Housing options for women leaving domestic violence: the limitations of rental subsidy models

Abstract

Domestic and family violence is the leading cause of female homelessness, yet social housing provision has declined in Anglophone countries like Australia and housing policy responses favour demand-side subsidies to assist with rental payments. We examine the consequences of ‘choice-based’ approaches in competitive housing markets, applying a theoretical discussion of how the neoliberal subject is supposed to respond to external shocks in an adaptive and resilient manner, and problematise assumptions that subsidies provide ‘choice’. The paper is based on findings from an [Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute-funded research project]. Analysis suggests that private market rental subsidies work well in some areas and not so well in others, depending on local housing market conditions. In some cases, women have returned to violent situations because they perceive no alternative. These findings suggest that the positing of ‘choice’ for women is rhetorical rather than real because it is conditioned by the ability to compete in high-cost private rental markets.

Keywords:

• Private rental market
• rental subsidy
• affordable housing
• domestic and family violence

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Acknowledgements

We acknowledge that this paper was based on research funded by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute. We wish to thank all the participants who contributed their views on the housing experiences of women leaving domestic and family violence. We also thank kylie valentine for her editorial suggestions on the final draft of this article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 In most Australian jurisdictions, as in English tenancy law, there is no statutory limit on the amount of rent that can be charged, or on the quantum of rent increase outside the fixed term of the tenancy agreement, as long as the correct notice is given. This contrasts to tenancy law in countries such as Germany where there are limits on what rents can be charged and on rent increases, and in a minority of states in the USA where rent control applies to some municipalities, and/or some buildings.

2 Eligible payments include the age pension, disability support pension, parenting payments, unemployment benefits and payments to students, so most income support recipients would be eligible. However, some groups are conspicuously excluded, such as low-waged households without children.

3 ‘Housing stress’ refers to the standard measure of affordability—for households in the lowest two income quintiles, rent must take up no more than 30% of the household’s income for the housing to be deemed affordable.

4 The program was originally directed primarily at people affected by family violence (both victims and perpetrators, if a perpetrator was removed from their original home under Tasmania’s family violence legislation). Eligibility has since been extended to people exiting mental health inpatient units and people leaving prison.

5 All monetary references are to Australian dollars (AUD).

6 In New South Wales, for example, Rent Choice is commonly available to young people, people leaving DFV, war veterans and households in certain locations that have experienced a major financial setback such as an illness or unemployment. In Tasmania, Rapid Rehousing is targeted to cohorts considered particularly vulnerable. It is described in recent government reports as a form of ‘supported accommodation’ (see Department of Communities 2019).

7 TICA is a tenancy database used by real estate agents to vet potential tenants. Listing on TICA can make it difficult to secure a tenancy.

8 Waiting time for priority applicants in the September 2019 quarter according to the Department of Communities’ human services dashboard: https://www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/humanservicesstats/human_services_dashboard, accessed 18 February 2019. Waiting times fluctuate from quarter to quarter, but the trend over the past five years is one of substantial increase.