Housing
People’s Commission into the Housing Crisis: final report
After receiving over 1,500 submissions from people affected by the housing crisis and over 100 community organisations, the People’s Commission into the Housing Crisis has now released its final report, ‘Voices of the Crisis’. The People’s Commission was...
CSMC at the People’s Commission and what we said
On 25 June, Andi, CSMC's policy and advocacy coordinator and Jacqui, coordinator of CSMC support services, spoke at the final session of the People’s Commission into the Housing Crisis. The People’s Commission was convened by...
Join our study of single-parent renters
We're partnering with Tenants Victoria to learn more about the legal and related service-experience needs of single parents renting in Victoria. What we learn will inform our future service provision, as well as our advocacy. Interviews will be via Microsoft Teams,...
Focus on renters
At the moment, housing is dominating so many discussions in the media, in Parliament, and around water coolers and school gates across the country. The fact is that CSMC has long advocated for single mother families on housing-related issues, most notably access to...
Rent freeze: everyone’s talking about it but is it the answer to the rental crisis?
Skyrocketing rents are crippling the finances of many single mother families living in rental properties, chewing up an unsustainable percentage of their incomes and reducing the stock of affordable housing. Renters are calling for government intervention, and...
Housing crisis: have your say
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....
Victorian Budget unpacked
“Whilst our kids will remember COVID, I will not ask them to pay for it." They were the words spoken by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews on Budget Night 2023 - and the message was clear. COVID measures have left the state $116 billion in debt, and the Government...
Housing: it’s a human right
When the construction industry talks about housing, it's usually in terms of supply chains and materials; when the media talk about housing, it's normally about house prices and interest rates. Yet, for the single mother and her children escaping family violence,...
Everyone’s talking about single mothers
Are your ears burning? They might well be - over the past month it seems like everyone's been talking about single mothers. Anne Summers kicked off an explosion of interest in single mothers in July last year with her report The Choice: Violence or Poverty. She...
New rental laws welcome pets!
New laws in Victoria will make it easier for renters to have a pet. For the most vulnerable people in our community, a pet is more than a lovable hobby. Many women parenting alone look to their dog for protection and security. This is especially important if they...