner does not owe any amount on a mortgage or loan secured against the dwelling. Includes persons who have repaid a mortgage or loan but have not formally discharged the associated mortgage.
Reference: Housing Occupancy and Costs, Australia (ABS cat. no. 4130.0.55.001).

Private/public sector dwellings completed
when building activity has progressed to the stage where the building can fulfil its intended function. The ABS regards buildings as completed when notified as such by the respondents (builders) to the survey.
Reference: Building Activity, Australia (ABS cat. no. 8752.0).

Project home price index
measures changes in the price of dwellings available for construction on a client's block of land expressed as an index, with base year 1989–90=100.0. Price changes therefore relate only to the price of the dwelling (excluding land).
Reference: House Price Indexes: Eight Capital Cities (ABS cat. no. 6416.0).

Public sector rental dwelling stock
those rental dwellings held by State and Territory Housing Authorities.
Reference: Department of Family and Community Services, Housing Assistance Act 1996 Annual Report.

Rental cost index
measures changes in the average rent paid by private households for privately and government owned rental properties, expressed as an index, with base year 1989–90=100.0.
Reference: Consumer Price Index, Australia (ABS cat. no. 6401.0).

Renter: private landlord
a household paying rent to a landlord who is: a real estate agent; a parent or other relative not in the same household; or another person not in the same household.
Reference: Housing Occupancy and Costs, Australia (ABS cat. no. 4130.0.55.001).

Renter: State housing authority
a household paying rent to a state or territory housing authority or trust.
Reference: Housing Occupancy and Costs, Australia (ABS cat. no. 4130.0.55.001).

Semi-detached, row or terrace house or townhouse
a dwelling with its own private grounds and no dwelling above or below. A key feature is that they are attached in some structural way to one or more dwellings, or separated from neighbouring dwellings by less than half a metre. Examples include semi-detached, row or terrace houses, townhouses and villa units. Multistorey townhouses or units are separately identified from those which are single storey.
Reference: Housing Occupancy and Costs, Australia (ABS cat. no. 4130.0.55.001).

Separate house
a dwelling which is self-contained and separated from other houses (or other buildings or structures) by a space to allow access on all sides (of at least one-half metre). This category also includes houses with an attached flat (e.g. granny flat). The attached flat will be included in the flat, unit or apartment category.
Reference: Housing Occupancy and Costs, Australia (ABS cat. no. 4130.0.55.001).




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