Word On The Street

What has been your experience with the current housing crisis?

1. Anthony Ciesiolka – Cannonvale

Since the pandemic, the cost of rent has just skyrocketed. And we’re forced to pay because there’s no other option.

And the actual application process is ridiculous. There are so many applications for houses, and people are offering more rent than advertised to get the place.

Rent going from $350 to $500 in a matter of two years, that’s crazy, especially when there’s no change to the property.

I think we need more housing, and not be selling land to commercial developments. Units are always a good option.

2. Peter Clapson – Jubilee Pocket

The housing crisis is a big problem. I’m lucky because I haven’t had a rental increase, and no one close to me has been affected, at least they haven’t told me.

But I think we need more government housing. They haven’t built more government housing for years, but they talk about it all the time. It just doesn’t seem to be happening. I know it won’t work for everyone, but it does help.

3. Veronica Black – Proserpine

There isn’t any way to fix this. I have no idea how to fix it. My daughter and grandchild have moved in with me because they couldn’t pay their rent anymore. She’s a single mum to a teenager and it’s bad.

I have no more rooms to house people either.

And the worse thing is that some people have money but no home.

4. Tahlia McNally – Cannonvale

I’m 18 and still live at home. I look at the rental market all the time.

I want to move out of home, but I balance working, studying and my social life. I can’t work full time because I have university.

And still, share houses won’t work because the rent it too high. In Cannonvale, there was only six houses for rent, and it’s too much.

I think there needs to be a cap on housing rent, to make it affordable for people.

5. Reuben Blakoe – Ayr

They’re not building enough houses and even people renovating can’t get people to finish the job. I don’t know if there’s not enough tradespeople. And interest rates keep creeping up. I worry about my daughter, because hers keeps increasing.

And it’s not going to stop.

I happen to have paid off my home, but we paid it off at 18 per cent, and paid over $3,000 in interest in three months, and only $100 off the principal.

It’s bad for our grandchildren too.

They need to make it easier for first home owners to get into the market but increasing the First Home Owner Grant will only put the government into more debt!

6. Patricia Alfword – Airlie Beach

I actually live on a yacht, have been for the past six years, so I haven’t been too affected by the housing crisis.

We’re currently refitting our boat and Airlie Beach has the best fees for that, so we have been here for 14 months, but we’re about to sail down to the Gold Coast next week.

However, the housing crisis is bad. Rent just continues to increase and I believe that one problem is that 70 to 80 per cent of rental properties don’t want pets, which is so hard.

I think they need to think about the locals. Airbnbs and holidays homes are jacking up rent for the locals. It’s hard.

‍

‍