Latest news with #RentalAffordabilitySnapshot
The Age
29-04-2025
- Business
- The Age
WA news LIVE: WA spear fisher films being dragged by tiger shark
Latest posts Latest posts 9.30am WA spear fisher films being dragged by tiger shark Two people spearfishing off WA's coast south of Exmouth have filmed a close encounter with a tiger shark. Jasmine Warneford and Sam Anderson were staying at Red Bluff campground, popular for surfing and diving, when a tiger shark stole their catch. The shark then tried to bite Anderson, who was prodding it away with his spear gun, before darting away and inadvertently dragging Warneford with it, who was attached to a float line which the shark got tangled in as it made its escape. Anderson rushed towards her as she was dragged underwater for about 10 metres before Warneford managed to cut the line with a knife in her weight belt. Watch the vision of the encounter below: 9.30am Today's weather 9.30am This morning in Perth Good morning readers, welcome to our live news blog for Wednesday, April 30. Making headlines today is the story of a Perth family burnt by a building company's collapse – twice. In 2021, Cara Godwin and her husband Jason employed Modco Residential – the building company helmed by glamour couple Yusuf Khan and Cynthia Lu who left behind a trail of shattered hopes, unpaid bills, and unanswered questions when the empire crumbled within years. The Godwins picked themselves up and brought in Ultimo Constructions, then thought of as one WA's best boutique builders. Fast forward a year – and through 'many delays, money wasted, numerous emails and calls' – and all the family has is a concrete slab after the company collapsed last month. Sarah Brookes has the full story. You can read all about it here. Speaking of the state of housing, a new report reveals anyone on JobSeeker, youth allowance or the disability pension was totally locked out of every single private rental in WA. Anglicare WA's Rental Affordability Snapshot looked at the 3523 private rentals available on March 15 and 16 and found the median rental cost was up 5 per cent from last year to $680 per week. Of these houses, there were none affordable for people living with government income support – including single rooms.
Sydney Morning Herald
29-04-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
WA news LIVE: WA spear fisher films being dragged by tiger shark
Latest posts Latest posts 9.30am WA spear fisher films being dragged by tiger shark Two people spearfishing off WA's coast south of Exmouth have filmed a close encounter with a tiger shark. Jasmine Warneford and Sam Anderson were staying at Red Bluff campground, popular for surfing and diving, when a tiger shark stole their catch. The shark then tried to bite Anderson, who was prodding it away with his spear gun, before darting away and inadvertently dragging Warneford with it, who was attached to a float line which the shark got tangled in as it made its escape. Anderson rushed towards her as she was dragged underwater for about 10 metres before Warneford managed to cut the line with a knife in her weight belt. Watch the vision of the encounter below: 9.30am Today's weather 9.30am This morning in Perth Good morning readers, welcome to our live news blog for Wednesday, April 30. Making headlines today is the story of a Perth family burnt by a building company's collapse – twice. In 2021, Cara Godwin and her husband Jason employed Modco Residential – the building company helmed by glamour couple Yusuf Khan and Cynthia Lu who left behind a trail of shattered hopes, unpaid bills, and unanswered questions when the empire crumbled within years. The Godwins picked themselves up and brought in Ultimo Constructions, then thought of as one WA's best boutique builders. Fast forward a year – and through 'many delays, money wasted, numerous emails and calls' – and all the family has is a concrete slab after the company collapsed last month. Sarah Brookes has the full story. You can read all about it here. Speaking of the state of housing, a new report reveals anyone on JobSeeker, youth allowance or the disability pension was totally locked out of every single private rental in WA. Anglicare WA's Rental Affordability Snapshot looked at the 3523 private rentals available on March 15 and 16 and found the median rental cost was up 5 per cent from last year to $680 per week. Of these houses, there were none affordable for people living with government income support – including single rooms.
