So many young Australians like me will rent forever – it needs to be made livable and affordable

‘As it stands, young people will continue to be stuck in a precarious rental market, which still perceives renting as a temporary option.’ Photograph: z_wei/Getty Images/iStockphoto

I had more ambition to own property as a teenager than I do now. I am 24 years old and house prices in my home town, Hobart, have more than doubled in the past 10 years. Now I just dream about nice landlords.

In the 2023 budget, the government announced it would increase the maximum rate for those on the commonwealth rent assistance program by 15% (or up to $31 a fortnight), which is for people receiving government benefits such as full-time students, those on jobseeker, and pensioners. This is somewhat helpful for the thousands of people supported through these programs. But many renters are not.