Despite being lauded as the nation's best performing economy, Western Australia’s rental crisis has reached new heights. Anglicare's rental affordability snapshot shows there's not a single property or room that's affordable for people on income support.
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00:00For Caitlin Beresford-Ord, the thought of having to turn to family, friends and charity to house and support her family had previously seemed unthinkable.
00:11I have no shame about that at all. There are plenty of people who have to make those accommodations in order to make ends meet. I just never thought it would be me.
00:19Faced with a $190 per week rental increase in her long term rental in East Victoria Park, she had little choice but to move into her parents' house.
00:28We stopped private health insurance for quite some time. I had to make all sorts of decisions in order to accommodate that rental hike until we were able to move in here.
00:37Her 20-year-old son Darcy Stokes sleeps in a caravan provided by a friend parked in the driveway. As he balances work and study, moving out isn't a realistic option.
00:47It does mean that part of becoming an adult is just something I can't think about right now.
00:55Anglicare WA says these cases are all too common, despite a CommSec report this week crowning the state's economy the best performing in the nation.
01:04Yes, we have a bustling economy that's really kicking ahead of the rest of the country, but the question I would have to our leaders is what is that for if we can't house and feed our people?
01:14Anglicare's snapshot shows that despite an uptick in private rentals listed across WA, affordability is languishing, with nothing available for people on JobSeeker, Youth Allowance or the Disability Support Pension.
01:27The state's median rent is $680 per week, up 5% from last year and 21% from 2023.
01:36The charity says the stream of election promises on housing won't help people on income support, saying what's needed is a commitment to add a set number of social houses and a shift in thinking.
01:47We need a broader vision that says everyone is entitled to a house that they can afford, that's fit and safe and sustainable.
01:53An entitlement becoming increasingly out of reach.