‘Overwhelmed, hopeless, crushed’: Swinburne report reveals how housing crisis is reshaping young people’s lives

Australia’s housing crisis is severely impacting young people’s safety, relationships, health and wellbeing, education, employment, and ability to plan for the future, according to new report launched in Canberra as part of World Homeless Day.  

The research developed by Swinburne University of Technology, in partnership with YWCA Australia, details how current housing dynamics are dramatically reshaping the lives and hopes of young women and gender diverse people across the country.  

“Young people described feeling overwhelmed, hopeless, trapped, and crushed by their housing situations. For some, this stems from the daily challenge of simply making ends meet,” says lead author of the report, Swinburne’s Professor Wendy Stone.

A common theme in the report is that many young women or gender diverse people who are living with family as adults to save on rent are experiencing poor health and wellbeing.

“The notion of saving money on rent by living at home, but paying with your mental health was common,” says Professor Stone. “For others, the fear that they will never own a home – or if they do, it will require major sacrifice – had a negative impact on their mental health and wellbeing.”

Swinburne’s team of Professor Wendy Stone, Dr Sal Clark, Zoë Goodall and Dr Catherine Hartung interviewed young women and gender diverse people aged 18–30-year-old, nationally.

Young people reported unsafe living conditions, challenging household dynamics, having to move away for affordable housing, and difficulties with dating or romantic relationships.

They found that housing barriers are changing the traditional life course that many young people expected to follow, undermining their sense of what it means to be an ‘adult’. 

Numerous young people feel that buying a home is out of reach or impossible. For women and gender diverse people, there are more gendered implications. Buying or even renting is seen as unattainable without a partner who can earn more, potentially leading to disadvantage, particularly when considering future children.

“Young people are making huge trade-offs in what they want, just to be able to get by. This isn’t just among those in more vulnerable population groups, it’s widespread around Australia.” 

Swinburne’s research team and those impacted have clear ideas about what policy changes are needed and suggest several solutions, including: 

• Further investment in social housing, 

• Stronger rental regulation, 

• Women-specific and LGBTQI-specific housing support, and 

• Widely available information about housing, including education in high school. 

“Young people urgently need a seat at the table when it comes to decisions about housing,” says Professor Stone.

“Action is urgently needed from our nation’s leaders. We must ensure young women, young gender diverse people and young men, have access to affordable and safe housing.”