Emily is barely scraping by after buying a house – and it’s taking a toll on her mental health

Emily Knights in her home. A study has found mortgage holders spending more than 30% of their income on housing repayments experienced a decline in mental health roughly three times larger than others experiencing financial strain. Photograph: Christopher Hopkins/The Guardian

When Emily Knights bought a quaint two-bedroom starter home with her then-partner in Geelong, Victoria, the milestone marked years of financial sacrifice.

However, the end of their relationship shortly afterwards left her shouldering the entire mortgage on a home that needed renovation and had “no working oven”.