WA rentals out of reach for households on income support, Anglicare report finds

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Despite being lauded as the nation’s best performing economy, WA’s rental crisis has reached new heights. Anglicare Rental Affordability Snapshot shows there’s not a single property or room that is affordable for people on income support.

Transcript

00:00For Caitlin, the thought of having to turn to family, friends and charity to house and

00:07support her family had previously seemed unthinkable.

00:11I have no shame about that at all, there are plenty of people who have to make those accommodations

00:16in order to make ends meet, I just never thought it would be me.

00:19Faced with a $190 per week rental increase in her long term rental in East Victoria Park,

00:25she had little choice but to move into her parents house.

00:28We stopped private health insurance for quite some time, had to make all sorts of decisions

00:33in order to accommodate that rental hike until we were able to move in here.

00:37Her 20-year-old son Darcy sleeps in a caravan provided by a friend parked in the driveway.

00:43As he balances work and study, moving out isn't a realistic option.

00:47It does mean that I guess that part of becoming an adult is just something I can't think about

00:53right now.

00:54Anglicare WA says these cases are all too common, despite a CommSec report this week

00:59crowning the state's economy the best performing in the nation.

01:02Yes, we have a bustling economy that's really kicking ahead of the rest of the country but

01:08the question that I would have to our leaders is what is that for if we can't house and feed

01:12our people?

01:13Anglicare's snapshot shows that despite an uptick in private rentals listed across WA,

01:18affordability is languishing with nothing available for people on JobSeeker, Youth Allowance or

01:24the Disability Support Pension.

01:26The state's median rent is $680 per week, up 5% from last year and 21% from 2023.

01:35The charity says the stream of election promises on housing won't help people on income support,

01:40saying what's needed is a commitment to add a set number of social houses and a shift in

01:46thinking.

01:47We need a broader vision that says everyone is entitled to a house that they can afford,

01:50that's fit and safe and sustainable.

01:52An entitlement becoming increasingly out of reach.

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