Housing crisis hits nation's poorest, new report shows

Low income earners have few affordable accommodation options available to them, a new report shows.

for lease

(AAP)

Having trouble house hunting? Spare a thought for some of the nation's poorest.

A new report from charity group Anglicare shows a severe housing crisis is hitting low-income earners, with few affordable accommodation options available to them.

A survey of 65,614 properties available online over one weekend found only 618 across the country suitable for a couple on unemployment benefits with two children.

A single parent with two kids had just 165 options to put a roof over their heads.
Someone on unemployment benefits would largely fail to find cheap housing in the city, where most of the jobs are, the report says.

Singles on welfare are among the most disadvantaged looking for housing, with less than one per cent of properties affordable.

Anglicare says people from all walks of life are forgoing daily necessities in order to pay the rent - from living in overcrowded houses, couch-surfing, to living in cars, parks, shelters or doorways.

It is using the findings to call on the government to develop a national plan to resolve the housing shortage, including targeting negative gearing.

"This (negative gearing) is a huge amount of money from the taxpayer to the wealthy and we'd like to see some obligation back," executive director Kasy Chambers told AAP.


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Source: AAP


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