Growing housing supply crisis in SA for low-income earners, Rental Affordability survey shows
EXCLUSIVE: Low-income earners are trapped in a housing supply crisis, with only 4 per cent of 4000 vacant rental properties deemed “affordable”, a new survey shows.
LOW-INCOME earners are trapped in a housing supply crisis, with only 4 per cent of 4000 vacant rental properties deemed “affordable”, a new survey shows.
A snapshot of the housing rental market in Adelaide this month revealed the growing gap in the availability of budget accommodation.
Anglicare SA’s latest Rental Affordability survey also showed more than a third of South Australians on low incomes cannot afford the “basic necessities’’ of life.
The housing crisis has prompted calls by welfare groups for the State Government to establish a $250 million loan scheme to build more affordable housing and reduce homelessness while creating jobs.
The scheme would mirror the $250 million in low-interest construction loans currently offered by the Government to private schools.
SA Council of Social Services spokesman Ross Womersley said “many people in SA do not have secure, affordable housing”.
“There is no doubt an affordable housing supply crisis,’’ he said.
Using the Government’s ability to borrow large amounts of money at low interest rates to fund community housing projects would help alleviate the crisis, Mr Womersley said.
“This is not a handout — the idea of the loan scheme is giving extra help to community housing providers at a slightly cheaper rates for them to build homes.
“When we saw in last year’s budget the loan scheme for private schools we immediately thought this would be a great idea for community housing.’’
Mr Womersley said the reduction of up to 25,000 Housing Trust properties in the past two decades had contributed to the shortage of affordable accommodation.
Community Housing Council of SA spokeswoman Carmel Rosier said the loan scheme could be administrated by the SA Government Financing Authority.
“Community housing serves a crucial role in providing stable accommodation and support for people transitioning out of homelessness, people who are disadvantaged and people on low incomes,” she said.
“This $250 million scheme will enable registered community housing providers to build and deliver more affordable housing to people who need it the most.”
Ms Rosier said community housing providers has “a proven track record’’ in delivering new housing to meet the needs of the tens of thousands who are priced out of the private rental market.
The Government has already been strongly engaged with community housing providers, having transferred hundreds of trust homes to their administration in recent years.
Both councils’ recommended only community housing providers registered under the National Regulatory System for Community Housing would be eligible for these loans.
