2023-08-20 10:40:31
Legal service says £1,000-per-week Broome rents putting 'impossible' strain on disadvantaged locals
A community legal centre in Western Australia's Kimberley region says continuous rising rents are putting an impossible strain on vulnerable people.
Key points:
- New real estate data shows the median rent price in Broome has risen to £1,000 per week
- A community legal services says helping those in need is hard, as its staff can't find homes either
- Calls for governments to do more to combat the housing shortage have been renewed
Figures released by the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia (REIWA) on Wednesday showed rent in the Broome region had increased by 7.5 per cent in the last three months and 28 per cent in the last year.
The median rent across the Broome region is £1,000 per week — the most expensive in regional WA, alongside Karratha.
Rents in Broome have consistently increased in recent years, with median rent sitting at £895 earlier this year.
Surprising Policy Shift: A Game-Changer for Millions of Amazon Prime UsersThe prices have already forced renters in the Kimberley to couch surf, house sit and even sleep in cars.
High rent will 'devastate' the region
Ms Robinson said people in the Broome community were going without necessities due to increased rent and inadequate wages.
"It's awful the stories people are telling … they're cutting back on what normally would be essential items," Ms Robinson said.
"It's not just the food, it's not just the rent — it's everything else is going up at the same time … people have less and less income to live on," she said.
Mr Robinson said the demographic of those requesting assistance was also changing, and now included more double-income families.
The Surprising Link Between China's Deflation and Bitcoin: What You Need to KnowShe said helping was hard, as the legal service's own staff could not find homes either.
The organisation has just hired a new financial counsellor, who is staying in temporary hotel accommodation.
"We've already in … the last year probably, lost about six to eight possible [financial counsellor] candidates, because we couldn't provide subsidised housing," Ms Robinson said.
"Service providers are not being able to deliver core services because they're unable to find staff to deliver them."
More housing options needed
REIWA president Joe White said the housing shortage and a lack of new developments were driving up rental prices.
Introducing the Dynamic Financial Mind Behind Jubilee Metals Group"It's one thing where people have got to find it in their budget, but they've also simply got to find a house," he said.
"Unless we can increase that supply, prices can only go up."
He said a logjam in materials and labour was impacting builds, and would likely take another six to nine months to work through the system.
Mr White said there needed to be investment in private and social housing.
"This is not going to be solved by … one solution, [there] is going to have to be more housing generally," he said.
Unleashing VMware’s Potential: Cracking the Code of Multicloud Complexity and Generative AI with BroadcomMs Robinson said the region needed more smaller housing developments for single people and couples, as four-bedroom homes were being occupied by two people.
State, federal assistance
A state government spokesperson said the government was "acutely aware" of the housing market nationwide and its impact on Western Australians, partly blaming the COVID pandemic for tightened rental markets.
The spokesperson said changes to the residential tenancies act are anticipated to come in mid-next year and should bring some relief, including capping rental increases to once a year.
The new laws will strike a balance by protecting the owner's investment property while improving the rights of tenants," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said the government would continue to invest in housing and associated support, highlighting £2.6 billion invested in social housing this year.
.png "Tesco's Game-Changing Initiative: Empowering Struggling Families with Grants of up to £1,500 for Kids 2024 updated")
Tesco's Game-Changing Initiative: Empowering Struggling Families with Grants of up to £1,500 for KidsOn Wednesday, National Cabinet reached an agreement to build 1.2 million new homes over five years — a boost of 200,000 homes on the previous target.
Ms Robinson said the Broome and Kimberley regions needed urgent solutions or challenges facing the community would only worsen.
She said increased homelessness and overcrowding caused a range of ancillary issues, including health problems and domestic violence.
If you would like to know other articles similar to The astonishing truth about the unbearably high costs of renting in Broome, revealed by a legal service updated this year 2024 you can visit the category Bussines.
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