Women and housing: Australia's experience

Abstract

Australian women generally occupy a more vulnerable position in the housing market than their male counterparts, with female headed households in particular experiencing significant disadvantage and vulnerability in terms of accessing and sustaining appropriate housing. This paper examines and analyses the reasons why Australian women occupy this position in the housing system. The discussion notes the effects of structural and institutional factors on the financial position of women, including, for example, that despite 30 years of anti-sex discrimination legislation in Australia a significant gender wage gap persists. Australia also continues to have a highly gender differentiated workforce, with women over-represented in lower paid and lower skilled positions and among part-time and casual workers. These factors work together to affect the lifetime incomes and earnings of women, including their ability to accumulate wealth. Importantly, they also shape women’s housing options and choices, especially for the increasing number of mothers raising children on their own or women who are living alone post-divorce or separation or after the death of a partner. The discussion points to the need for new and more low cost housing options for women – across all tenures. It also argues for the need for better designed, more appropriate and secure housing for women and their families. These needs are especially important, particularly because of population ageing. The paper concludes with a discussion of current and past housing policy and assistance programs in Australia identifying those that have worked or are working for women. What stands out here is the need for Government programs that assist low income women to enter into and sustain home ownership, particularly post-divorce. Such programs are crucially important for women, as home ownership remains the most secure tenure in Australia, offering substantial tax and other benefits and lower lifetime housing costs.