Young families increasingly reliant on insecure rental housing

New research by Australians for Affordable Housing has shown that parents with children are increasingly foregoing home ownership. Using census data, the research shows that there were almost 35,000 more Victorian families with children in rental accommodation in 2011 than there were in 2006. This represents an increase of 2.6 per cent in the rate of families in rental accommodation. Continue reading »

Rents and mortgages squeeze incomes: Census 2011

Data just released from the 2011 Census confirm what we already know: that rents and mortgages in Australia have grown faster than incomes, squeezing household budgets. Continue reading »

Victoria’s south-eastern suburbs at housing affordability crisis point

High bankruptcy figures reported in The Age today and linked to mortgage stress are further evidence of the need for State and Federal Governments to immediately act to improve housing affordability in Victoria, and more broadly, across Australia.

The article, “South-east worst hit by bankruptcy: Mortgage stress takes heavy toll” reveals that Melbourne’s South-Eastern suburbs have the highest tally of bankruptcies in Victoria and can be attributed to ‘strong population growth and the high rate of new mortgages in the area’.

AAH Campaign Manager, Sarah Toohey said these figures were consistent with AAH’s Housing Stressed data and demonstrated that many people in Victoria’s South-Eastern suburbs were at breaking point.

“According to the AAH Housing Stressed data, 21 per cent of mortgage holders in the City of Casey, and 19 per cent in Cardinia and Frankston are in housing stress. High housing costs are taking their toll in these areas.

“While the South-Eastern suburbs have been highlighted as having the highest rate of bankruptcies, our data suggests housing stress is also a major factor in the outer western suburbs.

“Hume recorded the second highest rates with 26 per cent under mortgage stress. Brimbank and Melton were also high on the list with 29 per cent and 21 per cent of mortgage holders respectively in housing stress.

“These are areas where housing is supposedly affordable, but the reality is that costs are still too high for many households, particularly if they’re on a single wage, or have to run two or more cars to get around”

“We can’t keep letting households fall into financial crisis, just to get a roof over their heads. We need a National Housing Plan that is backed by the Commonwealth and every State and Territory Government. With the Federal and State Budgets fast approaching, it is the perfect time for the Government’s to act. Ms Toohey said.

Australians for Affordable Housing is a coalition of national housing, welfare and community sector organisations working to highlight the problem of housing affordability in Australia. For more information visit www.housingstressed.org.au

Spokesperson: Sarah Toohey, 0427 563 989 Media enquiries: Stephanie De Campo, 0432 828 004 Follow AAH on Facebook and Twitter: @housingstressed
Housing stress – Australians for Affordable Housing local council league table* 

“Critical” Public Housing System Demands Immediate Government Attention

Australians for Affordable Housing is urging Federal and State Governments to immediately inject funding into the public housing system and develop a long term strategy, following the release of the Victorian auditor general’s report that labelled the systems situation as “critical”.

The Victorian auditor general’s report says the public housing sector is losing money, with costs 42 per cent higher than revenue. They report forecasts a $115.1 million funding black hole by 2015 and recommends the funding model be changed.

AAH Campaign Manager, Sarah Toohey said the report’s results were a wakeup call to the Federal and State Governments whose investment in the sector has declined significantly.

“The reality is, you cannot run a system without appropriate funding. The report’s finding that the system is in a “critical” state is not that surprising given the Federal Government’s spending in this area has declined by 41 per cent over the past 15 years.

“The Department of Human Services has failed to develop an over-arching strategic management plan to-date and must make this an immediate priority.

“This problem is not isolated to Victoria.  We’ve seen recent reports of a $300 million backlog in public housing maintenance in NSW, with residents reporting incidents of water running down walls, holes in the roof and cracked ceilings.

“We need the Federal Government to commit to an Affordable Housing Growth Fund, with an annual allocation of $2.5 billion a year from the 2013-14 Budget to provide 100,000 affordable homes over five years,” Ms Toohey said.

Australians for Affordable Housing is a coalition of national housing, welfare and community sector organisations working to highlight the problem of housing affordability in Australia. For more information visit www.housingstressed.org.au

Spokesperson: Sarah Toohey, 0427 563 989 Media enquiries: Stephanie De Campo, 0432 828 004 Follow AAH on Facebook and Twitter: @housingstressed

Affordable housing key to a sustainable city

Good planning plus affordable housing equals a liveable city (The Age, Comment 16/3) offers a serious challenge to the Government to address housing affordability – and it comes well overdue.

Housing is the biggest cost of living issue in Australia, with one in ten households under housing stress. As Whitzman and Giles-Corti correctly note, it’s the search for affordable housing that’s pushed families to the edges of the city. While they say this issue goes beyond the supply of housing, it’s a central problem that cannot be ignored.

