Case Studies
The client
Hornsby Shire
The need
An accurate and persuasive evidence base to inform an Affordable Housing Strategy.
The approach
As subscribers to housing.id and other .id information tools, Council were able to quickly access and compile local affordable housing insights.
The results
The Hornsby Shire Affordable Housing Strategy 2024 was adopted by Council om December 2024
The Housing Monitor (housing.id) was a critical source of data and insights for Hornsby Shire in creating their 2024 Affordable Housing Strategy.To support the implementation and administration of the Hornsby Shire's Affordable Housing Contribution Scheme, Council needed to create and Affordable Housing Strategy, setting out an evidence base and identifying a clear need for affordable housing in the Shire.
As subscribers to housing.id and other local-area information tools, Council has immediate access to up-to-date insights on Hornsby's affordable housing situation.
Key insights
Demographics
The largest service age group was "parents and homebuilders" (35–49). Hornsby Shire is attractive for established professionals and families, but may not be affordable for young people that are early in their career. There is also an ageing population who may be looking for smaller, more affordable options in which to age in place.
Housing
Separate housing remains the dominant dwelling type. There are opportunities for affordable housing both as medium and high density housing types
Housing costs
Median housing costs are higher in Hornsby than the Greater Sydney average. Sales costs in Hornsby have consistently increased since 2022.
The cost of renting a house has also been rising.
Housing stress and affordable housing need
More than 10% of the households in Hornsby were in housing stress at the time of the 2021 Census. 24% of households renting were in rental stress, while 11% of households paying off mortgages were in mortgage stress.
Housing affordability
In the 12 months to Jun 2024, units were generally affordable for the average median-income household. House prices were outside the affordable bracket for these households. (For couples with children - the main household type in Hornsby - even entry-level units were generally affordable.)
Renting is comparably more affordable.
However, for couples with children on low incomes, only 3.2% of rental listings were affordable.
Want to learn more?
You can explore Hornsby's affordable housing story in their Housing Monitor: https://housing.id.com.au/hornsby
If you'd like to understand how a Housing Monitor could support your work, start with the link below.
Learn more about the Housing Monitor →