Affordable housing stock in Australia has been decreasing steadily over the past 20 years.
Defined as housing that costs less than 30 per cent of household income, affordable accommodation now sits at just 4 per cent of the national stock—down from 6 per cent at the end of the 20th century, it’s been reported.
It is a social problem of course, but also an economic one—many businesses are desperately short of workers, who cannot afford to live in (or even within commuting distance of) city centres and other higher priced areas.
If nothing is done, estimates are that the affordable housing crisis could cost the Australian economy $25 billion by 2051.
However, many developers see this need in the market and are increasingly incorporating affordable housing into their pipelines.
Affordability is a key design criteria, along with social housing and climate-responsive, environmentally sustainable dwellings.
Developer Assemble opened its first purpose-built affordable housing in June 2022 in Melbourne, and has more planned for other capital cities.
In Sorrento, on the Mornington Peninsula, the developers of the high-end Intercontinental Hotel realised that the workers they wanted to attract would not be able to afford to live nearby, or commute the two hours from Melbourne and its suburbs.
So their development project included a $10 million conversion of an aged-care facility into affordable housing for hotel workers and other locals.
When building affordable housing, developers must design in technological advances to ensure low ongoing running costs. One such technology is electronic access control (EAC).
EAC uses electronic locks, which are opened with an access card, a pin or an app on the resident’s mobile phone, and which can be managed remotely via the cloud.
Assemble, for example, partnered with industry leader SALTO, whose wireless EAC is also installed in affordable developments at HousingFirst, Unison and local community housing projects.
SALTO’s EAC ensures that these properties can be operated cost-effectively and efficiently, while also providing residents with a sense of control and ownership.
This is achieved through:
Lower installation costs—SALTO’s unique battery-operated, wire-free technology makes it fast and cost effective to install during a new build or to retrofit during a renovation.
No costly locks and keys—if an access card is lost, or a resident leaves, their card can be instantly cancelled and another one programmed. There is no costly key or lock replacement, and no chasing for keys to be returned.
Remote management—all access points can be managed via the cloud, without onsite staff. Property operators can manage multiple buildings from a single central location.
Integration with a property management system—SALTO’s EAC can be integrated with the building’s PMS and even with a residents’ app, to streamline access control into the application process.
Affordable housing is a big issue in Australia at the moment, but also an opportunity for developers to make a very real difference to the social and economic fabric of Australia.
Electronic access control technology plays its part by making buildings efficient to run, contributing to their overall affordability.
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