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? 

[acacia_pycnantha]

And then there are those parents who would sometimes gladly sacrifice the noisy selfish brawling little bra darlings on some desolate stone altar somewhere if only some disembodied voice (in their heads?) called out for it and gave them the excuse.

More room for granny, eh?

[acacia_pycnantha]

Maybe the old folks could do what we did when we were young folks studying at uni and share a house and all put in for the rent and the food and the drugs medicines.  Ah, the memories.

Needs must when the devil drives. (We really must re-visit the licencing laws in this state.)

[***super_nova***]

I think a lot of old people would find it difficult to share a house.  There are some small units and bedsitters around, which probably would be in the range of people on pension.  Maybe the government should give tax breaks to people who build such accommodation, but then again, there is always heaps of objection to units and townhouses being build, and anything for poor people, would be very much in the "not in my backyard" category. 

Another solution for old people is a granny flat on the property of their children.  Some councils are happy to give permits, in some other areas there is a scheme (at least here in VIC) where one of the temporarily units can be placed in the back yard, but has to be removed once the old person dies. 

Gosh, these 2 are smaller than my bedroom 

http://www.novadeko.com.au/granny-flat-monaco?gclid=CImmg-yg27gCFcJopAoda3cAdA

http://www.superiorgrannyflats.com.au/

[*elizabeths-mum*]

I've just looked at the first which assuming the 2.4 is the height, is about 20 feet x just under 10 feet - would that be about the size of a caravan?

[izabsmiling]

I think rental availability and affordabilty have been a problem for some time and in some areas not a problem that is only faced by low income earners.? Also a fact I would think is that if there is a shortage of rental properties and there are many applicants for the one rental property ...it's more than likely those on the lower incomes won't perhaps get a look in even if they could afford it .

This looks promising imo

Meeting housing needs: media releases Step forward with continued commitment to ending homelessness National Shelter media release — 28 March 2013

National Shelter has welcomed the Australian Government, state and territories’ commitment to ending homelessness and their long-term investment in affordable rental housing.

Today the federal government announced Round 5 of the National Rental Affordability Scheme to be delivered in 2015–16.

Additionally, the states and territories matched the federal government’s pledge for the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness with a total of $320 million for one year.

Chair of National Shelter, Adrian Pisarski, said that the federal, state and territories’ commitments ensured the continuation of crucial homelessness services and access to affordable housing for low-income earners.

‘The continuation of the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness is a significant step forward in ending homelessness.

‘The transitional period must be used to develop a long-term strategic approach to ending homelessness and improving the alignment between housing and homelessness services.

‘The one-year transitional agreement for 2013–14 will ensure services will be able to continue and we look forward to further detail from the Commonwealth, states and territories’ plans.’

[i-need-a-martini]

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@*elizabeths-mum* wrote:

I've just looked at the first which assuming the 2.4 is the height, is about 20 feet x just under 10 feet - would that be about the size of a caravan?

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20ft x 10ft is only about 18m2? There is another one (the Moncao granny flat) which is only 12m2. Both are illegal for permanent habitable construction.

Minimum floor space for most states is 40-50m2 (although I think in SA it is 37m2) as per the Building Code of Australia and Australian standards for residential.

50m2 is the standard size of a studio apartment - bed/lounge/kitchenette in one room with a separate bathroom.

[freddie*rooster]

$33,500 for a shed with a deck  LOL then you need to pay to have it erected.

[***super_nova***]

LOL yes, I did not have the time to look for something more acceptable.  But some years ago I lived in an area that was not allowed to be subdivided further ( we had a couple of acres) and the neighbor has rented from the council similar portable, but considerably larger, as a granny flat for his 85 years old mother, it had to be connected to the septic and pass council inspection before the lady moved in.  I used to have cuppa with her, and the unit was very comfortable, small bedroom, bathroom, and living/kitchen.  It was only one step up from a caravan, but it was a very good solution for this situation, when this lady could not live totally alone anymore.  She was very proud of her unit.   When the old lady passed on, the unit was retrieved by the council. 

[***super_nova***]

LOL yes, I did not have the time to look for something more acceptable.  But some years ago I lived in an area that was not allowed to be subdivided further ( we had a couple of acres) and the neighbor has rented from the council similar portable, but considerably larger, as a granny flat for his 85 years old mother, it had to be connected to the septic and pass council inspection before the lady moved in.  I used to have cuppa with her, and the unit was very comfortable, small bedroom, bathroom, and living/kitchen.  It was only one step up from a caravan, but it was a very good solution for this situation, when this lady could not live totally alone anymore.  She was very proud of her unit.   When the old lady passed on, the unit was retrieved by the council. 

[carls*world]

Had I ever organised my life sufficiently to have ever been "Cruising along nicley" that would have been the time I got out of rental and bought. However, still renting.
Not particularly concerned about when I retire, as I'm not all that confident or reaching retirement age.

[*elizabeths-mum*]

That sounds like an ideal scenario, supa nova.

"Not particularly concerned about when I retire, as I'm not all that confident or reaching retirement age"

and if you do reach it, it will be bumped up again anyway.