Fears of looming housing crisis 

Researchers from the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) and University of New South Wales (UNSW) found that soaring rents was an issue across the country, especially in regional areas. The research also pointed out flaws in the nation’s investment in social and affordable housing, noting that while some states’ investments would add more than 23,000 new homes, more than 400,000 households would still be in need of affordable housing. While rents declined sharply in some inner city suburbs at the start of the pandemic, from mid-2020 they increased, and by August 2021 were accelerating at more than 8 per cent – the fastest pace since 2008.But the report found the rapid rent acceleration wasn’t just confined to the cities. According to the report, regional rent rises were now outpacing metropolitan areas, particularly in NSW, Victoria and Queensland, surging ahead by a massive 12.4 per cent (to August 2021). For regional Australia, the proportion of tenancies low-income tenants could afford had declined from 41 per cent to 33 per cent over the course of this year. ACOSS chief executive Dr Cassandra Goldie said most state governments had done a good job in protecting people who were homeless during the Covid-19 crisis, but demand was not wavering. “Community organisations across the country are telling us about the growing levels of despair experienced by people trying and failing to find affordable accommodation for their families in both metropolitan and regional areas,” she said.“The situation for those on the waiting list for social housing feels increasingly hopeless, as individuals and families struggle to keep a roof over their heads in the face of rising private market rents or are forced to stay in circumstances that are not healthy or safe.”Ashlie Stevenson, 65, has been homeless and couch surfing in Sydney since April last year, but her living situation has been precarious for much longer.She lost her job eight years ago and said she had been unable to find employment despite being eager to work and sending out hundreds of applications.Ms Stevenson said she had “languished” for seven years on the NSW social housing waiting list with no end in sight and that she was often forced to choose between rent and food on Jobseeker welfare payments.“Having a place to go home to everyday, how do you describe that? Imagine if you didn’t have somewhere to go home to tonight,” she said.“I’ve been (volunteering) with the homeless, strangely enough, for the last six years so I know exactly what’s going on, it’s just ironic that I’ve become one of them.”She said having a stable home would make a massive difference to every part of her life and that she would like to see governments provide as much housing as possible.“I don’t know who leads the idea that poor people are to blame for their own situation and should be punished for that,” she said.Keagan Nicotra, 29, a fellow Jobseeker recipient who is on the brink of homelessness in Melbourne‘s western suburbs, echoed the same concerns. “Some of us got here through mistakes. Some of us got here through random chance. We’re all just trying to get out,” he said.In the report ACOSS recommended the Federal government urgently commit to funding a national social housing construction program, boost Commonwealth Rent Assistance and continue to support and extend affordable housing rental incentive programs.It proposed a major Commonwealth Government capital funding boost to deliver at least 20,000 new social housing dwellings and a 50 per cent boost to the Commonwealth Rent Assistance payment to low income households to relieve rental stress.It also proposed the creation of a new investment incentive to support construction of new affordable rental properties for people on low and modest incomes.The federal government has been contacted for comment.

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November 29, 2021 at 12:30AM
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Researchers from the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) and University of New South Wales (UNSW) found that soaring rents was an issue across the country, especially in regional areas. The research also pointed out flaws in the nation’s investment in social and affordable housing, noting that while some states’ investments would add more than 23,000 new homes, more than 400,000 households would still be in need of affordable housing. While rents declined sharply in some inner city suburbs at the start of the pandemic, from mid-2020 they increased, and by August 2021 were accelerating at more than 8 per cent – the fastest pace since 2008.But the report found the rapid rent acceleration wasn’t just confined to the cities. According to the report, regional rent rises were now outpacing metropolitan areas, particularly in NSW, Victoria and Queensland, surging ahead by a massive 12.4 per cent (to August 2021). For regional Australia, the proportion of tenancies low-income tenants could afford had declined from 41 per cent to 33 per cent over the course of this year. ACOSS chief executive Dr Cassandra Goldie said most state governments had done a good job in protecting people who were homeless during the Covid-19 crisis, but demand was not wavering. “Community organisations across the country are telling us about the growing levels of despair experienced by people trying and failing to find affordable accommodation for their families in both metropolitan and regional areas,” she said.“The situation for those on the waiting list for social housing feels increasingly hopeless, as individuals and families struggle to keep a roof over their heads in the face of rising private market rents or are forced to stay in circumstances that are not healthy or safe.”Ashlie Stevenson, 65, has been homeless and couch surfing in Sydney since April last year, but her living situation has been precarious for much longer.She lost her job eight years ago and said she had been unable to find employment despite being eager to work and sending out hundreds of applications.Ms Stevenson said she had “languished” for seven years on the NSW social housing waiting list with no end in sight and that she was often forced to choose between rent and food on Jobseeker welfare payments.“Having a place to go home to everyday, how do you describe that? Imagine if you didn’t have somewhere to go home to tonight,” she said.“I’ve been (volunteering) with the homeless, strangely enough, for the last six years so I know exactly what’s going on, it’s just ironic that I’ve become one of them.”She said having a stable home would make a massive difference to every part of her life and that she would like to see governments provide as much housing as possible.“I don’t know who leads the idea that poor people are to blame for their own situation and should be punished for that,” she said.Keagan Nicotra, 29, a fellow Jobseeker recipient who is on the brink of homelessness in Melbourne‘s western suburbs, echoed the same concerns. “Some of us got here through mistakes. Some of us got here through random chance. We’re all just trying to get out,” he said.In the report ACOSS recommended the Federal government urgently commit to funding a national social housing construction program, boost Commonwealth Rent Assistance and continue to support and extend affordable housing rental incentive programs.It proposed a major Commonwealth Government capital funding boost to deliver at least 20,000 new social housing dwellings and a 50 per cent boost to the Commonwealth Rent Assistance payment to low income households to relieve rental stress.It also proposed the creation of a new investment incentive to support construction of new affordable rental properties for people on low and modest incomes.The federal government has been contacted for comment.