Just one rental in Australia affordable for JobSeekers like Jess

Anglicare Australia's latest Rental Affordability Snapshot paints a grim picture for those struggling to find secure housing in our nation. The findings are stark: a single person on a JobSeeker payment has virtually no chance of finding an affordable rental, with just one listing out of nearly 50,000 deemed accessible.

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I can barely afford to live, and I've very much come to the conclusion that I will probably never own a home. So I've just sort of given up on saving at all.

This isn't just a statistic; it's a reflection of the daily reality for countless Australians like Jessica Menace, a student who has experienced multiple moves in just three years and fears being in 'a lot of trouble' if she had to find a new place tomorrow. Her story underscores the profound instability and anxiety faced by those on low incomes, a situation exacerbated by a dwindling supply of rental properties.

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But at one point, I had been in something like nine different places in three years. It got to the point where I've just lost count.

The widening gap between incomes and rental prices is a critical issue that demands urgent attention. While dual-income families on minimum wages fare slightly better, their options are still severely limited, and the situation deteriorates dramatically for those relying on single incomes or parenting payments. This trend, as Anglicare's report notes, is a direct consequence of a system that prioritizes investors over the fundamental need for affordable housing.

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I think I'd be f*****, or if you want a more eloquent quote, I'd be in a lot of trouble if I had to find a new rental tomorrow.

As we look towards the May budget, there's speculation about tax reforms, including potential cuts to capital gains tax. While such measures might appeal to investors, they do little to address the immediate crisis faced by our most vulnerable citizens. Anglicare's call for tax reform that supports housing affordability must be heard, as the current trajectory is unsustainable and deeply damaging to the social fabric of our country.

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Over time, the gap between incomes and rents has widened.