Louise Wilksch had been paying $900 a month for her Brunswick East bungalow for 25 years, but now, the 71-year-old Melbourne woman has become the voice of Australia’s brutal rental crisis and has found herself without a home.

Louise had been living in the same address for a quarter of a century, receiving disability pension, until the start of this month when she was hit with an eviction letter.

Brunswick East, Melbourne. Image source: Shutterstock.

'It’s sent me into shock. I couldn’t eat for a few days, and then I got a really bad cold. I think from the stress,' she told The Guardian of the devastating news.

Priya Stern, a 19-year-old Visual Arts student at the University of Melbourne, was so moved by Ms Wilksch’s plight she has started a GoFundMe to help raise cash to support her, despite the two women never having crossed paths. She wanted to highlight the fact that older Australians were often particularly vulnerable when it comes to sky-high rents.

'I don’t know Louise personally, but when I read her story, I just felt so sad for her,' Priya said.

'A lot of my friends are really struggling, and some of my country friends who are trying to go to uni can’t move to the city, so they are travelling an hour and a half each way – it’s very hard.'

‘It is definitely affecting everyone, including a lot of elderly people – things are really bad.’

‘Louise can’t find anywhere else in the same area because it’s so expensive, even though she works there and all her friends are there, and it’s really hard to move, especially when you’re a bit older.’

As we all know, Aussies of all ages are struggling at the moment. According to GoFundMe Regional Director Nicola Britton, the rising cost of living is leaving the most vulnerable in the country with little choice but to choose between their home or pay for everyday essentials.

In fact, there has been a staggering 263 per cent increase in the number of GoFundMe fundraisers that mention “cost of living” and “rising cost of living” in the last 12 months, compared with the 12 months prior.

'The past two years, we have seen Australians grapple with the country’s rental crisis, launching fundraisers for temporary accommodation. Now, as the housing crisis continues, the rising cost of living is leaving these same people forced to choose between their home or pay for everyday essentials,' Nicola said.

She went on, ‘While I am glad we can provide a platform for Australians to give and get help, community support can only extend so far.’

And the problem doesn’t look like it’s going away anytime soon, either. PropTrack’s August Market Insight report showed rental vacancy rates had dropped to 1.43 per cent in July, with a shortage of available rental properties driving up prices in both major cities and regional areas.

Key Takeaways

• A 71-year-old Melbourne woman has become the voice of Australia’s brutal rental crisis after receiving an eviction notice from the home where she lived for 25 years.
• Louise Wilksch, who receives a disability pension, has just two weeks left to find a new home, causing her significant distress.
• A 19-year-old University of Melbourne student, Priya Stern, was so moved by Ms Wilksch's story that she started a GoFundMe campaign to support her.
• There has been a staggering 263 per cent increase in GoFundMe fundraisers that mention 'cost of living' and 'rising cost of living' in the last 12 months, highlighting the severity of Australia's current housing crisis.

Members, it’s stories like Ms Wilksch’s that serve as a stark reminder for us all to stay informed when it comes to the rental crisis in Australia. Longtime landlords no longer feel guaranteed security, and tenants no longer have the peace of mind they once had. If you or someone you know is struggling to pay rent, you can contact Services Australia’s Rent Assistance here for information on how to get help.

What are your thoughts on this story, members? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

 

[Leenie]

Not like most other OECD countries, Australia does not include the right to housing in its Charter for Human Rights.

We are losing all our human rights ,with Political correctness and the woke brigade.

 

[Suzanne rose]

Please note that I've previously apologised, saying that I didn't intend to offend anyone.
Please stop commenting how I'm such a witch. It wasn't my intention.

Just ignore them. I can't believe how one small comment can get such a reaction

 

[Kellettw]

I didn't realise what you just said, totally agree. I'm not sure how someone who is on DSP can even work. I'm not on it yet but there is no way I could work.
I actually told my daughter she has to be prepared to live where ever she can, an old saying my nan used to say ' beggers can't be chooses '.

 

[Kellettw]

Working on a DSP? I think there's 2 ways to look at it. Either the Journalist has taken it wrongly or people are able to work for a minimal wage with getting the DSP.

Isn’t the DSP like aged pension, you can do some hours and either not affect your pension or get a reduced rate. My nephew has CP and Autism, he works in the vege section at Woolies a few hours a week. Why shouldn’t he, it gives him purpose.

 

[Penny4]

Isn’t the DSP like aged pension, you can do some hours and either not affect your pension or get a reduced rate. My nephew has CP and Autism, he works in the vege section at Woolies a few hours a week. Why shouldn’t he, it gives him purpose.

I'm pleased that Woolies employed your nephew. It would give him purpose plus self confidence.

