Sydney housing crisis forcing families of eight to cram into two-bedroom units

The youngest members of largest households are paying the price of the Harbour City’s housing affordability crisis with rocketing rents and home prices forcing kids to cram into a single bedroom.

Sydney’s housing affordability crisis is forcing families to cram more than three children, even teenagers, into a single bedroom as they battle for enough space to thrive.

Community groups are warning of a slow but chronic rise in “overcrowded” living conditions, often reporting families of eight living in two-bedroom apartments.

The epicentre of the problem is in Sydney’s west and southwest where there is a greater proportion of multi-generational living and larger households.

Experts say rising rents and house prices have contributed to the problem.

Rental and housing affordability has meant larger households often have to squeeze into smaller homes or units.

Formal definitions of overcrowding mean that there are more than two people per bedroom, children aged over five of different sex having to share a room and any single household members over 18 also having to share.

The census is expected to provide an accurate overview of the problem when it is released in June next year.

Four community organisations have spoken extensively of the rising problem to The Daily Telegraph.

In 2016, the census found overcrowding had already risen by 74 per cent in the 15 years prior. Areas including Canterbury, Fairfield, Merrylands, Guildford, Strathfield, Burwood and Ashfield were identified as the worst, facing high or severe crowding.

In these areas median rental prices from the Tenants Union NSW for a four plus bedroom house ranges from $580 to $960 a week.

Inner city suburbs commanded even higher prices.

Upper House MP and Labor housing spokeswoman Rose Jackson.

State Labor is calling for the government to increase housing supply and also to invest recovery funding in affordable housing options.

“Sydney is the housing overcrowding capital of Australia,” Labor housing spokeswoman Rose Jackson said.

“The saddest thing is the impact this is having on children – 45 per cent of the people living in overcrowded housing conditions are children and young people.”

Core Community Services chief executive Juana Reinoso works in Fairfield and frequently sees families sharing “poor quality” apartments with each bedroom being shared by “several people”.

Homelessness NSW chief executive Katherine McKernan said there had been considerable anecdotal evidence about a jump in severe overcrowding since the most recent public figures.

She said the increase was due to increasing housing ­affordability and expensive private rentals.

“It can also impact schooling and the ability of children to be able to study and ­develop and thrive,” she said.

The Asman siblings, David, Klodia, Rita, Jelena and Steven Asman, who share rooms in their four-bedroom house in Greenfield Park. Picture: Richard Dobson

Committee of Sydney director of strategy Ehssan Veiszadeh said the government’s approach of solving housing affordability and shortages by “drip feeding supply in the outskirts of Sydney” was not working.

Housing affordability has pushed the Asman family of eight to live in a four-bedroom house with three of their six kids crammed into a single bedroom and the whole family sharing one bathroom.

Mr Asman said he wished they could afford a bigger house. “Even this house, we were looking for more than a year and we found this” he said. “We applied for other houses and didn’t get ­accepted.

“They didn’t tell us the reason why but we think it is because we are a big family but we can’t afford a big house.”

Planning Minister Rob Stokes said housing approvals were “up nine per cent on last year”.

“The planning system alone cannot solve all of our housing affordability challenges, but we are doing our part to speed up approvals with a series of major reforms,” he said.

“We’re rezoning land for new homes – 18,000 in south west Sydney alone. We’re also changing housing policy to give people more affordable choices.”