2017-04-27
Today’s Anglicare rental affordability snapshot shows that housing is out of reach for Australia’s most vulnerable people even in rural areas said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens Senator for Victoria.
“This Report shows that overall, more than 98% of homes in Australia are unaffordable for single households on government payments. The story is slightly better in regional Victoria than in metropolitan Melbourne, but even then affordable, appropriate housing is a pipe dream for most people on government payments”, Senator Rice said.
“For example, of the 3,057 rental advertisements in regional Victoria surveyed by Anglicare, not one advertisement was found to be ‘affordable and appropriate’ for a single person aged over 18 on Youth Allowance. One single advertisement in the whole of regional Victoria was found to be affordable and appropriate for a single person on Newstart Allowance, and one suitable for a single person on Youth Allowance living in a share house.”
“These statistics are appalling. The human story behind these statistics is that thousands of country Victorians are being forced to choose between accepting overcrowded and inappropriate housing arrangements, or experiencing severe financial stress or homelessness. When you also consider the fact that protections for tenants are weak, and that landlords are able to evict tenants on periodic leases without reason, this is a recipe for disaster for some of Victoria’s most vulnerable citizens”, Senator Rice said.
“The Greens have been campaigning to set national minimum standards for tenancy laws, end no-fault evictions, regulate rent rises, and improve conditions for renters. We have proposals to end investor tax breaks, to replace stamp duty with a broad based land tax, for a strong Affordable Housing Finance Corporation, for national minimum standards for rental properties, and to strengthen the social safety net. It’s time for Malcolm Turnbull to take these ideas, implement them, and actually start to tackle Australia’s housing affordability crisis rather than just talking about it.”
Media Release Housing