There is not a single property across Australia – or even a room in a shared house – that's affordable for someone on youth allowance, according to a new report from Anglicare Australia.

Brisbane

A recent report from Anglicare Australia has highlighted a severe lack of rental affordability across the nation, revealing that not a single property or even a room in a shared house is affordable for individuals on youth allowance. The findings underscore an unprecedented challenge in securing affordable housing options for Australians on low incomes, particularly in the context of the current economic climate.

Katelyn, who has worked to assist people facing homelessness, shared her personal ordeal of nearly becoming homeless herself due to a combination of rising bills and a significant rent increase. Her experience reflects a wider, nationwide issue where many Australians find themselves struggling to keep up with rent amid escalating costs. According to the Anglicare report, average rents have surged $200 a week beyond what they were before the pandemic, placing immense pressure on low-income earners. It revealed that for single parents on the minimum wage, a staggering more than 98% of rental properties are deemed unaffordable, defined as costing more than 30% of an individual's income.

The report further highlights the downstream effects of housing unaffordability on well-being and education, pointing out the difficulty of maintaining health and academic performance without a stable living environment. Anglicare attributed the issue to low vacancy rates and high-interest rates, underscoring a critical shortage of available housing. To address the crisis, the charity calls for increased government intervention in housing construction, urging federal and state authorities to take a more active role beyond merely incentivizing private and small landlords.

In response, the Federal Housing Minister outlined the government's ongoing initiatives, including collaboration with states and territories on a comprehensive housing reform agenda set to unfold this year. Additionally, the government has committed to the construction of over a million social homes by the decade's end, signaling a significant investment in tackling the housing affordability crisis head-on.



Report finds rental affordability 'worst its ever been'

Katelyn worked to help people facing homelessness, but late last year she almost ended up joining them. With bills mounting up, a rent hike pushed her to the brink. I felt like I'd let my family down. I felt like, in a strange way, like I'd almost let the sector down. Katelyn scraped by thanks to a WA state government rent relief program, but around the country her story is a familiar one. A new report from the charity Anglicare has found it's never been harder to find an affordable rental, especially for low income earners. It found average rents are $200 a week higher than pre-pandemic levels. For a single parent on the minimum wage, more than 98% of rentals are considered unaffordable, costing more than 30% of a person's income. It's impossible to do your homework as a young kid if you are living in a car. It's very difficult for you to manage your health and your asthma, for example, if you're living in an apartment with mould. Anglicare says it's a direct result of low vacancy rates and persistently high interest rates. There just aren't enough homes and it wants the federal government to step up and play a greater role. To do that we actually need to get governments back into building housing. Not just trying to incentivise private organisations or small landlords to do so, but actually building it themselves. The Federal Housing Minister says the government is already working with states and territories to deliver a broad and ambitious housing reform agenda sometime this year. It's also promised to build more than a million social homes by the end of the decade.

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