60,000 South Australian households in rental stress
01/05/2019
More than one in three households in South Australia’s top five electorates for rental stress are struggling in housing they can’t afford, electorate data released today shows.
The University of NSW analysis for national housing campaign, Everybody’s Home shows that 31% of South Australia’s 192,000 rental households, are experiencing rental stress.
Kingston in outer Adelaide tops the list of electorates for rental stress in South Australia, with 38% of households who rent in Kingston experiencing rental stress.
Kingston has the 20thhighest rate of rental stress in the country.
Alice Clark, Executive Director of Shelter SA said, “The number of South Australians living with rental stress has doubled since 2007 and it is critical that we have national leadership, policy and associated funding to address the supply of social and affordable housing.
“We have growing numbers of people experiencing homelessness as a direct result of housing that is not affordable for the lowest two household income quintiles and we need to do better.”
National Everybody’s Home campaign spokesperson, Kate Colvin said the data busted the myth that housing affordability is just an inner Melbourne or Sydney issue.
“Underinvestment in social housing and increasing rents in the private market mean that low and middle income earners are struggling to find a home they can afford right across Australia, including 60,000 South Australian households who are living in rental stress.”
The seat-by-seat comparison compares rents and incomes across electorates to identify the number of households in rental stress.
Ms Colvin said voters in this Federal election expect all parties to announce policies that will address the cost of housing – the biggest single cost of living for households.
Everybody’s Home campaign is calling on the Federal Government to:
- Develop a national strategy to provide the national shortfall of 500,000 social and affordable homes;
- Prioritise home buyers over investors by resetting the tax system;
- Ensure a better deal for renters;
- Increase Commonwealth Rent Assistance to provide immediate relief for renters in chronic rental stress;
- Create a national plan to end homelessness by 2030.