Young family that participated in the Fairfield Secondary Dwelling study, standing at the front of their granny flat.

Assessing the affordability and liveability of Fairfield City’s secondary dwellings

Fairfield City Council 

Fairfield City Secondary Dwellings Study

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.
Services
  • Research
Awards

PIA Awards for Planning Excellence, 2021 - Planning Research

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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
  • Interviews with secondary dwelling developers and builders.
Older couple that participated in the Fairfield Secondary Dwelling study, standing at the front of their granny flat. (Source: Cred Consulting)
A couple who participated in the study standing in front of their home
A young man standing in front of his secondary dwelling home
A mum with her arm around her school age son in front of their home
A young family who took part in the study in front of their home. (Source: Cred Consulting)

The outcome

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.

This project received a Commendation for Planning Research at the 2022 National PIA Awards for Planning Excellence, and won at the 2021 Awards in the NSW division. The judges congratulated Cred and Fairfield City Council on this important study into the lived experiences of residents in secondary dwelling housing for its nuanced information for planners to support more effective planning for affordable housing options.