Urgent investment needed into affordable housing

Anglicare NT is calling on the government to urgently invest in more affordable homes and raise the rate of welfare for good. The call is being made as Anglicare NT and Anglicare Australia release the annual Rental Affordability Snapshot.

The Snapshot surveyed 70,000 rental listings and found a chronic shortage of affordable rentals across Australia and particularly in the Northern Territory.

The new ‘Coronavirus Supplement’, an additional $550 per fortnight, is giving households on certain government payments badly needed relief. However, even with double the income, private rent remains unaffordable. People with a disability or on the age pension missed out altogether. At a time when one of the most important health messages is to stay at home, there were zero properties suitable for single Territorians on these payments.

Making the welfare increase permanent and extending it to people on the disability support and age pension would go a long way towards helping Territorians keep a roof over their heads and assist them to buy essential supplies.

Ending the affordable housing shortfall is another essential step towards tackling the current rental crisis – and boosting our economy. Right now, there are over 4500 households on the Northern Territory public housing waitlist with a 6-8 year wait time in some regions. While demand for affordable homes continues to grow in the Territory, investment in new public and community housing in urban areas remains low.

To read the full Rental Affordability Snapshot, click here.