Secondary Dwellings Research

Fairfield City Council, NSW

There are more than 3,900 approved secondary dwellings in Fairfield City, and they are increasingly seen as an “affordable” housing option for many Sydney-siders. CRED Consulting was engaged by Fairfield City Council to undertake research focused on people living within these dwellings (also known as ‘Granny Flats’), to identify their demographic characteristics and support their needs, as well as understand market trends across Greater Sydney.

The Fairfield City Secondary Dwelling Study (the Study) is a qualitative and quantitative assessment of people living in secondary dwellings within the Fairfield City Local Government Area (Fairfield City).

This Study provided the evidence Fairfield City needed to understand:

  • demographic characteristics of people living in secondary dwellings
  • the physicality of secondary dwellings in Fairfield City – type and size of dwellings, services and amenities available
  • tenure and rental nature of these dwellings
  • community needs of people living in these dwellings.

HOW WE DID IT​

Employing a sensitive and narrative-based methodology, the research team were able to understand the complexities of the affordable housing market in a diverse, multicultural and multi-language community.

CRED’s research approach included a mix of primary and secondary research, including:

  • Demographic analysis and housing trends research
  • Market research into the secondary dwelling market
  • Interviews/focus groups with local service providers
  • Online and hard copy survey distributed to all secondary dwelling residents
  • Interviews with 50 secondary dwelling residents, and
  • Interviews with secondary dwelling developers and builders.

OUTCOMES

The Fairfield Secondary Dwellings Study provided nuanced research in a previously unexplored area of the affordable housing discussion.

While secondary dwellings are increasingly seen as an “affordable” housing option for many Sydneysiders, like many of the models designed to provide more affordable housing options, our research for Fairfield City shows that they may not be that affordable at all. And, they are definitely not just occupied by “grannies” – with young people, couples, and families living in them.

Services
REsearch
Awards

2021 Commendation

PIA National Awards for Planning Excellence | Planning research

2021 Winner

PIA NSW Awards | planning Research