When Iresha Liyanage and her family relocated from Melbourne to Darwin in early 2022, finding somewhere to live proved very difficult.
Having attended numerous house inspections, the university student eventually got lucky, finding an apartment for $200 a week through a lease break.
"It was really a challenge [for] us at that time to find a reasonable [price]," she said.
Ms Liyanage is studying towards a master of teaching, and her husband, Jihan, initially worked part-time upon arriving in the Top End.
Then, their lease agreement expired.
"Suddenly … they increased the price [to] around $400 [per week]," she said.
For six weeks, Ms Liyanage had no option but to pay the extra rent, with her husband finding a second part-time job.
"At that time, my daughter was only six months [old]. Jihan was leaving home at 6:30am and coming home at [9pm]," she said.
"My daughter didn't know her father at all. On the other hand, I didn't have time to focus on my studies."
To their relief, Jihan managed secure full-time work as a labourer, and became eligible for a Northern Territory key worker rent subsidy called Rent Choice.
It reduced their weekly payment from $400 to $170.
"Everyone should have something like that because I know, as a student, I have a couple of friends here who are struggling with high rent," Ms Liyanage said.
"Otherwise, I don't think they can survive."
Rent 'unaffordable' for all essential workers
The Liyanage family isn't alone in its housing struggles.
Priced Out, a new report from the Everybody's Home campaign, has revealed essential workers in Darwin are spending between 46 and 64 per cent of their income on rent.
Child care workers, aged care workers, cleaners and meat packers in Darwin are among those spending above 60 per cent.
Occupation |
Darwin |
Northern NT |
Southern NT |
|---|---|---|---|
Aged care worker |
61% |
47% |
58% |
Ambulance officer |
50% |
39% |
48% |
Childcare worker |
63% |
49% |
60% |
Cleaner |
60% |
47% |
58% |
Construction worker |
58% |
45% |
56% |
Delivery driver |
59% |
46% |
57% |
Dispatcher |
61% |
47% |
58% |
Firefighter |
46% |
36% |
44% |
Freight driver |
61% |
47% |
58% |
Hospitality worker |
64% |
50% |
61% |
Meat packer |
64% |
50% |
61% |
Nurse |
56% |
43% |
53% |
Postal worker |
60% |
47% |
57% |
Retail worker |
59% |
46% |
57% |
School teacher |
46% |
36% |
44% |
The report found rents across the Northern Territory were "unaffordable" for all essential workers profiled.
It pointed to "several unique factors" in the NT that "exacerbate" unaffordability.
It included Darwin having a high proportion of skilled professionals on high incomes, which skews the average of rents higher.
On the other hand, outside of Darwin, incomes are lower and rates of disadvantage are higher.
"Systematic underinvestment" in social housing is also an issue, the report said.
The Darwin Community Legal Service's Matthew Gardiner said the current rental conditions meant some people were moving to cheaper towns and cities.
"We're seeing it and, more and more, this thing happening over and over again: [coming] to the end of the lease and suddenly getting a large increase," he said.
"The trouble is, if you have a low income, you can't make up for that anywhere else.
"We're seeing more and more people saying: 'Look, I can't afford to stay here anymore', and wanting to move interstate."
Housing supply to increase
A spokesperson for the federal Department of Social Services said it had "an ambitious housing agenda to boost the supply of all housing across Australia, including social and affordable housing, homes to rent and … buy".
That includes a plan to build 30,000 new social and affordable homes, with 10,000 of those for frontline workers.
Mr Gardiner said support for renters could not wait.
"Whether it's the territory government or the federal government, we need investment in affordable housing now, not in five years' time, not in 10 years' time, but now," he said.
