Supporter Spring 2023
Rental crisis hits essential workers
South Australia’s essential workers in full-time work are being hit hard by the rental crisis, with close to zero affordable rentals available to them in the metropolitan area.
While the couple are grateful to have finally secured a roof over their heads, the extra $150 per week in rent, plus the additional cost of petrol for each to travel further to work, has had a big impact on their lifestyle. “We’ve had to tighten our budget a lot. We can’t enjoy a lot of the things we used to, like going out,” she said. “We’re lucky we have somewhere to live. A lot of other people don’t.” Andrea knows her homelessness clients are a lot worse off than her. “Its much worse for them,” she said. “They often have a lot more issues, like mental health issues, anxiety especially, because you’re in the sort of situation where you’re living in a motel every day. It’s really challenging.” “Even if people on a low or middle income are able to secure a rental, it often means making difficult choices between essential items, often going without food, heating, or other basics to meet rising rents.” Ms Northover said housing supply is what is needed. “We, like many other proven housing providers, have shovel-ready projects for the release of the Housing Australia Future Fund.” even then, affordability rates sat at two per cent or less. Believe Housing Australia’s Executive General Manager, Stacey Northover, said low vacancy rates and rising rents affected everyone, and South Australians were finding themselves in housing stress and even homeless for the first time. “We know the situation is dreadful for those on the lowest incomes, but this survey demonstrates that the housing system is also failing those on middle incomes, including those in full-time work,” she said.
For those essential workers wanting to live in Adelaide’s south, west, or northern suburbs, the situation is dire, with zero to two per cent of available properties considered affordable. The Adelaide Central and Hills areas had the highest number of properties affordable to essential workers but
Anglicare Australia’s latest Rental Affordability Snapshot, released in August, focused on essential workers in full-time work. The outlook for South Australian workers is bleak, with less than seven per cent of rentals affordable to any category of full-time employed essential workers.
Andrea’s story
“We didn’t think we would have so much trouble finding a place. “But every inspection we went to had queues of so many people there, all trying to find a private rental like us. Our applications kept getting rejected. “It’s very depressing. You start to doubt whether you’ll ever find somewhere to live.” “We knew we would have to become more flexible with how much we paid and where we would live.” Eventually, after more than three months, Andrea and her husband were successful in securing a private rental – for $550 per week, a lot further away from their places of work, and in a house that is bigger than they needed.
Working in the homelessness sector, Andrea knows only too well the challenges facing people trying to find a suitable and affordable rental property in South Australia. But when her landlord gave her 90 days’ notice to vacate the northern suburbs rental property she shared with her husband, she experienced firsthand just how tough the rental crisis is. “We are both employed, we have no children and no pets, and we could afford to spend $400 per week on rent,” said Andrea.
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