Housing costs forcing people to live on $18 a day - Salvation Army

It's gov policy pure and simple, why Australia's housing and rental market is so outrageously over priced. It may well be good for those investing in property and selling on for more, but for the average person it's a big ask. It goes without saying that those on meager benefits are the one's being hit the hardest, many of us being forced into living on just $18 a day after paying for accommodation according to a new survey from the Salvation Army.

I can believe it. For example us. I dunno how much daily it is but this fortnight's pay we had to pay back money loaned off a friend, and had to get Zac registered for life at the Council before they took us to court over it, making a total of $100 down for the fortnight. We've managed to pay for everything (including the monthly internet *whew* Not letting that one go) and we appear to have enough food until next Wednesday, but other than that we haven't got a cent to our name until then.

Still waiting for that trickle down from Gina :s  Sorry SSJoe, still can't do any heavy lifting for you.

Major Paul Moulds said the average person had just under $18 a day to live on after paying for accommodation. 

"If people didn't have to spend so much on housing if there was greater access to affordable housing options in the community, or even if there were some major policy changes that led to the rental housing market being a little bit more affordable for people, then that would solve a large part of the problem," he said. 

"People who are on an aged pension or a disability pension are in a slightly better position than the kids we are seeing who are on parenting payments, NewStart allowances, which is people who are unemployed. 

"So we have been saying to government, you have to re-look at these because there is very limited indexation there been no real shift in those payments for a long time." 

The Salvation Army said most respondents said a lack of relevant skills, health problems and parenting responsibilities were preventing them from finding jobs. more