Settlement Guide: helping migrants find affordable housing

Refugee communities in Australia say finding affordable and adequate housing is one of their top concerns. Responses gathered from Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) annual national community consultations also found refugees other key concerns relate to family reunion and finding sustainable employment.

Source: CC BY 2.0-1

1.Lack of rental history and knowledge of the rental market

2.Language barriers

3.Limited number of affordable rental properties

4.The financial burden of the high cost of housing on people on low incomes and Centrelink

5.Discrimination faced by larger families and people living with disabilities

 

ROCA research highlights the challenges newly arrived refugees have in finding housing, with a lack of rental history in Australia and language barriers being significant obstacles when competing for a limited number of affordable rental properties.

 

The ROCA emphasises the importance of support and advice to newly-arrived refugees who have a limited understanding of rental processes or their rights as tenants or the expectations of landlords.

 

The RCOAs annual submissions on the Refugee and Humanitarian Program can be viewed at: