Land-price related Cost-of-living pressures trigger record demand for Lifeline's resources

Recent analysis claims that in 82 of Sydney's 2019 residential postcodes, a single tenant needs to be making at least $100,000 a year to avoid being in housing stress. For those within five kilometres of the CBD, that figure rises to $117,000, well above the NSW average income of $97,604 for a full-time worker." Lifeline, Australia's crisis and suicide hotline, describes 'record activity' in searches for assistance and support for stress related to the high cost of living as affected by Australia's shockingly high land and housing prices. (Note that the Australian CPI does not take land price inflation into account.) National housing campaign 'Everybody’s Home,' says a growing number of renters are reaching breaking point, with new analysis revealing some Melburnians are paying as much as $165 extra per week in rent compared to a year ago. Candobetter notes that there are so many calls to keep wages down, but the same employer organisations advocating this are also advocating for more mass migration, which is the principle long-term driver of inflated land-for-housing prices.

Housing costs a major factor behind worker shortage: businesses

"Businesses are losing employees because it is too expensive to live in Sydney," 9 News reports in an article by Nick Pearson, citing new research. "Business >NSW has released analysis showing in 82 of Sydney's 2019 residential postcodes, a single tenant needs to be making at least $100,000 a year to avoid being in housing stress. For those within five kilometres of the CBD, that figure rises to $117,000, well above the NSW average income of $97,604 for a full-time worker." (Nick Pearson, "Housing costs a major factor behind worker shortage: businesses," 9 News, 4 March 2023.)

"Everybody's Home" is calling for more government investment in public housing, however they, no more than Lifeline or Channel 9, have nothing at all to say about how demand is being artificially stoked up by population growth engineering through mass migration by the same government they are asking to increase social housing to 25,000 a year.  The NSW State government plans (if it can be called 'planning') to double the size of Sydney's population and the Victorian State government says Melbourne has to grow to 10 million.  They don't ask the people who live there and they don't say what happens after that or why it 'has to' grow. There is a whole industry out there of economists and demographers divorced from reality who derive their livings and profile from supporting this madness.

The mainstream press is so much less likely to publish anything critical of mass migration that, even where organisations are aware of its impact on homelessness, they simply don't mention it if they want to get any of their concerns reported on. On the other hand, organisations that claim to want to help the homeless and land-cost and housing stressed, are frequently auspiced or associated with the property development and finance industries which will ultimately benefit from any government funding for any kind of housing.

Lifeline callers impacted by land-price inflation which drives up cost of living

Lifeline has revealed that they are seeing record activity through their website for help and support. Data from the organisation’s search engine shows there were over 26,000 searches for assistance and support in January 2023 across Australia, the highest on record. In addition, referral searches by Lifeline’s helpline counsellors specifically relating to financial issues and homelessness went up 49 percent between August 2022 and January 2023.

Lifeline Australia CEO Colin Seery said it was important for anyone struggling to know that the organisation is available 24/7 to provide support.

“As well as telephone and digital support, Lifeline has 41 centres across Australia. Some of these centres offer face-to-face crisis support and counselling, including financial counselling,” said Mr Seery. 

“Many of these centres are reporting a significant increase in demand for financial support, including food distribution. We are seeing this happen right now, all across the country.”

“Our centres are reporting an increase in help seekers who have never experienced financial stress before. And we know cost of living pressures also disproportionately impact the most vulnerable, including people who are unemployed, renters and young families.”

“Lifeline welcomes the provision of cost-of-living measures to deliver relief to families struggling with inflation and cost of living.” 

Lifeline Australia’s Chief Research Officer, Dr Anna Brooks, said that financial stressors are not isolated to those who have a mortgage, with interest rate increases flowing through to generate higher rental costs and other economic pressures.  

“Financial stress and uncertainty can contribute to mental ill health. There is also evidence to suggest that people can experience distress and suicidal thoughts when facing financial stress and uncertainty."

Everybody's Home

Everybody’s Home spokesperson Maiy Azize said the consequences of government inaction will only worsen.

“More renters in Melbourne are being priced out of having their basic need for a home. Many are being forced to skip meals, avoid going to the doctor, and get into debt spirals just to pay the rent.

“There’s only so much people can afford to pay in rent. Right now, there’s no end to the housing crisis in sight. Politicians can’t keep leaving it to chance, hoping we’ve reached a tipping point. The sad reality is rents will keep climbing without government action."

They claim that "Australia needs to build at least 25,000 new social homes each year to end our shortfall," but do not say how they arrived at this figure, its relationship to continued mass migration, nor what the environmental and social costs would be of building so many houses, nor whether there should ever be an end to this continuous building and shortfall.

They do not ask the crucial question, "Who benefits?"