INTERNATIONAL STORY Following the recent lockdowns in NSW and Victoria, ACOSS reported that the demand for emergency relief services has increased by more than 800%. “Requests for food, emergency relief, and financial support have spiked significantly during lockdowns, while demand for housing support, mental health, and family violence services have been increasing steadily over the course of the pandemic and are now at record levels,” says David Spriggs, CEO of Infoxchange Group, which operates Ask Izzy, a mobile app that connects people in need with services. “I would say I’ve observed in my personal interactions that people are inclined to think that something’s been done about homelessness, that homelessness has been solved, if you like, by the short-term hotel response,” says Jenny Smith. “And I’ve had to let them know that actually the fundamentals in our country have not changed in the slightest. We’ve missed a huge opportunity not to have a national initiative in relation to social housing.” “I sleep where I work – right out the front of 7-Eleven,” says Big Issue vendor Nathan from Brisbane. “As a homeless person, male or female, it’s safety first. And because I work there as well during the day, it’s a lot more plausible for me to actually sleep there. Because you never know, someone might actually turn up and say ‘Hey, I’ve got a room available here. You can stay here, or here’s a feed.’ It’s little things.” When I call Nathan, he’s just checked into a hotel room. They charge a weekly rate of $300 a room, and he springs for it when he can. He’s been on the waiting list for social housing for 10-plus years. In that time, he’s slept rough, on couches, and in a boarding house. When Brisbane was locked down earlier this year, he was put up in a hotel by Micah Projects, but when lockdown finished, he no longer had a roof over his head, and he was back to sleeping on his pitch. “It’s more stressful than anything else, you know?” says Nathan of living homeless. “And when you’re stressed out like that, and you’re trying to get a place, it does take it out of you – you’re exhausted.” It’s clear, Australia’s housing system isn’t working for everyone. With real-estate prices soaring to record highs, it’s locking people out of homeownership. Just 50% of households aged 25-55 are expected to own a home by 2040, compared to 60% in 1981, according to the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute. For young people, the news is even worse: for those in the 25-to-34 bracket, homeownership dropped by 28% between 2002 and 2015, to around 45%. “We’re seeing a wealth-creation event for the haves who can afford to buy another property at the moment,” says Jenny Smith. “But for people on low incomes, it’s a difference between being able to just put a roof over your head, and not.” a single person on JobSeeker ($620.80 per fortnight). For those on Youth Allowance ($512.50 per fortnight), there were none. Without more affordable homes, the options are limited for those struggling to afford private rents. Over 1.5 million Australians are living with housing stress, stretched by rent or mortgage payments totaling more than 30% of their income. It’s why housing bodies and homelessness providers are calling on all levels of government to invest in affordable and social housing to meet the shortfall of 600,000 homes needed to satisfy national demand. “[Social housing] is an asset to the community and it provides jobs,” adds Smith. “Providing social housing and increasing the JobSeeker payment [means] people can live, and we’re not all just bouncing people around temporary outcomes.” The pandemic has prompted governments to consider long-term housing solutions. At the end of last year, the Victorian state government announced its $5.3 billion “Big Housing Build”, which aims to create 12,000 homes in four years, with 9300 of these being social housing. New South Wales has allocated $812 million to social housing and homelessness services, including a pledge to build 800 social housing dwellings. Meanwhile, back at Jannah and Dakota’s place, they’ve ILLUSTRATION BY MICHEL STREICH With more than a third of us now renting, demand has meant rental properties are less affordable than ever. Across the country, the median rent of houses and units has increased 6.6% over the last 12 months. In regional areas, it’s even more extreme: rents have surged by 11.3% – the biggest hike on record – as tree-changers flee the city during the pandemic. In Perth, where Jannah and her daughter live, the median rent jumped 16.7%. It’s perhaps unsurprising that Anglicare Australia’s latest Rental Affordability Snapshot found that of the 74,226 rental listings across the country on a given weekend in March, only three were affordable for been sleeping better, getting up early, and starting to build a routine, alive to all the simple pleasures that come with a stable home. “It’s so good to cook a meal again!” says Jannah. “Like last night, I could use an oven instead of a fry pan.” She made Dakota’s favorite Dino snacks. “I’m looking forward to stability, getting back on track. Hopefully, we can get some pets here – Dakota’s asked our Salvation Army caseworker if we can get a chicken coop and some chickens.” Dakota’s recovering well and is happy to be back at school, and Jannah’s looking forward to getting back to her studies too – she’s working towards Certificate III in Social Work, Community Services, and Domestic and Family Violence. “This is for real now,” says Jannah. “I’ve got my little humble home. A place to call home, I call it.” ■ Courtesy of The Big Issue Australia / INSP.ngo * Name changed FREE ADDICTION SUPPORT FOR DENVER RESIDENTS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OR FINANCIAL HARDSHIP (855) 539-9375 WeFaceItTogether.org September 2021 DENVER VOICE 7
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