Brimbank renters are being stung with above- average rent increases.
New Australian Bureau of Statistics data reveals the cost of the average Brimbank rental property went from $173 a week in 2006 to $265 a week in 2011.
Figures from the Real Estate Institute of Victoria show rental prices have continued to rise, with the average three-bedroom house in St Albans being rented out for $300 a week, increasing to $320 a week in Sunshine and up to $350 a week in Keilor East. The ABS data showed rent increases had been highest in Maribyrnong, Darebin, More-
land, Greater Dandenong and Cardinia, with above-average rises in Brimbank, Hume, Wyndham, Casey and Whittlesea.
This information follows an Anglicare report which revealed just 1 per cent of private rental properties were considered affordable for welfare recipients, and only 8 per cent were affordable for minimum wage earners.
Community Housing Federation of Victoria executive officer Lesley Dredge said the figures confirmed a housing affordability crisis across the state.
“Now each region can see just how bad the squeeze is getting, with those hit hardest often being women and children escaping domestic violence and single-parent families,” she said.
Victorian Council of Social Service chief executive Emma King said: “The rent increases are widespread across the community but are most pronounced in areas that already face significant hardship. Many of these areas have also seen record rates of rental evictions in recent years.”
The Community Housing Federation of Victoria is one of seven peak bodies that has urged the state government to invest $200 million to build 8000 new affordable housing units each year for the next 20 years.
