Anglicare Australia is calling for the government to step up as its latest figures reveal the housing crisis is the worst it’s ever been.
A nationwide Rental Affordability Snapshot, released this week, shows renters on income support or low incomes are being left behind and forgotten in the private market.
The snapshot surveyed 1,749 rental listings across Newcastle, Hunter, Lake Macquarie, Central Coast and Mid Coast regions.
It found only 16 rentals (0.9%) were affordable for a single person earning minimum wage, while five rentals (0.3%) were affordable for a couple with two children earning minimum wage plus Parenting Payment.
The report also showed seven rentals (0.4%) were affordable for a person on the Disability Support Pension.
Zero rentals were affordable for a single parent on the Parenting Payment or Job Seeker, or for a single person on Youth Allowance.
Newcastle Anglican service agency Samaritans is supporting an increasing number of people doing it tough in our community.
A total of 3,554 people reached out for help through Samaritans Emergency Relief centres this financial year, up to March.
That is an increase of 10 per cent on the same period last year.
Anglicare Australia Executive Director Kasy Chambers said the current crisis across the nation was the “new normal”.
“People on Centrelink payments are being pushed out of housing altogether,” she said.
“A person on the age or disability support pensions can afford less than 1 per cent of rentals.
“For a person out of work, it’s 0 per cent – and that includes the highest rate of rent assistance.”
Ms Chambers believed the government needed to invest in more housing and provide less support to private investors.
“Instead of spending billions on tax breaks for investors, the government should be building the housing we need,” she said.
“If the government doesn’t take action in the next Budget, this crisis will only get worse.”