Living on the margins: the worlds of older private renters in Sydney

Abstract

In this study I explore the world of older private renters in Sydney. I illustrate that for those older renters who are forced to live in unsubsidised privately rented dwellings, everyday life is extremely difficult and government policy in regards to providing affordable housing is seriously flawed. For most older private renters, financial stress is enormous and the most basic items are difficult to acquire. The level of hardship was determined mainly by the rent a person was paying and by family connections. Those residents who had managed to somehow acquire relatively cheap accommodation and who had strong family links were in a very different position to those who were paying a relatively high rent and had no family connections. A theme running through the study is that the Commonwealth Rent Assistance policy is not giving older renters access to affordable accommodation and the policy in regards to the provision of affordable housing has to be re-examined so as to allow those older Australians who are not homeowners or who have not managed to access public housing the chance to live out the last chapter of their lives in dignity.