Housing affordability and security is a human right desired by all. But right now in Australia, our most vulnerable – those living with a disability – are facing an alarming situation that we are not hearing enough about in public discussions.

A recent article by Zoe Aitken, a Melbourne University Research Fellow, highlighted that people living with a disability face unique housing problems compared to the general population.

In particular, they are at a much greater risk of living in housing where rental costs can only be afforded by foregoing spending on other essentials such as food and medical care.

The article cites some concerning statistics arising from survey data from the nationally-representative Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey.

Some key findings from the survey included:

  • 11.2 per cent of Australians with disability were living in unaffordable housing compared to 7.6 per cent of people without disability. This was substantially higher for those with intellectual disability (19.1 per cent) and psychosocial impairments (17.3 per cent)
  • People with a disability were much more likely to live in social housing compared to people without disability (7.9 per cent versus 1.5 per cent). Again, this was particularly high for people with intellectual disability of whom 18.4 per cent lived in social housing.
  • The report identified 317 homes out of 69,485 advertised properties in the month prior to the survey were affordable for recipients of the Disability Support Pension.

This Is Exactly Why We Are Passionate About Our Mission

These statistics are not just numbers. They represent real people who feel vulnerable and uncertain about their future.

The more housing the Carinbundi Foundation can secure, the more people with a disability we can help to enjoy a richer, more fulfilling life where they are not worried about having a place they can call home.