A growing housing shortage is making it more challenging for Wyndham resident to find secure housing, according to a homelessness support worker.
Uniting Vic.Tas homelessness senior manager western Adam Liversage said as rental prices continue to increase, housing is becoming out of reach for a growing number of people.
“We’re seeing more older people, 65 and over, coming to us for housing assistance. It’s mainly singles, especially single women, who may have lost their husband and are suddenly having to survive on one income,“ he said.
The western suburbs have an unmet housing need of 20,200, the estimated number of households that were not living in appropriate housing on census night in 2021, according to the University of New South Wales.
The figure represents western suburbs residents who were either experiencing homelessness, living in severely overcrowded homes, or spending over 30 per cent of their income on rent.
Mr Liversage said many private rental tenants were also facing pressures by landlords wanting to sell.
“If they’re not having to leave their property, tenants are regularly being hit with rent increases of up to $20 or $30 a week,“ he said.
“The average weekly rent for a three-bedroom property in Wyndham is around $360, but there’s no way somebody on Jobseeker or Youth Allowance can afford that, so they’ll often go into share accommodation, younger people will couch surf with friends or they’ll sleep rough.
“An average family in this area will apply for between 30 to 50 properties and if you’re unemployed, on income support or if you have a big family, you’ll struggle to compete with the couple on a double income or the single person with a stable job.
“It gets to the stage, where some people are so disheartened they start to disengage.“
