00:00More and more Canberrans are living like Aaron Cheer.
00:14The 29-year-old bought this one-bedroom apartment in Braddon last year.
00:19I was just looking for a place that was quite central to the city because I don't really
00:25like to commute very much.
00:26I quite like having a low-maintenance area to live in and it feels a bit more secure
00:32to me, having a bit more of a communal feel to it.
00:35This part of the city has been ground zero for medium and high-rise development, especially
00:40in the years since the light rail began running.
00:44For Aaron, home ownership has been reasonably affordable, something he fears would have
00:49been different without more units on offer.
00:52I'm not sure if I would have been prepared for it or if I would be able to work in other
00:58opportunities because I'd have to chase a higher salary.
01:02It's not surprising someone like Aaron has taken well to high-density living.
01:07Experts like Dr Melissa Miminovich say one cohort dominates the capital's apartment blocks.
01:15It's young adults starting into their professional lives, they're either living alone or they're
01:24living with their partners.
01:26It's really sad to see that we're not offering a lot more diverse apartments for different
01:33age groups and different people.
01:36The ACT's population is expected to crack half a million within the next term of government
01:41and three quarters of a million by 2060.
01:45To meet this growth, some in the Assembly are pushing for more densification while others
01:50want to speed up land releases on the city's outskirts.
01:54But whichever vision the next government pursues, it might come too late for people already
01:59struggling to keep up.
02:02Father of two Steve Herbert refinanced his mortgage on this house in Richardson when
02:08he and his wife separated.
02:10His fixed rate period ended last December when he fell off the so-called mortgage cliff.
02:17His monthly repayment has gone up more than $1,000.
02:21Income comes in, you pay your expenses and then you wait for your next pay packet.
02:26So effectively it's basically evaporated my disposable income.
02:31Steve considered downsizing, at least temporarily, but it would have almost certainly meant leaving
02:37the area.
02:39So he cut costs in other ways like going without health insurance and picking up extra work.
02:45To be able to stay in this property for myself and for the kids, this is their community
02:49and their friends are nearby, their school's nearby.
02:53So at the moment we've found a way to manage.
02:55Steve considers himself lucky.
02:57The community sector is warning vulnerable Canberrans have almost never done it tougher.
03:03You now need a six-figure income in this town if you want to rent a detached house
03:09with a front and back yard and not be in rental stress.
03:14That breaks the academic definition of housing stress.
03:17Travis Gilbert says better planning and more urban density is essential to building the
03:22right homes for low-income households.
03:25Inclusionary zoning has delivered upwards of 30% of affordable and social housing properties
03:31in the inner boroughs of London.
03:33If London can do it, hopefully Canberra could do it.
03:38Planning for a future where every Canberran can afford a place to call home.
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