Public Housing

Public housing tenants in Victoria who moved into their homes after living in caravans and tents fear steep rent rises could force them back into unsuitable situations.

An Adelaide mother who has two months to find somewhere to live with her severely disabled son says she was told to "manifest a home" and use witchcraft or consider living in a tent.

Doctors repeatedly told Irene Dornan's family she was not going to survive, and despite making a full recovery she remains stuck in a high-care facility where she feels she doesn't belong.

The latest Rental Pain Index provides a monthly snapshot of conditions for renters, revealing signs of easing stress in some areas but high costs remain a critical issue affecting households nationwide.

Rent for the vast majority of public housing tenants in Victoria is capped according to income, but advocates say sharp increases in market rents before rebates are applied are causing confusion and concern.

Why did we make it harder for younger Australians and low-income workers to own homes? Did we forget some wisdom from the past?

Parts of Australia are recording their coldest temperatures in more than a decade, and people sleeping rough are bearing the brunt more than ever. 

A day after the state government announced water bill hikes for thousands of SA households, it now says the extra cost will be partly offset for concession card holders. An increased water concession of about $50 a year for about 190,000 eligible customers will come into effect from July 1.

Average SA household water bills will increase by $80 each year to help pay for $1.5 billion worth of new mains water and sewerage connections to rapidly growing Adelaide suburbs.

There's growing scrutiny over a $104 million social housing development promoted as being accessible for people with disability, after a resident complained promised features were never built.

After experiencing homelessness, siblings Annabelle and Sunny Johnson started collecting the neighbourhood's bottles and cans to buy a block of land. It's a lofty goal but their mum is proof that it's possible to achieve after buying a home on her own.

An explosion that destroyed a townhouse in Western Sydney killing one and injuring a number of others was caused by gas, a source has told the ABC.

The state government forecasts four years of deficits after a change to how money from the GST is distributed, but has made funding for affordable housing the centrepiece of its budget.

Hobart is well-known for its heritage buildings and low city skyline, but an urban strategist says the city needs to build up to improve livability.

Thanks to a "miracle" gesture from strangers, Joanne and her family were given a place to live while she battles serious health problems; but with her lease about to run out, she is again facing homelessness — in an "exceptionally challenging" rental market.

NSW Housing Minister Rose Jackson said she was embarrassed to hear that social housing tenants felt like second-class citizens.

Over 100 social housing residents in New South Wales are currently without hot water according to Homes NSW, the agency responsible for maintaining social housing.

With alarming numbers of Australians struggling to find a place to live, every house is precious. In Melbourne, one woman has taken her commitment to her home to extraordinary levels.

The SA government has spent big on measures aimed at alleviating the housing crisis and easing cost of living pain in this year's budget. But in areas like health, the money is largely aimed at just keeping up with demand while a major arts and culture project has missed out on new funding.

Police say they will deploy about 1,600 officers as thousands of workers who are against moves to bring in a mandatory deduction from their pay gather in Jakarta to protest against one of the last policies to be enacted by outgoing president Joko Widodo.

People living in New South Wales social housing say they are facing long waits to have their homes repaired, leaving them feeling "unappreciated and not worthy as human beings".

Housing measures in South Australia's upcoming budget include another relaxation of stamp duty, and funds for more than 1,900 homes across suburban Adelaide — but hundreds of tenants will be forced to move when properties are demolished.

An investigation into the house explosion in Sydney's west on Saturday is looking at whether a gas leak was to blame, as an expert says leaks can be difficult to detect but can cause major damage. 

As more young Tasmanians face homelessness, a new report shines a light on their challenges.

Coolgardie council calls on the WA government to halt demolition of storm-damaged public housing.