The Baillieu Government must heed this warning when developing its new metropolitan strategy and make sure Melbourne has a plan to deliver more affordable housing.

The Federal Government can help by creating a Growth Fund with an annual allocation of $2.5 billion a year to provide 100,000 affordable homes over five years, across the country, and the state government should match their fair share.

Housing affordability is not an easy fix, but it is not impossible. The time to address this worsening crisis is in the upcoming State and Federal Budgets and not a moment later.

By Australians for Affordable Housing Campaign Manager, Sarah Toohey

Australians for Affordable Housing is a coalition of national housing, welfare and community sector organisations to highlight the problem of housing affordability in Australia. For more information visit www.housingstressed.org.au

Further investment needed to help 20,000 homeless Victorians

Australians for Affordable Housing (AAH) today welcomed the Australian Medical Association’s Budget submission to the Victorian Government, calling for $2.8 million to provide 50 extra beds for homeless patients, but warned that the Government needs to do much more to address homelessness.

The AMA have recommended the State Government spend $2.8 million over the next four years so that homeless people who are discharged from hospital, have somewhere to sleep and aren’t using a hospital bed which may be needed by others.

AAH Campaign Manager Sarah Toohey said on any given night in Victoria, over 20,000 people are homeless.

“The AMA’s recommendation, if implemented by the State Government, would provide much needed support and assistance to those in crisis.

“However, this will only address one part of the problem. The reality is that the lack of affordable housing in Victoria means that people are continually cycling through the homelessness service system.

“The best way to address homelessness is to provide more secure, long-term affordable housing, and then make sure people have the help they need to stay housed.

 “In the long run it is much cheaper to provide long term housing than have people coming to emergency departments, just so they can have somewhere to sleep or because they’ve been injured or become sick from sleeping rough.

“The fact that doctors have identified this as a major issue – when their primary role is healthcare – is testament to the severity of this issue and the need for further State Government assistance,” Ms Toohey said.

 Australians for Affordable Housing is a coalition of national housing, welfare and community sector organisations to highlight the problem of housing affordability in Australia. For more information visit www.housingstressed.org.au

Spokesperson: Sarah Toohey, 0402 677 566/ Media enquiries: Stephanie De Campo, 0432 828 004
Follow AAH on Facebook and Twitter: @housingstressed

AAH on Channel 10 News Melbourne

On Hold: Borrowers struggling to cover the mortgage and household bills have had their hopes for relief dashed.

If you have a spare 2 minutes, we encourage you to watch this Channel 10 story on how homeowners are still feeling the pinch following the RBA’s decision to keep interest rates on hold.

It is great to see AAH data and comments from Sarah Toohey included.

Housing stress in regional Victoria revealed

The extent of housing stress across regional Victoria has today been revealed by Australians for Affordable Housing (AAH). Renters and home purchasers are struggling with high housing costs according to new modelling commissioned by AAH.

“Housing is the single biggest cost of living pressure in Australia. When low-income households spend more than 30 per cent of their income on housing costs they are officially in housing stress. This means they have very little left over to cover other costs like food, transport, bills or money for emergencies”.

Mildura is the hardest hit, with close to 20 per cent of households experiencing housing stress, Sarah Toohey, AAH Campaign Manager announced today.

“Renters are doing it even tougher than those with a mortgage. More than 45 per cent of renters in Mount Alexandra, Central Goldfields and Hepburn are experiencing housing stress,” Ms Toohey said.

Continue reading »

Housing stress in Melbourne’s suburbs revealed

The extent of housing stress across Melbourne has today been revealed by Australians for Affordable Housing (AAH). Renters and home purchasers are struggling with high housing costs in the heart of Melbourne, the outer suburbs and almost everywhere in between according to new modelling commissioned by AAH.

“Housing is the single biggest cost of living pressure in Australia. When low-income households spend more than 30 per cent of their income on housing costs they are officially in housing stress. This means they have very little left over to cover other costs like food, transport, bills or money for emergencies”.

Greater Dandenong is the hardest hit, with 21% of households experiencing housing stress, and 19% of people in the Hume and Melbourne local government areas experiencing housing stress, Sarah Toohey, AAH Campaign Manager announced today.

“Renters are doing it even tougher than those with a mortgage. More than 40% of renters in Hume, Brimbank and the Mornington Peninsula are experiencing housing stress,” Ms Toohey said.

Continue reading »

Melbourne’s growth corridor ought to be part of a National Affordable Housing plan

The Baillieu Government’s plan to house 1 million more people on the outer fringe gives cause for concern, as relying on expansion of cities as a sole strategy to achieve affordable housing is a recipe for disaster.

Pushing cities further out means putting people ever further from the major job centres, and creates a massive infrastructure deficit, particularly for public transport, that simply won’t be funded by developers. Continue reading »