Moonee Valley pushed off shrinking list of affordable housing for single people on low income

SINGLE working women in search of affordable rentals aren’t likely to find them in this pocket of Melbourne’s northwest.

Council to Homeless Persons chief executive Jenny Smith says there needs to be a policy in place to tackle housing affordability. Picture: Josie Hayden

SINGLE working women in search of affordable rentals aren’t likely to find them in Moonee Valley.

Council to Homeless Persons data shows just 28 of 106 Melbourne suburbs are now considered affordable to females on an average working wage, compared to 52 suburbs in 2007.

Essendon, Moonee Ponds-Ascot Vale and Keilor East-Avondale Heights have dropped off the list.

And with demand for one-bedroom properties skyrocketing, so too are prices.

CHP chief executive Jenny Smith said single people on low incomes were forced to spend more money than they could afford on rent.

“If you think about it, we don’t actually have a policy in place,” she said.

“Nothing has changed in recent times at all to tackle our problem of housing affordability.”

Ms Smith said capital gains tax and negative gearing spurred those with properties to buy more, and urged the Federal Government to encourage investment at the lower end of the market.

She also called on the State Government to introduce inclusionary zoning to ensure 10 per cent of redevelopments were low-cost options.

A Federal Department of Social Services spokesperson said no changes were planned for negative gearing or capital gains tax, but $6.8 billion would be given to a range of rent assistance, homelessness and housing affordability programs over 2016-17.

Moonee Valley Council chief executive Bryan Lancaster said the council had prepared the Affordable and Inclusive Housing Action Plan 2014-15 to help boost supply.

The State Government did not respond to requests for comment.