THE COST-of-living crisis deepens, with a recent report finding that Australians have taken on an additional 86 million hours of work to keep afloat and survive.
Leading into National Homelessness Week running August 5-11, the research by homelessness support charity, Orange Sky, found three in five (60 per cent) Queenslanders were struggling to make ends meet – surpassing the national average of 57 per cent.
The Sunshine State also appears to be struggling to keep up with ongoing payments, with 59 per cent of Queenslanders making moderate or significant lifestyle changes due to rising living costs, and one in five borrowing money or taking out a loan just to pay rent or bills.
The research revealed nearly one-fifth (17 per cent) of Queenslanders have experienced homelessness, and everyday Australians are closer than ever to financial hardship, which could spark the cycle of tough times.
With the cost-of-living crisis now entering its third year, the remainder of 2024 appears to offer little relief, with research indicating Australians are struggling to afford basic needs, and deferring crucial healthcare.
The new research comes as government data indicates household inflation rates have risen by 3.6 per cent over the past 12 months, with housing, food and health costs climbing by over 3 per cent in the same period.
Orange Sky co-founder Nic Marchesi said growing costs and expenses were placing unsustainable pressure on average Australians, who are having to make tough sacrifices just to keep up.
“No one deserves to go without essentials – clean clothes, a hot shower and a safe place to sleep; however, rising costs are increasingly forcing everyday Australians to choose between living essentials, bills and rent, and people who may have never thought they would be struggling financially are turning to us for help,” he said.
“We have seen a 21 per cent increase in demand for our services since last financial year, and this increase is coming from families, retirees, students and middle-aged women and men. Even people with current employment are coming to us for help.
“To support the growing number of Aussies experiencing homelessness and hardship, in the last financial year we launched services in five new locations. In addition, we launched 36 new shifts in already existing services.”
The continuing national housing crisis saw mortgage prices hit an all-time high in June, with weekly rent prices rising by 8 per cent in the past 12 months, and rental vacancy rates sitting at the lowest in a decade.
“Homelessness can be much closer than you think it is. These statistics are people – people that we see each and every day,” Mr Marchesi said. “Homelessness can impact anyone, and as we see financial hardship escalate, all it could take is one unfortunate circumstance.”
