Rents tight

By Melissa Meehan
LOW income families in Dandenong, Noble Park and Keysborough are being squeezed out of the private rental market.
State Shadow Minister for Housing, Wendy Lovell said that rentals in the south-east were becoming unaffordable for many families.
Ms Lovell said the government’s latest rental report for the March 2009 quarter revealed that 88 per cent of private rental homes in south-east Melbourne were unaffordable for low income households.
“The number of new lettings fell by 149 lettings (5.46 per cent) in the 12 months to March 2009, indicating further tightening of the private rental market,” Ms Lovell said.
The report found that 90 per cent of private rental homes in Greater Dandenong were unaffordable for low income families.
Managing director of WAYSS, a welfare organisation based in Dandenong, Jen Kelly said it was a “wild world out there”.
“It is very hard for families and individuals to get accommodation,” she said.
“We are finding it hard to find something affordable.”
Ms Kelly said areas that were previously affordable were now out of many people’s price range.
“Places like Potter Street in Dandenong are now asking for $255 a week,” she said.
“Not so long ago Potter Street and Walker Street were $110 a week.”
She said many Dandenong residents were now relying on rooming houses or moving in with families.
“A lot of people are living rough,” she said.
“As the weather gets colder and more bleak our figures go up, but there has been a steady increase for quite some time.”