Community Housing Industry Association Victoria says more social and affordable housing must be prioritised, as a new report highlights how unaffordable rentals are for many people in the state.
Anglicare’s Rental Affordability Snapshot shows there are no affordable rentals in Victoria for people on JobSeeker, Youth Allowance and other Centrelink payments.
The report has also found less than one per cent of rentals are affordable for single people earning a full-time minimum wage, with and without children.
CHIA Vic acting chief executive Jason Perdriau said social and affordable housing should be central to the Victorian Government’s planning reforms.
“It’s clear Victorian renters are being let down by the private market. Right now, Victorians have limited affordable housing options with the state having the lowest proportion of social housing in the country. This is unacceptable,” Mr Perdriau said.
“The central question when considering planning reforms should be: ‘How do we create a fairer system that provides the homes Victorians need?’ With more and more Victorians facing rental stress and being placed at risk of homelessness, we can’t achieve this without more social and affordable housing.
“The Victorian Government has an opportunity to future-proof the sustainability of the construction industry. A state-wide mechanism that requires developers to contribute to social housing supply would deliver the pipeline of social housing growth many Victorians are counting on, as well as the funded works that builders need especially during a downturn.
“Too many Victorians are waiting for a safe, decent, affordable place to call home. We’re calling on the government to create a fairer housing system that provides the homes renters need, by ensuring the delivery of social housing is central to planning reforms.”
