home ownership is increasingly out of reach for most people
divorce is likely to mean loss of home ownership, especially if the couple had failed to pay off the loan and the mortgage is still a high proportion of home value
soaring home insurance premiums and home maintenance costs along with cost of living rises are significant financial factors which may force some home owners to sell
the unemployed, those with casual work and even those who work for themselves will find it near impossible to rent in the private sector and will need to rely upon an over-stressed public housing sector with long waiting lists, couch surfing with friends, or resort to living on the streets or in camp grounds
this is particularly an issue for women experiencing domestic violence or who are recently left their partners and are waiting for a protracted settlement of a divorce
homelessness is also a major problem for those with substance use disorders, psychiatric or aggressive behaviour disorders
they may have an intervention order placed against them from returning to their home
their past substance use or aggressive behaviours may have resulted in them being banned from usual crisis or supported accommodation
those who have been approved for an aged care package will have a provider with case manager allocated and depending upon the level of the package can be provided with various services to assist with daily living
there can be a long wait time for approval for these packages and they do require a prior Aged Care Assessment by a geriatrician
usually need to be 65yrs of age or older but may be eligible if 50 yrs of age and older and special circumstances such as homelessness or low income
Supported Independent Living (SIL)
similar to the aged care packages, SIL is available for those on disability pensions to assist with daily living
Private rental accommodation
the rental market is very competitive
many landlords will only rent to those with evidence of good past rental references and proof of ongoing employment
private rental is expensive
for pensioners and those relying on other financial benefits, the rent will consume much of their monthly income leaving them below the poverty line
in 2025, for those on a pension, 70-75% of single retirees who rent are living below the poverty line, while almost half of retired couples live below the poverty line if they rent1)
rental supply is falling - rental investments are now comparatively less attractive in Victoria
there has also been a dramatic reduction in rental accommodation in Victoria after the Andrews Government substantially increased investment costs such as Land Tax and new compliance laws (eg. annual safety checks, mould issues, tenant rights, etc) which have substantial costs while decreasing the powers of landlords (eg. contract lengths, banning of pets no longer allowed, etc) at a time when interest rates are high and landlord insurance is soaring to unaffordable levels. This has resulted in investors selling up rental properties (with some benefit to new home owners) and investing interstate instead. The massive Land Tax increases for those with unoccupied investment properties does not seem to have sufficiently offset the above.
in many cities, tourist accommodation via AirBnB and similar has dramatically reduced supply of rental properties however, this has not had a substantive impact in Melbourne
in 2024, Barcelona effectively banned private tourist short term rentals other than in hotels or similar
rental demand continues to climb
home ownership out of reach for most
high divorce / separation rates
ongoing immigration
rental assistance
Rental aid from Fed Govt is capped at max $100/week
max income is around $1100/wk for a single, $1750 for a couple, and $2360 for a family with two kids
asset eligibility test
max. assets are around $37,000 but may be up to $124,000 for those who need major disability modifications
supported accommodation for those with disabilities
under the NDIS, supported accommodation is separated into two different parts (each with different providers):2)
specialised housing such as shared supported accommodation or community residential units, known as Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
this needs to be included in a person's NDIS plan
person needs to pay rent and utility costs - the rent is a percentage of Commonwealth Disability Support Pension and Rent Assistance payments
supported services, knows as Supported Independent Living (SIL) which is available to those with SDA or in private accommodation
most of the accommodation available is for shared accommodation with communal bathrooms, kitchens, laundry, etc which some people do not find they are comfortable with
most of those with a disability package will have a case manager via their provider to oversee requirements, etc and they may have a carer to assist with daily living needs
aged care residential housing
properties are owned and operated by individuals and organisations who have Australian Government approval to provide residential care.
Crisis accommodation in Melbourne
this may not be available to those who have caused major behavioural issues in past crisis accommodation
this is a major problem for those with mental health issues and substance use issues
ED care coordinators are well placed to assist in finding crisis accommodation
this is mainly only an option for those with cars as most camp grounds are located well away from urban centres and public transport
most free camp grounds have limits of duration - usually 4-28 days, and some require applying for a permit for stays longer than 48hrs
this is a popular option especially for single women with cars - if they feel uncomfortable in a camp ground they are mobile enough to move to another camp ground
there may sometimes be conflicts with recreational campers but this is mainly the case when “permanents” do not keep their site clean, have behavioural issues or steal from other campers
Sleeping overnight in cars or vans on streets or in car parks
generally not permitted in most urban centres or tourist areas such as coastal regions
nevertheless, some homeless persons will sleep in cars in shopping centre carparks or fast food chain carparks and seek swimming pool centres for hot showers
Sleeping rough on the streets
Melbourne City Council, like many councils have laws relating to what is permitted - in general, tents and “camping” is NOT permitted but blankets are permitted3)
“belongings must be kept to a minimum such as two bags, sleeping bag, blanket or pillow”
“belongings NOT to be kept in a public space are mattresses, furniture, tents or any other structure that could be deemed as camping”
whilst the concrete thermal mass of cities makes nights warmer than in regional areas, nights are generally much colder than WHO recommended minimum living temperatures of 18degC and thus those who sleep rough are at risk of medical complications as well as security / violence related issues