Question for people who rent their home?

[witches*wol]

ACA or one of those shows had a segment on people who rent reaching a point of no long being able to afford the increasing rental prices and ending up homeless.

They were not refering to "down and out" people but regular folk who had been cruising along renting nicely but then perhaps lost their jobs and could not afford to pay the rent on their homes anymore and having to either move in with family or live in their cars.

The bloke they interviewed (from some housing assoc) was saying that people who have rented all their lives and then hit retirement are suddenly realising that their super is not going to last very long while they are still paying $300 or more a week in rent and once their super is gone the age pension sure as hell wont cover it.

So what happens to people who do rent when they reach retirement?  Are we going to be looking at a growing group of homeless elderly people? 

[katydidthat]

Where do those on NewStart go?  They have a lower income that those on the AP.  

If they can more to an area with lower rents, the chances are that there are fewer job opportunities.  

[freddie*rooster]

To expect the elderly/sick to up and leave an area where they have family and their known and trusted family medical care is just not practical, especially when rentals are in short demand, how can you downsize from a 1brm flat?

[joz*garage]

i was hell bent on working hard to own my own home in the 90s

glad i was but i didnt expect rent to become so excessive

i mean, if you worked.. wots the average wage these days, average rent must be about half that now, yeah?

[crystal-gems]

In answer to what  older people do in other countries......in the vast majority grandparents are considered a vital part of the family unit and share the family home. In many cases this also involves aunties and uncles.    However, it generally appears not to be so in Australia and the USA. I(yes yes, I know there are exceptions)

I am talking about the Mediterranean, Scandinavia, the UK, Eastern Europe, et al.

As for the opinion that older people deserve what they get .......High wages in Oz is a relatively new concept, so is superannuation.

Most older people (who didn't inherit) barely had enough to raise a family.....but they did it, and did it well.

[joz*garage]

can not people on a pension apply for state housing? or isnt that an option or is there a huge waiting list?

i cant remember wot my mother pays for her state house rent, but she certainly can afford it on her pension, she can also save

[azureline**]

My in laws were fortunate enough to work hard and owned their own home for many years, now said home is on the market to pay his nursing home fees.

We also are fortunate, however, many are not, through circumstances they had no control over....... state housing is not an option for many, long waiting lists etc.

[crystal-gems]

I also wonder how many older people have used their savings to give their children a start in life......

[cherry*135]

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@crystal-gems wrote:

I also wonder how many older people have used their savings to give their children a start in life......

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I don't think  parents would do that if they rented a house/unit themselves would they?,. If the parents owned their own house outright and had savings to spare, then they may gift some ot that to their children to help them purchase a home.

[*elizabeths-mum*]

I think parents would sacrifice to give their children what they consider a good start or advantages, from paying private school fees for an expensive school to paying their way through university.