National Affordable Housing Agreement in Australia

Overcrowding places pressure on the household infrastructure that supports health and can contribute to poor education outcomes. The Canadian National Occupancy Standard (CNOS) for housing appropriateness is the preferred standard used by the ABS to measure overcrowding. It determines overcrowding by comparing the number of bedrooms with the number and characteristics of people in a dwelling. The CNOS will reflect the culture and preferences of some but not all Indigenous people, as cultural and social factors influence the way housing is used by different communities. For example, the CNOS does not account for the influence of climate and culture (particularly kinship) on living arrangements. It also does not take into account the number of bathrooms and toilets, and the size and configuration of kitchens, bedrooms and other living spaces. Factors affecting the demand, supply and affordability of housing are outlined in figure 2. Housing affordability is the result of the interplay between the price, quantity, quality and type of housing available, and the cost and availability of housing finance. Housing affordability is essentially the relationship between income and housing costs, and becomes a problem when it prevents population groups from accessing the housing market (either home ownership or rental) in a manner that meets their housing needs.