Winter Series E4: Dwellings

WHY DO WE KEEP BUILDING FOUR-BEDROOM HOMES FOR TWO-PERSON HOUSEHOLDS?

This may be one of the biggest housing anomalies on the Fraser Coast.

Our average household size was approximately 2.29 people in 2021, down from 2.44 in 2001.

Yet much of our new housing remains traditional, detached, three and four-bedroom homes.

At the same time:

• the region had approximately 52,630 dwellings in 2021
• medium and high-density housing represented only around 12% of local stock
• lone-person and couple-only households continue to grow

The question is not simply whether we are building enough homes.

It is whether we are building the right homes.

In Episode 4 of the Fraser Coast Property Brief Winter Series, we look at housing choice, downsizing, medium density and the growing mismatch between household size and dwelling type.

One number to remember: 2.29 people per household.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:05

Welcome back to the Frasico's property brief the winter series where we're talking about nine short episodes talking about the demographics of our reason. So we started the series talking about the populations, episode one, migration in episode two, households in episode three. Now in episode four, I want to go into the dwellings and are we building the right homes? So the Frasco's added almost 18,700 dwellings between 2020 and 2021. The question is not whether we had built homes, the question is whether we have built the right mix of households we need to have. So in 2021, the region contained 52,630 dwellings. Of the private dwellings, 44,020 were separate homes. That means 83% of our stock was detached housing. Medium density accounted for 10.6%, and high density accounted for 1.6%. Combined medium and high density only represented 12.1% of our market. Across regional Queensland, the equivalent figure is 24%, roughly double what the Fraser Coasts are producing. The trend over 20 years has not fundamentally changed the balance. High density only 456. The bedroom data reinforces the same message. Three-bedroom dwellings were the largest group with 38.7%, four-bedroom homes were 27.8%, homes with five bedrooms and mall represent 4.9%. In total, almost one-third of the homes had four or more bedrooms. The largest increase of any bedroom category was four-bedroom homes, which grew from 7751 to between 2001 and 2021. By comparison, two bedroom dwellings increased by only 1,770 dwellings. There's a real mix max there. Now compare what that with household figures from previous episode. The average household contains 2.29 people. More than 7 out of 10 households contain only one or two people. Yet the fastest growing household product has been four-bedroom homes. This is a central to a housing anomaly on the Fraser Coast. Smaller detached homes on smaller lots, duplexes, terraced homes, villas, townhouses, and well-designed apartments can reduce the total purchase price whilst still providing privacy and amenity. Density also affects infrastructure. A region that only expands outwards requires more roads, pipes, power services, and travel. Appropriate infill and medium density housing near shops, near hospitals, transport, town centres can make better use of existing infrastructure. So it's actually going to save ratepayers money. This does not mean high-rise buildings everywhere, it means offering genuine choice. A two-story townhouse near a town center, a single-level villa near health services or quality apartments with a lift may be exactly what the downsizer worker or single resident needs. In 2021, census also recorded 4,976 unoccupied private dwellings or 9.5% of our total. Some will be holiday homes, properties between occupants, or temporary vacant properties. That figure should be treated as available rental stock, but does not show up on the total dwelling numbers as occupied housing supply, and it's not the same thing. So the big takeaway from this is the number one thing to remember is 12.1%. That's the share of medium density and high density on the Fraser Coast, and it's over 24% in the regions and it's higher in the capital cities. With small households and aging population, our future market needs more housing choice, not simply more of the same. Thank you very much for listening to episode four. Next week I'll come back with a service economy leading by health. Thank you.