11 May 2010
Roof over head but no heat in home
Housing costs are soaring and renters are feeling the pain as much as home owners. The number of people accessing Anglicare Victoria financial counselling services with housing related issues has been steadily increasing over the past few months as interest rates rise and the effects of the GFC continue to impact on some families. Another contributing factor may be a recent decision to allow landlords to raise rent every six months instead of the 12 months cycle previously in place. Many property agents and owners as taking advantage of the new rules to cash in on the tight Melbourne rental market. Michael* is a single father of two living in Preston who has been watching his rent go up drastically and is now struggling to make ends meet. In four years his rent has gone up by 50 per cent yet his wage has only increased marginally. In the same time Michael's rent has gone up, he has watched the house fall into disrepair and has become frustrated at the time it takes to get things fixed. Recently, the family's gas heater broke down and when it was finally replaced, the owner chose to install a reverse cycle air conditioner instead of a more efficient gas heater. While the family's gas bill came down, the electricity bill went through the roof and Michael now leaves the heater off to save money. The family has a long winter ahead of them. The alternative for Michael and his family is to move to a cheaper suburb but this would cause great upheaval to his children and deliver little to no saving due to increased transport cost and longer hours in after school care for his children. Are you forced to cut costs because of the expense of housing? Tell us about it in the comments section below. *Note - names have been changed to protect privacy
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