Australia is suffering a severe rental crisis with prices so high that a whole generation will never own a home, a report has warned.
Just six percent – 3,729 out of 67,000 – of homes surveyed by Anglicare were found to be affordable for households on government income support payments.
The ‘crisis’ is most acute in capital cities with only one per cent of homes in Sydney – 57 out of 18,000 – costing less than 30 per cent of a low-income household budget.
Australia is suffering a severe ‘rental crisis’ with prices so high that a whole generation will never own a home, a report has warned (stock image)
Just six percent – 3,729 out of 67,000 – of homes surveyed by Anglicare were found to be affordable for households on government income support payments (stock image)
Not one home was affordable for a single person on Newstart or Youth Allowance in Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, Darwin or Perth, the report found.
Advocacy group Anglicare is demanding more social housing and a boost in Commonwealth Rent Assistance.
Anglicare Australia Executive Director Kasy Chambers said that the country is suffering a rental crisis which is only getting worse.
‘Making sure everyone has a home should be our first priority. But the reality is that our housing system is failing millions of Australians,’ Ms Chambers said.
‘Our system is rigged against renters. The tax system is driving up the cost of rent for millions of Australians.
‘Almost all of our major cities have become unaffordable for people on low incomes. But this Snapshot also shows that regional areas failing to offer relief.
The crisis is most acute in capital cities with only one per cent of homes in Sydney – 57 out of more than 18,000 – costing less than 30 per cent of a low-income household budget (stock image)
‘There is a huge shortage of secure, affordable rentals. That’s causing record levels of rental stress and even homelessness.
‘It doesn’t have to be this way. We are calling for an urgent investment in affordable rentals for people in need. And we need a national plan to make renting fair for a generation of people who might never own their own home.
‘We can and must tackle homelessness and rental stress – and ensure that everyone has a place to call home,’ Ms Chambers said.
Advocacy group Anglicare is demanding more social housing and a boost in Commonwealth Rent Assistance (stock image)