Rental-Insights-A-COVID-19-Collection - Flipbook - Page 20
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RENTAL INSIGHTS:
HOUSEHOLDS
UNDER STRAIN
HOUSEHOLDS UNDER STRAIN
Andrew Beer
University of South Australia
Key findings
COVID-19 and the
associated lockdown of
parts of the economy has
generated a cascade of
troubles for Australians
with a disability in the
private rental market.
Tenants with a disability
at
risk during COVID-19
XXX
XXX
In 2020, 18.8 per cent of renters with
a disability reported that their mental
health had decreased significantly as
a result of COVID-19, almost twice the
rate for tenants without a disability
(10.3%). More tenants with a disability
were forced to ask for a rent reduction
(18.8%) and reported being fully
retrenched (6.7%) at double the rate
of tenants without a disability (3.9%).
Tenants with a disability were much
more likely to withdraw monies from
their superannuation (23.4%) compared
with other tenants (14.9%).
Worryingly, they were also much
more likely to have received an eviction
notice (12.3%), and of those so warned,
two-thirds (65%) were forced to move.
Tenants with a disability were more
likely to report that their rent had
become unaffordable (10.4%) relative
to those without a disability (7.7%).
There was also a small—but significant
—minority forced to move out of their
home (5.5% compared with 3.1%), skip
meals to save money (20.4% versus
12.5%), and reporting that they were
struggling to make ends meet (28.7%
relative to 20.5%).
Overall, private tenants affected
by a disability are in a bad set of
circumstances that has become
worse through 2020.
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Why is it important?
We already know that Australians
with a disability are among the most
disadvantaged within the Australian
housing market, especially those relying
on the private rental market. Their
disadvantage is, in part, an outcome
of the precarious employment of
many of them.
The introduction of the National
Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
since 2012 has significantly improved
the provision of services to individuals
with an impairment. However,
previous research has shown7 that the
Specialist Disability Accommodation
Program (SDA) within the NDIS has
not yet delivered a significant volume
of accommodation for people with a
disability who need housing.
Many people with a disability remain in
pre-NDIS supported accommodation
or pay a significant percentage of their
income in rent to private landlords.
Tenants with a
disability were much
more likely to withdraw
monies from their
superannuation …
Beer, A., Hemphill, L., Flanagan, K., Verdouw, J. Lowies, B. and Zappia, G. (2018) Understanding specialist disability accommodation (SDA) funding,
Final Report No. 310, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, Melbourne.
