Planning change to allow co-living, flexible rules for apartments and six-storey retirement homes to tackle housing crisis

Sweeping changes would allow a new form of ‘co-living’, smaller apartments and six-storey retirement villages under a plan to address SA’s housing crisis.

Smaller or single-parent families would be encouraged to move out of detached homes and into shared living under a plan to tackle SA’s housing crisis and ageing population.

Under the shake-up by Housing Minister Nick Champion to create more flexibility for affordable apartments and retirement homes, families could live together in specially-built houses that rely on shared kitchens and bathrooms, while retirement villages could hit six storeys.

Apartment design rules would focus more on minimum bedroom and living area sizes, rather than minimum total floor areas, and smaller, cheaper apartments could become more common if developers offered “suitable, high standard” common areas.

Single-parent families in SA are projected to grow by up to 36 per cent by 2046, ABS stats show, amid a massive rise over the past 30 years – nearly 78 per cent. Called “constellation” families, they’re also increasing in Housing Trust homes.

Mr Champion said despite the increase in smaller households, 77 per cent of homes in South

Australia were detached dwellings.

Meanwhile, Adelaide is readying for a surge of international students with the university merger, while more older people are living independently longer.

“We’ve seen the decline of nuclear families and the rise of constellation families, with divorce and family separation having a far greater impact on the housing supply crisis than migration,” Mr Champion said.

“The size and make-up of families is changing, and the homes we’re building need to adjust to meet those changing needs.

“A growth in single-parent families and single-person households will increase our housing needs beyond the predicted population growth.”

The Accommodation Diversity Code Amendment would introduce a new form of ‘co-living’ for homes with common kitchens or bathrooms and shared open spaces, with rules surrounding their use – to keep them functional. Residences could have any number of bedrooms.

It aims to complement the Future Living housing plan being considered for six metro councils, under which existing houses would expand to create multiple homes with shared kitchens or gardens without changing the streetscape.

The housing diversity proposal will examine increased building heights – four to six storeys – for retirement villages and supported living on sites 1ha or larger, to help ageing South Australians live longer at home.

An examples of co-located housing that would be created to tackle SA's housing crisis under a new proposal by the State Planning Commission. Picture: Dr Damian Madigan, University of South Australia

Rules for apartments design would focus on a creating a more “comfortable home”, enforcing a minimum bedroom and living areas – rather than minimum total floor area – further encouraging shared communal areas.

No current minium requirements for bedrooms exist, and The Advertiser has been told minimum living area and bedroom sizes would be proposed for co-living residences too.

Private developers would decide what to build under the new minimum rules and if they could sell or rent on the market.

Student accommodation would come under the microscope, especially with rules for communal recreation spaces, while shared rooms and open spaces would be located closer to dwellings and have more sunlight.

Private open space would be still required for individual residences, although this could be substituted for communal open space should developers wish.

Property Council SA executive director Bruce Djite said the council has long called for an increase in diversity and choice of housing.

“This is a positive step in that direction,” he said. “If we are to address this housing crisis than it’s critical that a range of asset classes including student accommodation and retirement living are further incentivised and better integrated in our planning system.”

Retirement Living Council executive director Daniel Gannon called the changes “fundamental”.

“Given this state’s over-75s population will increase by 64 per cent between now and 2040 and the housing supply clamp is tightening, planning changes like this are fundamental,” he said.

“Most people want to age in the community in which they’ve grown up or raised a family, and they typically want to live nearby local amenities including GPs, physiotherapists and hospitals. This means governments need to refine their thinking around dense inner-metropolitan housing options for older South Australians.”

Mr Champion last week launched a plan to extend affordable housing rules across Adelaide, and require developers to provide more cheaper homes. Another proposal would allow granny flats and student accommodation to be self-contained.

“This code amendment seeks to provide greater flexibility in apartment design, including opportunities for more communal living and for smaller housing options,” Mr Champion said.

South Australia is changing so we want there to be more choice for different household types, life stages and lifestyle choices.

“Governments, councils and industry need to work together to ensure that we are planning and constructing homes that are suitable for all South Australians.”