Social housing for cultural diversity

The rental market’s failure to provide housing for low-income immigrants now entering Australia has raised issues about the immigrants’ housing requirements and how these can be met. To date, only limited research into these needs has been undertaken in Australia (Beer and Morphett, 2002) and overseas (Hadjiyanni and Robinson, 2005), and most of the research is directed at the broader social requirements of various groups. A more focused view of some of the physical issues implicit in understanding the housing needs of culturally diverse groups, such as the size of a house, its appearance, layout and other design aspects, requires closer investigation to determine how effectively the standard Australian house meets these needs. The importance of investigating these requirements is supported by the increasing diversity in population throughout Australia and the apparent lack of choice in housing for these varied cultural groups. This is particularly the case with social housing, a main source of accommodation for lower-income minority cultural groups (San Pedro, 2001; Alloush, 2001). Failing to meet the housing needs of cultural groups can lead to social exclusion and ultimately isolation of some group members from the broader community (Sim, 2000). Housing may also help to define the identity of cultural groups, an influence that Hadjiyanni and Robinson (2005) see as having a powerful effect on community building. This article suggests that there is a need to investigate how well current social housing caters for culturally diverse groups and will do this by examining the practices and policies of social housing providers. Social housing providers, including their consultant architects, draw on the form and layout of the current generic Australian house to suit all of the people they house. This has led to a standard design process based around policies, design guidelines and building specifications that primarily meet the needs of the housing organisation, resulting in a product that may not suit all tenants. This article will examine briefly the current demand for social housing from culturally diverse groups living in South Australia. It will then focus on the specific housing needs of three cultural groups from Sudan, Afghanistan and Iraq, the countries of origin of most migrants entering Australia under the Humanitarian Program (DIAC, 2007), who are the most likely to fall within the high-need housing category. This will draw on current research (Findlay, 2009) into housing needs of cultural groups. Central to the delivery of social housing for cultural diversity is the engagement of the providers architects, managers and service managers in a better understanding of the priorities of the various groups. This article will examine the practices and policies of one agency, HousingSA, for insight into a more responsive approach to the delivery of housing for cultural diversity. It will then review the social housing options available for cultural diversity and HousingSA’s efforts to deliver appropriate accommodation, efforts that include a recent initiative to undertake house design based on the various housing needs of three cultural groups resident in South Australia.