According to new AHURI research, homelessness has grown in the suburbs of Australian capital cities, especially in areas with greater shortages of affordable private rental housing (relative to demand from low income households).

Supply of more housing options for people on social housing waiting lists should be given increased priority, as longer wait times and uncertain or unsafe housing creates further challenges for applicants already facing increased health needs, according to new AHURI research.

Most of the trade-offs lower-income households make to afford their housing costs are not accounted for in the housing affordability measurements used by policy makers, according to new AHURI research. As a result housing can appear affordable even though it is of such poor quality it affects people’s health or it is located far from employment opportunities so that householders have very high commuting costs.