Thousands of homes to lose rental protection

Thousands more renters will face serious financial challenges this year as subsidised properties drop out of a national affordable housing scheme, claims housing pressure group Everybody’s Home.

Its spokesperson says that, according to the latest federal government figures, this year more than 6,600 affordable homes will lose rental support funding under the doomed National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS).

The NRAS, which provides affordable rentals to people earning low and middle incomes, is to be phased out over the next three years.

It provides affordable housing support, mostly through community housing associations, allocated properties in build-to-rent commercial projects and charities. The vast majority of its homes are apartments, studios and townhouses.

More than 36,000 affordable rentals will have exited the scheme by the time NRAS ends in 2026, says Everybody’s Home spokesperson Maiy Azize, who adds that the losses come on top of Australia’s massive shortfall in social and affordable housing.

“Australia already has a social housing shortfall of 500,000 homes, and the rental market has never been tougher,” she said in a press release this week.

“These figures show that we’re losing even more affordable rentals at a time when Australians can least afford it.

“With thousands of affordable rentals set to disappear, we need the federal government to step up and take action.

“We’re calling on them to build 25,000 new social homes each year to help end this crisis. More social housing would lift people out of rental stress, and free up more cheap rentals for people who need them.

“Many Australian suburbs have hit record high rents and thousands of tenants are in rental stress. The government can start changing that from this year if it’s ambitious enough.”

This year, Queensland will be hardest hit by the phasing out of the scheme, losing 2,499 affordable NRAS houses. 

Victoria will lose 1,356 allocations, while Western Australia will see the loss of 1,110. In South Australia, 806 will be removed and NSW will lose 605.

You can read more about Everybody’s Home’s campaigns and contact the organisation on its website.