Housing crisis deepens for low-income Aussies
Report finds no affordable rentals for people on JobSeeker or Youth Allowance across Australia.
What’s happening?
Anglicare’s 2025 Rental Affordability Snapshot confirms there are virtually no private rental options affordable to people on JobSeeker or Youth Allowance.
ACOSS is urging candidates in the federal election to prioritise increasing social security payments.
Why it matters:
As housing stress rises, social security recipients are forced to skip essentials like food and healthcare. ACOSS says raising payments is urgent.
Local Impact:
Rental stress doesn’t discriminate by region. From city centres to regional towns, people on government support face the same harsh reality: no roof without sacrifice.
By the numbers:
Out of 51,238 rental listings, just three were affordable for a person on JobSeeker.
Zero listings were affordable for Youth Allowance recipients.
Only 0.1% of rentals were viable for a single parent with a child under 5.
Zoom In:
ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie AO said, “This is another damning report that shows how inadequate social security payments like JobSeeker are.”
She added, “People end up going without food, medication and essential healthcare to try to keep a roof over their head.”
Zoom Out:
ACOSS warns the housing crisis is deepening. The call is clear: raise payments to at least $82 per day or risk further homelessness and deprivation.
What To Look For Next?
ACOSS is demanding the next Federal Government prioritise lifting JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, and Parenting Payment. With the election just days away, the Raise the Rate campaign is gaining urgency.