By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Dandenong can no longer be seen as a place for affordable rentals, according to a South East homelessness service.
Andrew Hollows, Launch Housing’s general manager of its Getting Housing program, described the housing crisis as “pretty sharp at the moment” due to soaring rental prices and cost-of-living pressures.
There were fewer affordable dwellings for low-income earners and greater competition for tenancies.
“The big gap is singles accommodation, particularly apartments.”
Singles comprised the majority of Launch Housing’s latest By-Name List of 73 “actively homeless” people in Greater Dandenong.
Fifty-one of them were still sleeping rough due to a lack of interim, affordable housing, Launch Housing recently told Star News.
There were just two affordable one-bedroom rentals available in Greater Dandenong in December 2022, according to the latest official Rental Report.
Overall, total affordable rentals in the area dwindled from 162 to just 90 in the December 2022 quarter.
Meanwhile, median rental prices were up from $360 to $400, while available rental stocks thinned from 1204 to 967.
More prospective tenants were seeking homes in Greater Dandenong and surrounds, due to its reputation for affordable accommodation, Mr Hollows said.
“But Dandenong’s reputation as a place to get a cheaper rental is probably not true anymore.”
Consecutive official interest rates rises – the 10th was announced this week – and pressures on rental stocks was driving up prices, Mr Hollows said.
The Federal Government’s proposed $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund for new social and affordable homes would help.
It would hopefully be augmented by greater investment in affordable housing by superannuation funds, he said.
The issues are the “time lag” for the new stock to be built, and how much of that stock will go to the Dandenong region, Mr Hollows said.
A “range of housing types” needed to be considered, including “affordable” one-bedroom rooming houses that had “safety” and “amenity”.
Launch Housing is a partner in the Dandenong Zero program to end rough-sleeping homelessness in Greater Dandenong.
It also runs the Bob’s Place crisis accommodation service in Dandenong.
