80yo cancer patient's rent jumps 41pc as housing subsidy ends

Pensioner Paula Swann, 80, faces couch surfing and a cleaning job after her affordable housing subsidy ended, forcing her rent to jump from $319 to $420 a week. The National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) has wound down, removing subsidies for landlords who leased homes below market rates. Swann, who moved out in April, spent three months with friends before securing new housing, but now works weekly cleaning jobs to meet income requirements for her new rent.

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It's very hard. I never expected that at 79 I'd be homeless.

Victor Anderson, an 80-year-old cancer patient, faces a similar crisis. His rent increased by 41% to $475 a week after his NRAS-subsidized apartment was no longer covered. Anderson, who is undergoing treatment for stage 4 bowel cancer, is distressed by the lack of support and the financial strain. He feels abandoned by the government, stating, "Thousands of people like me and nobody to talk to."

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With the cleaning job and rental assistance, the income just reaches what I'm supposed to make.

These cases highlight the impact of the NRAS wind-down, which affected over 36,000 former subsidized homes and supported over 60,000 tenants at its peak. National Shelter CEO Jackson Hills emphasizes the urgent need for a new affordable housing scheme to combat the escalating housing crisis and prevent vulnerable individuals from facing homelessness.

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It's very traumatic, and now I'm worrying about what's going to happen next year: will I be in the same situation? I'm on the social housing list, but I'll probably be dead before I reach the top.