The following is a statement from a renter, Bec, that was read out at our recent Housing Emergency Rally, on March 19th, 2023.
The following statement is Bec, a renter, and a sole parent, and was read at Anti-Poverty Network SA’s Housing Emergency Rally, on March 19, 2023.
Trigger warning: the following statement contains distressing content.
“I have been a tenant accessing housing via the private rental market for most of my adult life. Until recently, I have never had any trouble securing an adequate, affordable rental property that was regularly maintained, even as a pet owner.
However in 2021, when attempting to secure a new tenancy due to the property I previously rented for 4 years being sold, I found the rental market had changed significantly. I attended inspections with multiple people vying for every property. For some properties, applicants were lined up on the street for up to an hour or more prior to the inspection.
At one property, there would have been close to 200 people queuing on the day I attended. As a single parent currently supporting myself on Austudy and personal savings while I finish a degree at university full time, I had serious concerns about whether I would find suitable housing.
As it was I got lucky – well, lucky-ish. That’s assuming you would count me lucky to have to euthanase my dogs in order to access secure accommodation.
I now live in a property where the rent I pay is almost the eqivalent of my entire income when I am not able to access part time work at uni. I have been waiting for maintenance on this property since September 2021. One of those maintenance jobs is securing a window that does not close above my bed. Throughout winter there has been cold air flooding through the bedroom window, making it impossible to maintain the temperature throughout the house.
This is also an insecure access point to my home and the window bangs in the slightest breeze making it difficult to sleep. I also have no working heating at this property. This is maintenance I believe my landlord was aware of prior to the beginning of my tenancy.
I am well aware of my rights as a tenant and the available avenues for pursuing them however, assuming this is a solution fails to account for the serious power imbalance that now exists between tenants and their landlords. Given the tenuous nature of the market, no renter in their right mind is willing to make any move that might make them a less desirable tenant.
This is a critical issue exploited by landlords who misuse the power they now have as a result of so many tenants seeking properties, leaving existing tenants vulnerable. We are forced to choose between suffering in properties that are inadequately maintained and risking homelessness.
There is also a serious issue with landlords either handing on the impact of interest rate hikes to their more vulnerable tenants, or capitalizing on this to their further advantage.
My last rent increase was 10x higher than any other rent increase I have ever had in 30 years of private renting. My Austudy payment, rent assistance and family tax payments totals $1004.34 per fortnight. My rent has increased to $950 for the same period.
If I did not have savings to supplement my income, this would leave me with $54.34 per fortnight to support my son and myself. In light of this financial situation, I would not be able to afford to heat my home, even if I had working heating.
I am also currently managing 2 meals a day- breakfast and lunch, and no longer eat meat when my son is not home, just two of many sacrifices I am forced to make in order to make rent. Clearly, my rent is now beyond my budget, however given the market it would not be wise for me to risk giving up my tenancy.
I do not believe I would be able to successfully compete with the many other South Australians trying to find a place to live as a result of my low income – in spite of the fact that I have many references to prove a 20+ year history of being an excellent long-term tenant.
I have also got excellent references for my now deceased pets – a situation that has severely impacted my wellbeing. Pet ownership has previously been an important way of mitigating the health conditions I am affected by, however I am unable to access this important protective factor as pet ownership jeopardizes my ability to find a tenancy. Understandably, my health and wellbeing is affected by these current conditions. I wake up every night multiple times thinking about how at risk I am.
I am currently supporting myself on my rapidly declining savings and am aware that if one thing goes wrong, I will run out of money before I can finish my degree and will no longer be able to afford my rent. Left to contend with the market as it is, I am most likely to end up homeless- either couch surfing or more likely living out of my car and unable to provide for my son.
As a social work student completing honours next year, I am well aware of the systemic and structural issues impacting many Australians’ at this time. Within this, I think of our skills shortage and consider myself an Australian working hard to do my part to contribute to a thriving future economy. I am in the top 5% of students enrolled in the School of Social Work at UniSA, and am working exceptionally hard to enter the workforce as a highly skilled, educated, passionate woman with valuable lived experience and a credible work ethic.
However all of this will be jeopardized if, as a result of being unable to keep a roof over my head, I am unable to continue to up skill myself while living out of my car.
From an economic perspective, I could easily become a statistical deficit – relying on the state to provide services to mitigate my homelessness instead of being a financially independent contributor to our country’s broader economic success. It makes no sense to leave Australians like me, who are fighting for their chance to occupy a better position in life, so vulnerable to further disadvantage. If you are unable to consider this from a humanitarian perspective, to envisage what it might feel like to be someone plagued by this kind of adversity without the means to lift themselves out of it, then I implore you to at least consider the cost in economic terms.” – Bec
Anti-Poverty Network SA 