Homelessness Week 1st-7th August 2021
Housing has become a source of deep stress for Australians on modest incomes. Skyrocketing property prices have made ownership a pipe dream. And there is ever-fiercer competition for rental properties. Parts of regional Australia are in a crisis as people with big city incomes move in and drive up the cost of housing. The system just isn’t working for regular Australians. Expanding social and affordable housing would give Australians more options and relieve the pressure.
Housing is more than just shelter. An adequate home is foundational to living a healthy life with safety, security, and a sense of wellbeing. This year’s Homelessness Week theme reflects the urgent need for social and affordable housing across the country, and aims to highlight the structural changes required to fix Australia’s housing system and end homelessness.
The 2021 Anglicare Rental Affordability snapshot surveyed more than 74,000 rental listings across Australia and found:
○ 859 were affordable for a person on the minimum wage
○ 386 rentals were affordable for a single person on the Age Pension
○ 236 rentals were affordable for a person on the Disability Support Pension
○ 3 rentals, including share houses, were affordable for a person on JobSeeker
○ 0 rentals, including share houses, were affordable for a person on Youth Allowance
Homelessness Week is a good time to bring this issue to the forefront. Check out the following two guides to see how you might be able to help:
Homelessness-Week-2021-Supporter-Pack.pdf
Everybodys-Home-Comms-Kit-July-2021.pdf
Homelessness Australia has a list of some resources you might find useful and/or interesting:
- Homelessness factsheets – A range of information on issues relating to homelessness and what is needed to address them. www.homelessnessaustralia.org.au/homelessness-resources
- Make your MP work for you – Resources from Oxfam on writing to your MP, visiting your MP, and what you can ask them to do. www.oxfam.org.au/get-involved/campaign-with-us/make-your-mp-work-for-you
- Homelessness heat maps – Heat maps from Everybody’s Home containing localised information on homelessness and housing. www.everybodyshome.com.au/heat-maps
- Housing Assistance in Australia – Data about housing assistance in Australia from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. www.aihw.gov.au/reports/housing-assistance/housing-assistance-in-australia
- Rental Affordability snapshot – Snapshot of housing affordability in Australia released yearly by Anglicare Australia. www.anglicare.asn.au/publications/rental-affordability-snapshot-2021
With thanks to Everybody’s Home and Homelessness Australia for providing resources and information about Homelessness Week 2021.