According the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (2017), in the 12 months to June 2016 the national household expenditure on goods and services was $1,425 on average, which is an increase of 15% (or $190) from 2009–10 and almost triple the average from 1984. The ABS Census publication ‘Housing Occupancy and Costs, 2015–2016’ estimated that around a third of Australian households (30.8%) rent their home as a private rental and just over half (51%) of these households were in housing stress.

The Australian government along with the private and community sectors have launched several initiatives to address the historical crisis of housing affordability, to increase the supply of affordable housing.  Finally, the issue of the cost of living in relation to the housing sector relates to the concept of affordability. An affordable housing is housing, including social housing, that is appropriate for the housing needs of very low, low, and moderate-income households.