Defenders of mass immigration often cite the decline in the number of people per dwelling as the root cause of Australia’s housing crisis.
The increasing number of Australians moving into shared homes to save money refutes their claim.
On 18th June, The ABC reported –
Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show more than 350,000 Australians live as part of a group home — more than ever.
Although the ABS defines a group home as a household of two unrelated people with all members aged 15 or over, they are also referred to as shared households.
Demand for this type of housing has increased in an extremely tight rental market and affordability — and this has led to people looking for alternatives.
In a similar vein, 9News reported on Thursday that dozens of listening have plastered Facebook Marketplace advertising beds in “shared housing” across Sydney for between $200 and $250 a week.
Tenant rights advocates described the disturbing trend of people sharing an apartment, paying $700 together.
It was argued that the situation raised serious health and safety concerns. Sharing one toilet with several people can be unsanitary, and the risk of fire goes up when overcrowded.
The advocate stressed that demand for affordable housing should not come at the expense of health and safety. People don’t have to make such hard choices.
This surge in migration has led to a massive increase in demand for rental accommodation and is increasing the rental properties price
In parallel, Australian tenants are under tremendous financial pressure, resulting in more people moving into group homes and becoming homeless.
Conclusion
In conclusion, although defenders of high immigration rates blame Australia’s housing crisis for the decline in population per settlement, the reality appears to be more complex. Data on condominiums suggests that Australians rely on cohousing to manage affordability issues on their own. This contradicts the argument that immigration alone creates the need for more settlements.
The situation highlights the severity of the housing crisis. People are forced into overcrowded systems that raise health and safety concerns. Urgent action is needed to address the affordability issues that are pushing Australians into these difficulties.
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