It’s lucky that Siobhan Joseph likes the cold, because he can’t afford to light his stove.
The 57-year-old pays more than 80 per cent of her JobSeeker rent benefit for her Marrickville home in inland Sydney.
Mrs. Joseph receives about $ 770 per fortnight from JobSeeker and other support payments, and spends about $ 600 on rent.
“So I have about $ 174 left for everything else,” he said.
Mrs. Joseph has had to learn how to survive on a single income since her husband’s death in 2020, and the wider battle began against the rising cost of living.
Siobhan Joseph fears he will become homeless as rental and living costs rise. (Supplied)
He arranged a special plan with his electricity supplier, used a nearby food charity, and, when necessary, asked friends for money.
It also brings extra layers in the winter to prevent the heating from turning on.
“While it seems a bit contradictory, I’m a little overweight right now, which is actually due in part to my not-so-good diet, because you tend to stock up on a lot of carbs – pasta and rice and stuff like that. . “
Ways to reduce the cost of living
Mrs. Joseph has been on the social housing waiting list for two and a half years and says she worries she may end up homeless.
“But I consider myself very lucky. I know other people are doing a lot worse than me.
“Crossing your fingers will be a little easier.”
Rents and inflation are rising, but the number of affordable housing is falling
The safe rent lawyer, the Tenants and Housing Union (RAHU), released a report in February with data up to October 2021, before inflation peaked.
The “Roofs For Ransom” report found that 91% of union customers were suffering from rent stress, which the Australian Bureau of Statistics rated as spending more than 30% of family income on rent.
RAHU secretary Eirene Tsolidis Noyce said union data indicated the average monthly rent had risen $ 250 this year, with one customer rising 95 percent.
“Rising cost of living, wage stagnation and rising rents have been a big problem in the last six months,” he said.
Eirene Tsolidis Noyce says there are not enough affordable rental properties in either cities or regions. (Supplied)
Tenants face a threefold blow: as rents increase, so does the cost of basic living, and at the same time, the number of affordable housing is declining.
The RAHU secretary said many people who asked the union for help complained that meals had been skipped, that their medicines could no longer be paid for and that they had not paid utility bills.
“Especially in the winter, it’s extremely worrying because we know these houses aren’t usually particularly well insulated, there are common problems with black mold and dangerous conditions, and yet they still don’t put the heater on to save the cost of bills.” . she said.
The union argues that many tenants cannot simply relocate due to the lack of affordable properties in both cities and regional areas.
Read more about the cost of living:
“Realtors will say there are a lot of vacancies, but the problem is not necessarily just the number of vacancies. It’s with the price of the rents themselves,” he said.
“We know that more than 100,000 homes are empty in Victoria alone.
“The problem is that we are allowed to go out.”
The union wants state, territorial and federal governments to adopt enforceable regulations on what constitutes excessive rent charges, a limit on rent increases, and whether rent is tied to the minimum wage.
Debt is a growing problem
Financial advisers say they are receiving a growing number of calls from people struggling with rent arrears and fear how they will pay next month.
The National Debt Helpline said it always stressed to its customers that rent should take precedence over all other expenses, including food and electricity.
“There are rights to difficulties you can access to pay off your debts and utility bills that are not granted on rent payments,” said Councilor Kirsty Robson.
“The rent must be the first payment at the door.”
Kirsty Robson says the number of calls being made to the national debt hotline is increasing. (Supplied)
Ms Robson said the rising cost of living was also causing an increase in calls to the National Debt Helpline.
He said financial stress could harm a person’s physical health.
“The first thing to go for is always consistent meals,” he said.
“People will skip meals before they start paying certain debts and this comes down to the fear of seeking help or admitting that you are in trouble or even knowing that you are entitled to support.”
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But he said financial concerns could also have implications for mental health.
“It’s a pretty hard thing to talk about, so people don’t necessarily approach the same support networks as they would if something else went wrong, but it has immediate, long-term impacts on physical and mental health.” he said. dit.
“And it’s pretty isolating, too.”
“I stay home because I have nothing left”
Adelaide pensioner Elaine, who does not use her real name for privacy reasons, can attest to this isolation.
The 67-year-old woman leads a very quiet life in her outdoor suburban unit, and it is not by choice.
She pays more than half of her rent pension and says the rising cost of living leaves her with almost no money to enjoy life or save for future expenses.
“I stay home because there’s nothing left,” he said.
“We had that $ 20 increase [to the single person’s pension] and then what happened? Gasoline went up and food prices went up. “
Elaine said she feared an increase in her rent when her contract expires in August, so she accepted a social housing offer, without being seen.
He is half the rent he currently pays and has said the savings will allow him to “have a life”.
But first, it will save for a screen port for the unit.
“Security is pretty awful and I’ll have to get rid of half of my furniture, but that’s the sacrifice I’m willing to make,” he said.
“It’s being able to live a life and when your friends say, ‘do you want to go out for lunch?’ and you can happily say “yes,” because I can afford it.
“The government needs to understand that the housing crisis is real. They seem to be ignoring it and not spending money on public housing. Stop building stadiums and start building affordable housing.”
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