Defence housing requirement

Overview

DHA’s primary role is to supply housing for Defence members and their families. It provides and manages dwellings across the country in capital cities, major regional centres and remote localities. Houses are acquired through construction, purchase and lease and allocated in accordance with Defence policy. DHA manages the resulting tenancies. Some houses are owned by Defence, others by DHA. The majority are privately-owned and leased to DHA, typically for periods of 9 to 12 years. This chapter focuses on the housing portfolio. Chapter 2 focuses on the property and tenancy management business.

Defence Housing Forecast

Defence notifies DHA of its housing requirements in the Defence Housing Forecast (DHF), in terms of numbers, location and classification over a four-year period. The graph below shows the growth in the Defence housing requirement since 2006–07. DHA has worked closely with Defence throughout this period to increase its supply in response to changes in demand. The graph also illustrates the tapering in the Defence housing requirement that has occurred since 2011–12. The DHF is the starting point of the DHA capital planning process and may be used in the justification of new projects that require the approval of the PWC.

Figure 1: Successive Defence Housing Forecasts