Paul Bibby
Increases to welfare payments under COVID-19 must be made permanent so that all locals can afford a decent place to live, according to the authors of a new rental snapshot.
Anglicare North Coast’s annual rental affordability snapshot found that, prior to the increase, just 19 properties available for rent across the entire North Coast were affordable for a household on welfare.
However, once the doubling of welfare payments was factored in, the number of affordable properties jumped to 122.
Anglicare North Coast’s Interim Chief Executive Officer Leon Ankersmit said the welfare increase had to be made permanent.
‘The Coronavirus Supplement will mean that couples with children in particular are better able to compete in the rental market,’ Dr Ankersmit said.
‘An out-of-work couple with two children will see an eight per cent increase in affordability. This will help lift children out of poverty across the North Coast.
‘On the other hand single parents on government payments will see very little benefit. They can afford just 4 rentals out of 955 listings.’
‘We must raise the rate of these payments for good. If they are halved in six months renters across our region will be pushed even deeper into poverty and homelessness.’
Dr Ankersmit also pointed out that only some welfare recipients received the increase, with those on the old-age pension and the disability pension missing out.
‘They are at the very bottom of the market, and can afford less than one per cent of rentals,’ he said.
‘Instead of looking after them in the midst of a health crisis, we are leaving them to the mercy of the market.’
The other group being left out were those in the lowest income bracket.
For a household earning the minimum wage, just 229 properties across the entire North Coast were considered to be affordable.
Dr Ankersmit said this highlighted the fact that providing more affordable housing was ultimately the key to addressing the housing affordability crisis.
‘Our shortfall is massive – we need 5,900 new affordable rentals just to meet the shortfall on the Mid North Coast,’ he said.
‘Investing in housing would be the most powerful way to tackle the rental crisis – and boost our regional economy.
‘We’re calling on the Federal and State governments to work together and end this shortfall – and ensure everyone has a place to call home.’
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