But this is not the reality of home for everyone. New Samaritans research  shows that more people in the region are being pushed into rental stress and hardship because of the shortage of secure, affordable housing. This research was held in April as part of Anglicare Australia’s Rental Affordability Snapshot. The national snapshot surveyed more than 67,000 rental listings in the country. Samaritans surveyed 11 locations in the Central Coast, Newcastle/Lake Macquarie, Hunter, and Mid-Coast regions.

Samaritans findings indicate the trend has continued to worsen for people on government benefits who are trying to find a suitable place to live in the private rental market. For young people on Newstart or Youth Allowance, this is the seventh year there are no private rental properties affordable or appropriate across the total snapshot region. The findings also indicate that single parents on Newstart or parenting payments with one child, would be competing over just one affordable or appropriate rental in Newcastle.

At Samaritans, we see the direct impact on people’s lives when they can’t find secure and affordable accommodation. As people go without basic living needs to pay the rent, we see an increased demand for our emergency relief and financial counselling services.

These are people in our communities who are trying hard to avoid homelessness, but who are finding the system stacked against them. I have the privilege to meet these people, and to hear their stories. Stories that remind me that a number of us only have a pay cheque or two between us and the very real prospect of homelessness.

Secure, affordable housing is a fundamental right for all people, and a building block for a strong and happy future. This is why Samaritans supports the Everybody’s Home campaign (everybodyshome.com.au) and is calling for state and territory governments to develop a National Housing Strategy to meet Australia’s identified shortfall of 500,000 social and affordable rental homes. A national strategy will determine the roles of federal, state and local governments and identify how we can work together to improve housing affordability.

In 2015 the federal government formed an Affordable Housing Working Group, which sought proposals that improved the supply of affordable housing and maximise the effectiveness of government expenditure. This initiative is a move in the right direction but there is much more to be done. The recent insights from the Rental Affordability Snapshot highlight a significant level of rental stress, which is pushing people into homelessness.

We need all levels of government to commit to eliminating homelessness and making housing affordable and accessible to every Australian. 

Samaritans has joined other like-minded organisations from the region in becoming a founding signatory on the Newcastle and Hunter Ending Homelessness Pledge.

Without taking strong and deliberate action, it will be some time before the results of the Rental Affordability Snapshot reflect a positive outlook for vulnerable people in our region. There is no time to wait.

Everyone deserves a place to call home.