Aussies skipping dental, medical care to afford rent

Squeezed by rising energy and housing costs, many Australians are are skipping meals, medical care and heating to keep a roof over their heads.

A survey by campaign group Everybody’s Home has found many people are sacrificing driving, meals and medical appointments in a bid to afford their rent or mortgage payments.

Meg from Newcastle in NSW, said she and her partner often live off toast and two-minute noodles because they can’t afford fresh produce after paying their rent.

She also skips medical and dental appointments.

“The dentist is a big one for us, our teeth are going to fall out,” Meg told AAP.

“Nourishment and healthcare are just not a reality at the moment.

“I don’t think people understand how taxing it is to truly struggle and have that fatigue of constantly apologising over which bill you can pay.”

The most common sacrifice among the 1100 survey respondents was reducing energy use, with half limiting heating and cooling to cope with housing costs.

Forty-two per cent of respondents skipped on doctors’ appointments, 38 per cent cut back on driving, and 30 per cent relied on credit cards or ‘buy now, pay later’ schemes to afford housing.

One in three had difficulty paying, or were behind on their energy bills in the last year.

Everybody’s Home spokesperson Maiy Azize said the housing crisis was changing the way Australians live, leading to “heartbreaking” stories of struggle.

“Sacrifices like these might be expected in a war or pandemic – not today in one of the richest countries on earth,” she said.

“One person told us that temperatures in their home makes their pain hard to manage, while another is limiting showers to once a week and laundry loads to once a month to afford the rent.”

Ms Aziz called for basic rental standards as tenants continue to trade comfort to keep a roof over their head, with 90 per cent of survey respondents reporting no external wall insulation.

“Without basic rental standards, Australians will continue to be hit with soaring energy bills and get sick from homes that are overheated, freezing or plagued by mould and damp,” she said.

Meg, 38, lives in a weatherboard worker’s cottage with no insulation and holes in the ceiling and floor.

“When you’re in a heatwave, the last thing you want to do in heatwave is go into the kitchen, or when it’s storming and there’s water dripping onto your forehead if you want to use the oven,” she said.

“It’s embarrassing.”

Ms Azize said federal plans to reduce power prices must include lifting home energy efficiency and enforcing minimum standards.

Grace Crivellaro
(Australian Associated Press)