Every week, the lines of people queuing to look at rental properties get longer. Things are much worse for those on low incomes or without a great rental history. Even with money and a good rental history, single mothers are going up against two-income families. The number of calls being received by our Support Line have increased significantly over past months, with rental affordability a major concern.
Now as part of a deal with the Greens, the Victorian government has announced it will look at how to boost housing supply, including placing a cap on rent increases or “other forms of rent control”.
In addition to this, the Victorian parliament has an inquiry into the rental affordability crisis in Victoria. It is looking at:
- The factors leading to low availability and high costs of rental properties;
- Options to address insecurity, availability and affordability issues facing Victorian renters;
- The adequacy of regulation with regards to standards and conditions of rental housing;
- The adequacy of the rental system and its enforcement;
- The impact of short-stay accommodation;
- Barriers to first home ownership and the impact this has on rental stock;
- The experience of, and impacts of all of the above on, renters and property owners;
- Any other related matters.
We have an extension to make our submission by 28 July. The general closing date is 7th July to make a submission. There will be public hearings in August and September and we plan to be there.
If you want to make your own submission there is an online form here
CSMC will lobby the government to make any decisions with the needs of single mother families front of mind. We are also exploring ways we can work with real estate agents to improve the system of applying and being accepted for single mothers.
Do you have ideas, experiences we need to know about? Want to be actively involved? Email us at action@csmc.org.au
