Hon Stephen Dawson questions the Minister for Housing regarding changes to public housing rent calculations, including the number of affected tenants, revenue impact, modelling undertaken, and comparison with other states. The Minister provides figures on affected tenancies, revenue, and modelling, clarifying that rent increases are capped.

AnsweredQoN 19Legislative Council
Asked
16 February 2016
Portfolio
Housing

QuestionView source ↗

PUBLIC
HOUSING — RENT CALCULATION
19. Hon STEPHEN DAWSON to the
Minister for Housing:
I refer to the public housing rent calculation changes in
2016.
(1) What is
the total number of public housing tenants and what is the estimated number of
tenants that the calculation changes are expected to affect?
(2) What is the estimated revenue expected to be derived from
the calculation changes?
(3) What modelling and investigation was undertaken, and by
whom, to develop the calculation changes?
(4) Based on
current calculations, how many tenants will have their rent increased by 25 per
cent, 50 per cent, 75 per cent, and 100 per cent?
(5) Which
specific Australian states treat the same list of allowances to be assessed by
the state Housing Authority as assessable income?

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for some notice of the question.
(1) Of the
current 36 470 public housing tenancies, the rent calculation changes will
affect approximately 28 000 tenancies currently receiving government-subsidised
rental housing.
(2) Expected additional revenue is $58.8 million to 2018–19.
(3) The
Housing Authority conducted internal modelling on the impact of the change on
households and additional revenue expected to be received.
(4) Nil. Due
to the public housing rent calculation change, the maximum increase in rent is
$12 per week per household.
(5) It is
widely accepted that 25 per cent of income is a fair and affordable threshold
for public housing tenants' rent across Australia. Each state and
territory adopts an independent approach to determining assessable income.

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