The rental crisis in the ACT means many vulnerable people in the community are relying on government support to house themselves and their families.

And it’s set to get even worse with Anglicare’s annual national Rental Affordability Snapshot revealing a “catastrophic” housing outlook for Canberran renters.

CEO of Anglicare NSW South and ACT, Jeremy Halcrow, said the results are unsurprising after the ACT’s past few years dealing with the housing crisis, but still are “devastating”.

“Sadly, each year our research shows an already dire ACT rental market becoming increasingly expensive and out of reach for vulnerable families,” Mr Halcrow said.

“COVID lockdowns of the past two years have highlighted the importance of safe and affordable housing for people’s wellbeing, with some people left to quarantine in caravans, tents and their cars as they have no other options.

“Such unstable accommodation can adversely affect all aspects of a person’s life including their mental and physical health, employment, education and relationships, along with their feelings of agency and dignity.”

Mr Halcrow said many families simply cannot afford to keep a roof over their heads, regardless of how hard they budget. It comes down to lack of additional support, including food relief.

CEO of ACT Shelter, Travis Gilbert, supported Anglicare’s findings and called on the ACT Government to provide further community support.

“Our private rental market is a tough place to be for the people in the Capital Region who are the focus of the Rental Affordability Snapshot. The vacancy rate is at 0.4 per cent. A vacancy rate of three per cent indicates a rental market balanced between landlords and tenants,” Mr Gilbert said.

“In terms of housing assistance, the ACT Government has prioritised investing in modest growth and significant renewal of its public housing assets. ACT Shelter welcomes this but cautions that in the absence of Commonwealth investment, it will fall to the Territory to design and fund private rental products.

“At the moment, we estimate that a household needs to earn $68,000 or more per annum to avoid housing stress. This means that people relying on government supports, ranging from teenagers to those over 55 years of age, are almost certainly experiencing housing stress or are at risk of homelessness.”

For local woman Jayne [not her real name], after her home near Bombala was destroyed during the Black Summer bushfires in 2020, she was provided an affordable rental in one of Anglicare’s Retirement Living Villages in Canberra.

“My husband and I lost virtually everything. We have been displaced by homelessness,” Jayne said.

“We stayed in a friend’s shed but the roof was about to cave in due to flooding rains. We couldn’t find any a private rentals or motels on the South Coast but we were eventually given a repurposed shipping container pod to live in.

“It’s temporary and we can’t rebuild our old house because of land rezoning which removed our building entitlement. My health issues also meant I needed to move to Canberra for a period, but I couldn’t find anywhere affordable to rent until Anglicare stepped in to help.

“I’m able to keep my cats with me as companion pets and they help me process the trauma of the past couple of years. My husband and I are both in our 50s and now rely on the disability pension. We have to try and start again.”

Anglicare is calling for an increase in social housing options in the ACT, along with an increase in government support payments and greater assistance for vulnerable families in the Territory.

Number and Percentage of Affordable & Appropriate Properties by Household Type