THE number of affordable rental properties in Kingston has slumped by 92 per cent over the past 10 years – making life even tougher for low income earners.
Figures released by the Council for Homeless Persons show the number of homes able to be afforded to families on Centrelink benefits had shrunk to just 2.4 per cent of the total number of rental properties in Kingston, down from 29 per cent in December 2003. The situataion for one-bedroom rental apartments was even worse, with none considered affordable for a single person on benefits.
The affordability figure for two-bedroom apartments stands at 2.9 per cent for a single parent with one child on benefits, while only 1.9 per cent three-bedroom apartments were within reach of a couple with two children on benefits.
Unemployment benefits are $255 a week, or $36 a day.
These sorry figures reflect the growing “gentrification” of many suburbs once considered affordable, with rents having soared in recent years, forcing many residents to live in “housing stress’’ where more than 30 per cent of their income is spent on housing costs.
And the story in the cheaper pockets of neighbouring suburbs is not much better, according to data from the state government’s Office of Housing.
“It’s a very stark situation,” Council to Homeless Persons chief executive officer Jenny Smith said.
“We do assume people can find a cheap place to rent in Kingston, but with the rental increases we’ve seen in the past five years, on a low income you can’t afford anything.”
This forces people to spend money on housing that should be used for the basics in life – their children, food and education, Ms Smith said.
When the federal government’s welfare cuts begin on 15 January next year, housing and homelessness services are at a loss to explain how people will afford accommodation, she said.
Practical support comes in many ways but everything helps. A gift of 10 swags from Swags for Homeless will make sleeping rough a little easier for some of Kingston’s homeless.
Chelsea Community Support Services manager Anne Catanese said the heavy duty bags were of good quality.
“We know some people prefer to sleep rough rather than find a place in a rooming house so they will be welcome,” she said.
“We have a number of no-fixed-address people and others that are couch surfing and they often don’t come up on government statistics.”
Ms Catanese said her group had given out 15 swags since last September, mainly to single males, and a new consignment has just arrived. They will be in demand. “Most recipients are on Newstart of $252 and, as the average rooming house rent is $180-$240per week, they have little cash left over for living.”
The swags are a godsend for those avoiding boarding houses due to the issues they find there: mental illness, substance abuse, anger issues and prison exits.
“People who are struggling with their personal situations find they are compounded when they are housed with other individuals with complex issues.
Ms Catanese said increasing numbers were presenting with an Acquired Brain Injury and they tended to “fall between the cracks of the social system”.
“They are often unable to obtain private rental, mainly due to the way in which they present. They are usually receiving a Disability Support pension, or being managed by the State Trustees, leaving them to rely on rooming houses or, in some cases, the preferred option of sleeping rough.”
Ken Gooding, coordinator of Pantry 5000, which distributes food to the needy, said Carrum/Seaford and surrounds had many low socio-economic areas and many former Housing Commission flats. Tenants are often single mothers struggling to make ends meet.
“Each week we distribute 180-200 food parcels with over half going to single parent families. All recipients are on some form of government support and family or disability benefits.”
Mr Gooding said a big jump in demand for food parcels occurred late last year when the government moved many recipients from Family Support to Newstart. “They’d come to us and say they’ve just lost $100 a week and can we help them with a food parcel.” He said the ramifications of the federal Budget would likely have a greater impact when its cuts made themselves known.
Hanover runs a low-income support service at Cheltenham and says its work is now increasingly focused on suburbs such as Kingston.
“We see a large number of people experiencing homelessness in the city of Kingston through our Cheltenham service, often families who literally have nowhere else to go,” chief executive Tony Keenan said.
“Our staff refers them on to other agencies, engage them in our innovative programs and provide them with access to short term and interim housing.
“Hanover’s approach is integrated: we’re committed to providing sustainable pathways out of homelessness for people using our services – we run an Employment Service to ensure our clients can get work and housing.
“Education is a really important focus for us; we are committed to keeping homeless children in school – we know that one of the best things we can do for kids is give them access to education.
“Our Children’s Tutor program is run once a week in Cheltenham, volunteer tutors support children who have experienced homelessness, giving them a chance to get back up to speed with their schooling.
“In addition to managing a large number of properties in the area, we also work with private landlords to get families and individuals into long term sustainable private rental.”
Last year, Hanover helped 6500 people through crisis, transitional and private rental housing and support programs – with almost a quarter aged under 18.
Also, it provided 115 crisis accommodation beds every night and assisted 832 job seekers through the Job Services Australia program. Sadly, one in five of its clients had a diagnosed mental health issue.
Mr Keenan said the top three factors clients cited as leading to homelessness were financial difficulties and housing affordability, housing crisis (eviction and ending of lease), and family violence.
