Close Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Read Our Newspapers Online
    • Read the Latest Western Port News
    • Read the Latest Mornington News
    • Read the Latest Southern Peninsula News
    • Read the Latest Frankston Times
    • Read the Latest Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News
  • Competition
  • Home New
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Thursday, July 3
Breaking News
  • E-bike rider charged following fatal collision in Hastings
Facebook X (Twitter)
MPNEWSMPNEWS
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Home New
Breaking News
MPNEWSMPNEWS
Home»News»Rent stress resides in ‘affordable’ suburbs
News

Rent stress resides in ‘affordable’ suburbs

By Stephen TaylorMay 22, 2017No Comments3 Mins Read
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

RYE, Rosebud and Hastings are just three out of seven Melbourne suburbs where single parents on a low income can avoid what are described as “severely unaffordable” rents.

The latest rental affordability index put out by the Council to Homeless Persons shows that a single parent on a low income would still experience rent stress even in these suburbs where rents are described as “unaffordable”.

“It’s a dire situation to be in if you’re a single parent, struggling to look after children, scraping by on a low income and trying to find a place to live,” the council’s CEO Jenny Smith said.

“With so few affordable options, no wonder so many slip into homelessness.”

The rental affordability index produced by National Shelter and SGS Economics compares the cost of rent with various household incomes. It shows there are no suburbs where a single parent on a low income would find affordable rent.

“There is no escaping high Melbourne rents: it’s a choice of living somewhere unaffordable or severely unaffordable,” Ms Smith said. “The index shows just how bleak it is if you’re poor and trying keep a roof over your head.”

Statistics show that women fare worst – particularly if they have left a violent relationship and are looking for a safe, affordable place to live. “Women and children are forced to either live in extreme poverty while paying high rent, or move far away from jobs, schools and support services and with high transport costs to find somewhere more affordable,” Ms Smith said.

The homeless persons council says the federal government needs to do more to boost social housing stock so that low-income earners have an alternative to sky-high private rentals.

The seven Melbourne suburbs where a low-income single parent would avoid “severely unaffordable” rents are all more than 35 kilometres from central Melbourne.

“Rents in those suburbs still leave a single parent on a low annual income of $40,000 paying more than they can afford,” Ms Smith said.

She said the other “more affordable” suburbs were Melton, Brookfield, Wyndham Vale and Pakenham.

The report’s release follows on from the federal budget which welfare organisations say did “not go anywhere near far enough in tackling the housing affordability crisis which underlies Australia’s rising homelessness”.

“[It] leaves the vast majority of renters no better off,” Ms Smith said.

“It won’t deliver the massive injection to social housing that we need. It hasn’t properly tackled negative gearing and capital gains tax and there’s no boost to rent assistance to help low-income renters in the private rental market.”

First published in the Mornington News – 23 May 2017

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

Related Posts

Advocates celebrate abuse law change

July 3, 2025

Railway station scam

July 1, 2025

Flinders result unaffected by poll blunder – AEC

July 1, 2025

Grand Hotel’s tower revamp signals new chapter for icon

June 26, 2025
Add A Comment

Comments are closed.

Peninsula Essence Magazine – Click to Read
Peninsula Kids Magazine – Click to Read
Letters to the Editor
Property of the Week

14 Bass Street, McCrae

June 3, 2025
Council Watch

Shire secures $3.9m to tackle road safety

June 16, 2025

Kinder flyer flag snub prompts councillors to take over

June 10, 2025
100 Years Ago This Week

Baxter – On The ‘Wallaby’ with a walking group

July 1, 2025
Interview

Firefighter shows skills from sea to snow

February 5, 2024
Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Home New
About

Established in 2006, Mornington Peninsula News Group (MPNG) is a locally owned and operated, independent media company.

MPNG publishes five weekly community newspapers: the Western Port News, Mornington News, Southern Peninsula News, Frankston Times and Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News.

MPNG also publishes two glossy magazines: Peninsula Essence and Peninsula Kids.

Facebook X (Twitter)
© 2025 Mornington Peninsula News Group.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.