<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/may/31/im-obviously-not-first-choice-rental-crisis-forcing-older-australians-back-into-share-houses>
"At 51, Mandy Pritchard does not want to live in a share house, but the
unfolding rental crisis means the full-time worker may have to.
It’s a situation the Reserve Bank governor, Philip Lowe, suggested more people
would need to consider to bring rents down – telling Australians on Wednesday
“we need more people on average to live in each dwelling”.
After splitting with her partner of 19 years, Pritchard – an NGO worker – wants
to move from Melbourne to be closer to friends in Sydney or Wollongong, and is
being forced to apply for share houses.
“It’s challenging because I’m obviously not the first choice for a household of
twenty-to-thirtysomethings ” Pritchard said. “I didn’t think I’d be going back
to share accommodation at this age, but that’s the reality because of the cost
of rent.”
Pritchard estimates it would cost 50% of her wage to rent a one-bedroom home in
Sydney’s Newtown, where her friends are, if she were to live alone.
“It’s not as if I am on low income, I make a decent wage,” she said. “I wanted
to live even in just a studio apartment, but it just isn’t feasible.”
Speaking in Senate estimates on Wednesday, Lowe warned not enough dwellings
were being built to keep up with demand.
“Higher prices do lead people to economise on housing. Kids don’t move out of
home because the rents are too expensive or you decide to get a flatmate,” he
said. “That’s the price mechanism at work.”
Lowe said an increase in migrant workers and international students meant the
population would rise another 2% – and the only way to ease the pressure in the
longer term was more supply."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
