Australia’s high price of housing has seen more and more Australians struggling to pay their rent, according to a new survey.
Anglicare Australia’s annual Rental Affordability Snapshot revealed that there is a serious shortage of affordable rental housing, with low income Australians being hit the hardest.
“Despite an increase in properties available in private rental markets this year, the 2015 Snapshot highlights remarkably well that low incomes, such as government payments and the minimum wage, are insufficient to cover costs in the Australian rental market,” the report said.
The results reveal that single people on government payments are “seriously disadvantaged” in the housing market, with less than 1% of the listed properties rates as suitable.
Single people on minimum wage, however, would find 3.3% of listed properties suitable if they had children, and 2.3% if they were living on their own.
Couples on minimum wage fare far better in the rental market, with 23.8% of properties suitable for a couple with two children on minimum wage. However, the same family on government allowances would only have access to 0.9% of the available listings.
“The housing crisis is too critical an issue to be overlooked and must be acted upon immediately,” the report states.
