By Laura Michell
Rental affordability in Brimbank has fallen over the past 12 months, despite the municipality being one of Melbourne’s most affordable for households living on the minimum wage or income support payments.
According to Anglicare Victoria’s 2023 Rental Affordability Snapshot, Brimbank is Melbourne’s fifth most affordable local government area for households living on an income support payment and the third most affordable for those on the minimum wage.
The snapshot is aims to to calculate the proportion of advertised rental properties that are both affordable and appropriate for different household types on the minimum wage, or on a Commonwealth income support payment or pension. It is based on a snapshot of properties listed for rent on realestate.com.au on March 18.
Anglicare defines rental affordability as costing less than 30 per cent of the household’s total income.
According to the snapshot, on March 18 this year, 387 properties (55.4 per cent) advertised in Brimbank were affordable to households living on the minimum wage. In 2022, Anglicare found that 856 properties (56.9 per cent) advertised in Brimbank were affordable for this cohort of renters.
The snapshot also reveals that eight properties (1.1 per cent) advertised in Brimbank were affordable for households living on income support payments, down from 41 properties (2.7 per cent) in 2022.
“Across metropolitan Melbourne, the rate of affordability remains very low as in previous years, and strongly indicates that people on income support do not have access to appropriate and affordable properties,” the report stated.
“With very low rental vacancy rates, fewer number of properties are available in the rental market for all incomes further pushing many low-income households into housing stress.”
Anglicare Victoria acting chief executive Sue Sealey said rental affordability was disproportionately affecting young people.
“Our young people need better support to find safe and affordable housing. A quarter of Victorians currently without a home are between the ages of 12 and 24, and only three per cent of social housing properties are leased to people in this age group. This urgently needs to change,” she said.
“At Anglicare Victoria we’ve been receiving more frequent calls from single parents with young children who simply cannot find a home and have nowhere left to turn. The private rental market is failing these families, and the wait list for social and affordable housing is blowing out far beyond a year.
“We welcome the Victorian government’s commitment to deliver 12,000 new social and affordable housing units over the next four years, but more is needed from the Commonwealth to meet the existing shortfall after many years of under-investment. Additional reform in this space can’t be delayed any longer.”
