Briefs

Australia is experiencing a period of very low rental vacancy rates and rising rent levels, which has led to what is widely recognised as a ‘rental crisis’. Indeed, the national rental vacancy rate (i.e. the percentage of untenanted rental properties against all rental properties) was at 0.9 per cent in September 2022, the lowest since April 2006 (when it was 0.8% for one month). This very low vacancy rate has been sustained for most of 2022, a situation not seen in the last 20 years.

All Australian states and territories offer a number of different Rent Assistance schemes to help low-income households in the private rental market. This assistance may help with affordability directly, such as through relocation assistance, or with helping households to find, apply for, move into and maintain a rental tenancy.

Tax incentive schemes such as the Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) program in the US create incentives to develop affordable housing by offering developers annual taxation subsidies for a given period of time on the condition that the dwelling meets the affordability require

Enabling people who are experiencing or have experienced a severe mental health disorder to access or remain in private housing is a benefit for all the community. However, research finds that only 27 per cent of people with a mental illness own or are buying their own home, which compares poorly with 70 per cent of the general Australian population who own or are buying their own home.

Many people who have been hospitalised as a result of a severe mental health disorder face a significant risk of becoming homeless when they are discharged.