FAMILIES on low incomes in Swan Hill are finding it harder to secure affordable housing as the gap between income and rental prices widens.
Anglicare Australia’s 2022 Rental Affordability Snapshot report found couples on Jobseeker, parenting payments, and age pensions in Mildura and Swan Hill were especially impacted by the lack of affordable accommodation.
Only two properties listed in Swan Hill were classed as affordable, and only for couples earning a minimum wage.
Further west in Mildura, of 85 properties listed, only 11 were affordable for people on income support payments or pensions, while just over half were affordable for people earning a minimum wage.
The survey noted that the median weekly rent in Swan Hill was $275. In Mildura, the median weekly rent had fallen from $340 in 2021 to $330.
The 22nd snapshot survey, which Anglicare taken each March, found that across Victoria the number of private rentals had reduced by 40 per cent and regional Victoria’s weekly median rent rose from $370 to $395, making it the highest recorded by the survey.
Michael Oerlemans, Anglicare Victoria’s north-central region director, said while there was a “historical lack” of investment in social and public housing, there had been a “perfect storm” of factors increasing unaffordability.
“There’s been landlords moving back in to their homes, there’s been inflation, there’s been an increase in holiday rentals,” Mr Oerlemans said.
He said the decrease in supply had “significantly” reduced affordable options for people on low incomes in Swan Hill.
“The only people who were able to afford rental properties were people on the minimum wage or the Family Tax Benefit, or people on the minimum wage with the parenting payment.
“If you were on the age pension, then you couldn’t afford to rent a property. If you were on Jobseeker, you couldn’t afford to rent a property. If you were in a share house on Youth Allowance, you couldn’t afford to rent a property.
“There were only two properties available in Swan Hill to rent anyway. So even if you had an income, you would still be in a very competitive rental market.
The 22nd snapshot survey comes as the annual inflation figures rose by 5.1 per cent, reaching levels last recorded in the year 2000 after rises in the cost of petrol, home building and the price of food.
Mr Oerlemans said the gap in income and rent could be reduced in the short term by raising the job seeker allowance, increasing tax relief through the Family Tax Benefit, and looking at further rental assistance.
But while longer-term solutions would involve increasing supply by building more affordable housing, Mr Oerlemans called for the local community to use their voice to influence government polity.
“Communities need to talk to their local politicians at state and federal levels … to identify these issues,” he said.
“This gap is not simply going to hit the vulnerable people in our community, it’s going to hit our children, who won’t be able to be in rental and purchase accommodation and our grandchildren.”
People experiencing homelessness in the region can call MASP on 5021 6500 or Haven; Home Safe on 5018 4200.