Forbes
08-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Care For The Vulnerable: How Businesses Can Address The Housing Crisis
Goro Gupta, founder of Ethical Property Investments, transforms lives with disability-friendly housing, through ethical investment. Record homelessness and a scarcity of affordable housing globally should make all of us consider who's responsible for offering housing and other support for people with disabilities and vulnerable communities. Is it government? Big business? Wealthy property investors? Everyday investors working to build their nest egg? As people continue to hurt across the globe and government interventions plod along, how can business leaders, entrepreneurs and investors help address this burgeoning crisis? The data presents a bleak picture. In England, over 79,000 households were reported as homeless or under threat of it in the first quarter of 2023. For people with disabilities, the situation is even worse. According to a report from Scope, "Disabled people are almost three times as likely to live in material deprivation than the rest of the population (34% versus 13%)." And many are unable to secure suitable accommodation that meets their accessibility requirements. At the same time, the amount of U.K. social housing is in decline, from over 200,000 homes built in the mid-1950s, to under 10,000 in the last couple years. The private rental market, often the last resort for those priced out of the housing market, has become prohibitively expensive. The U.S. situation is just as concerning, with homelessness reaching an all-time high of 653,100 people in January 2023. A stagnant-wage economy and soaring rents have made housing less affordable. The Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University notes that in 2022, nearly half of all renters in the U.S. were cost-burdened, paying more than 30% of their income toward housing. The housing crisis in Australia is worsened by escalating rents and a persistent shortfall of social housing. In 2021, "more than 122,000 people were estimated to be experiencing homelessness in Australia." That figure is rising now: Homelessness is up 22% over the past three years, with an additional 10,000 human beings every month who have no place to call home… unless you count the rising number of tent cities and people sleeping in their cars. Nationwide, Anglicare, Australia's Rental Affordability Snapshot, shows an extremely small percentage of listings are affordable for someone with a low income. In Australia, between 2022 and 2023, approximately 25,900 or 9.5% of clients accessing Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS) reported having a disability; 48% were already homeless. As for the waiting lists for social housing for people with disabilities, 37% or 148,000 households, included at least one person with a disability. And homes aren't always built with their needs in mind. Socially ethical investing is one answer. Directing capital toward investments that yield financial returns while having a positive social impact is a win/win/win—for people who need homes, investors looking for good returns and society who'll benefit from the long-term ripple effects of people feeling secure, safe and cared for. This means constructing affordable, accessible and quality homes for the people who need them the most. Ethical investors in Australia are investing in housing for people with disabilities and vulnerable groups through the Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). This approach, when done well, highlights how doing good means making money. Properties purposely built with features like wider doorways, step-free access and smart home tech are in such demand that vacancy rates are much lower in my experience, often outpacing traditional rental markets. Co-living spaces and dual-key housing models are also creative solutions that maximize land use and encourage community and inclusion. Housing developments can add shared spaces for social interaction, like communal kitchens or gardens, to stave off isolation and improve mental health. If you're a developer or investor looking to make a real difference in the housing crisis, understand that this involves more than building properties—it means building communities that last. Affordable housing isn't a one-size-fits-all solution. It has to meet the needs of the people living there. That means listening to the communities you're serving, engaging with local organizations, and working directly with those affected by homelessness and housing shortages. Building strong partnerships is crucial. Teaming up with non-profits, local councils and advocacy groups brings expertise and real-world insight into the process. These organizations already know where the gaps are and can help guide your decisions. In Australia, I've found programs like NDIS provide funding support but link investors and developers with initiatives that can help reduce financial risk and increase demand for housing. Ethical investing in affordable housing and homelessness solutions comes with challenges. Given the long-term nature of these investments, these developments often require a higher initial investment. And purpose-built homes, like those for disability accommodation, take time to design and build properly. Investors and developers also need to factor in regulatory changes. Housing policies are constantly shifting. They come with the risk that government funding or rules can change. Staying connected with industry bodies and policymakers to stay ahead of any shifts in legislation. Ultimately, I've found that investing in long-term, ethical housing addresses root causes and reduces the long-term burden on the public purse. The effects of stable housing go well beyond a person having a roof over their head. In my experience, families with secure housing are often more likely to remain intact, children are more likely to thrive in education, and communities can become stronger and more resilient. The question isn't whether ethical investing can address the housing crisis. It's whether we're willing to invest in making it work. Business leaders and entrepreneurs have an opportunity to impact meaningful change. The time to act is now. If not us, then who? If not now, when? Can we do good and make money? Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
