May 1, 2019
A new study by the University of NSW has found the Wide Bay electorate is one of the worst in Australia for rental stress.
The study was carried out for the national campaign, Everybody’s Home, which is calling on the Federal Government to make major reforms to housing.
It found electorates in south-east Queensland were among the worst in the nation for rental stress, with almost four in ten renters struggling with housing they cannot afford.
Hinkler topped the list of the worst Queensland electorates, with 41 per cent of households who rent experiencing chronic rental stress.
It was followed by Moncreiff (40pc), Longman (40pc), Wide Bay (39pc) and McPherson (39pc).
Wide Bay was the 12th worst in the nation.
Q Shelter spokesperson, Fiona Caniglia, said Queensland had eight of the 20 electorates in the country with the highest proportion of renters in rental stress.
Seven of these were located outside of Brisbane.
“Throughout this Federal Election campaign, candidates have talked a lot about tackling cost of living pressures,” Ms Caniglia said.
“If candidates are serious about addressing cost of living, then they have to answer what they are going to do to address chronic rental stress, including regional Queensland.
“We’re calling on all candidates to commit to real measures that will boost the supply of social and affordable housing and reduce the unacceptably high level of rental stress across the state.”
Everybody’s Home campaign spokesperson, Kate Colvin, said the data destroyed the myth that housing affordability was an inner Melbourne or Sydney issue.
“The narrow focus on real estate prices for young homebuyers means that almost 190,000 Queensland households in rental stress are being forgotten by governments at all levels,” Ms Colvin said.
“Under-investment in social housing, increasing rents and low wage growth mean low and middle-income earners are struggling right across the country.”
Ms Colvin said Queensland voters in the Federal election should call on all parties to announce policies that would address the cost of housing – the biggest single cost of living for households.
The Everybody’s Home campaign called on governments 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, and
- Support a national plan to end homelessness by 2030
(Source: Residential Tenancies Authority)
