There isn’t a single Leeton property affordable and appropriate available for a single parent with two children receiving sole parenting payments to rent, according to a recently released report.
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The 2017 Anglicare ‘Rental Affordability Snapshot’ report found an extremely low rate of accessible homes for low income families not only in Leeton, but across Australia.
The report has prompted Anglicare to call on the government to take urgent action on the affordability of having a home in the upcoming budget.
“The affordability of rent in Leeton is devastating for people on low incomes,” Leeton Anglicare’s Kate Willis said on Monday.
“Lack of affordability of housing is a nation-wide problem and being a regional area doesn’t make us immune.”
Ms Willis explained while rents were often slightly cheaper in regional areas like Leeton – living in the country also meant families faced added complexities like a lower number of properties, lower incomes and less employment opportunities.
But it is not only single parents who are doing it tough when it comes to finding a home – with only three homes for households on income support payments and only 12 for households on minimum wages available on the report’s snapshot day.
Executive director of Anglicare Australia Kasey Chambers said more needed to be done to help families into safe, appropriate and affordable housing.
“The budget must include investment in public housing, a plan to improve renter’s rights, more support from community housing options that meet everyone’s needs and a commitment to winding back capital gains tax and negative gearing concessions to fund this investment in housing.
“We also need to see support payments go up as a matter of urgency.”
