DHA Annual Report 2012

DHA and singles

While DHA’s core business is housing members with families, since 2006 it has provided about 100 apartments for single members posted to Darwin. This provides an alternative to RA and is known as Members Without Dependants or Members With Dependants (Unaccompanied) Choice Accommodation (MCA). The initial MCA trial proved a success, and on 24 December 2008, DHA entered a long-term agreement to supply singles accommodation to Defence. Initially, the operation of the arrangement was limited to Darwin but it provided an option to extend the supply to other locations provided both parties and the Minister for Defence agreed.

On 10 April 2011, the Minister for Defence agreed to a proposal by Defence to expand MCA to include Brisbane and Canberra. This was a strategic development. With some 11,600 Defence singles accommodated in the private rental market, expansion to Canberra and Brisbane was the next stage in opening up this important market. DHA spent $26 million in 2011–12 to acquire properties in Brisbane and Canberra, expanding the total portfolio (including Darwin) to 181 properties by 30 June 2012. The extension to Canberra and Brisbane has been very successful. The Minister has approved the national roll-out of DHA’s singles business.