 

[mylittletibbies]

If you are NOT going to be nice then don't say anything. The woman is just like many other Australians taken away from a home because of greedy landlords and or agents. The top end of town doesn't care about those who are down and out because of their greed and this includes both sides of government.

Not all landlords live on the top end of town, nor are all landlords greedy. A lot of them are just battlers, trying to get along like everyone else.A lot of them bought rentals when interest rates were low, not thinking what they could afford when interests went up again.
Obviously also a lot of them not having any experience in owning a rental did not give much thought to the expenses to that come along with this type of investment. Not having funds behind them for things such as needing a new oven, hot water system, etc etc. Now interest rates have skyrocketed the only thing they can do is raise the rent or sell up.

 

[mylittletibbies]

Part of renting is to look after the garden and do the mowing , you are very generous and paying most of the power use they must think they are in heaven. You get a gold star for this.

Yes, you are quite right, tenants are SUPPOSED to look after the gardens, supposed being the operative the word.
Over the years we have found that most of them don't hence the agreement we made. There is quite a large garden, a bit more than I thought would be fair to me expect the tenants to maintain.

 

[IAN3005]

Both my son and I are on disability pensions and over the past year our rent has gone up from $350 to $450 a week. We are lucky we live together but finding a place with cheap rent is impossible. We have moved 3 times in the past 2 years. Rental agents have become rude, ruthless and uncaring. Our last agent with Orange Maple properties put our rent up $60 a week and refused to accept the government rental subsidy offered us , he even physically assaulted me because I stood up to him. It is about getting what they want with no care for a renter and their situation, I call it great, maybe the people in government should come and try living the way we do and see if they can last more than a week on our income.

 

[IAN3005]

You're lucky..try 21% increase.... I now have to pay $835 A WEEK.

 

[Rob44]

Isn't it peculiar. The Mayor of Melbourne City gets a bit over $250 000 allowances, the Deputy-mayor $127 000 allowances and each Councillor gets $57 000 allowances. What's the Old Age Pension for a couple?
About $41000. And a single person? About $28000? And we have to beg Centrelink to get it.

Maybe the Mayor of Melbourne City could afford to find Louise a home and pay her rent for a couple of years?

 

[Nannymoore1]

Louise Wilksch had been paying $900 a month for her Brunswick East bungalow for 25 years, but now, the 71-year-old Melbourne woman has become the voice of Australia’s brutal rental crisis and has found herself without a home.

Louise had been living in the same address for a quarter of a century, receiving disability pension, until the start of this month when she was hit with an eviction letter.

View attachment 28593

Brunswick East, Melbourne. Image source: Shutterstock.

'It’s sent me into shock. I couldn’t eat for a few days, and then I got a really bad cold. I think from the stress,' she told The Guardian of the devastating news.

Priya Stern, a 19-year-old Visual Arts student at the University of Melbourne, was so moved by Ms Wilksch’s plight she has started a GoFundMe to help raise cash to support her, despite the two women never having crossed paths. She wanted to highlight the fact that older Australians were often particularly vulnerable when it comes to sky-high rents.

'I don’t know Louise personally, but when I read her story, I just felt so sad for her,' Priya said.

'A lot of my friends are really struggling, and some of my country friends who are trying to go to uni can’t move to the city, so they are travelling an hour and a half each way – it’s very hard.'

‘It is definitely affecting everyone, including a lot of elderly people – things are really bad.’

‘Louise can’t find anywhere else in the same area because it’s so expensive, even though she works there and all her friends are there, and it’s really hard to move, especially when you’re a bit older.’

As we all know, Aussies of all ages are struggling at the moment. According to GoFundMe Regional Director Nicola Britton, the rising cost of living is leaving the most vulnerable in the country with little choice but to choose between their home or pay for everyday essentials.

In fact, there has been a staggering 263 per cent increase in the number of GoFundMe fundraisers that mention “cost of living” and “rising cost of living” in the last 12 months, compared with the 12 months prior.

'The past two years, we have seen Australians grapple with the country’s rental crisis, launching fundraisers for temporary accommodation. Now, as the housing crisis continues, the rising cost of living is leaving these same people forced to choose between their home or pay for everyday essentials,' Nicola said.

She went on, ‘While I am glad we can provide a platform for Australians to give and get help, community support can only extend so far.’

And the problem doesn’t look like it’s going away anytime soon, either. PropTrack’s August Market Insight report showed rental vacancy rates had dropped to 1.43 per cent in July, with a shortage of available rental properties driving up prices in both major cities and regional areas.

Key Takeaways

• A 71-year-old Melbourne woman has become the voice of Australia’s brutal rental crisis after receiving an eviction notice from the home where she lived for 25 years.
• Louise Wilksch, who receives a disability pension, has just two weeks left to find a new home, causing her significant distress.
• A 19-year-old University of Melbourne student, Priya Stern, was so moved by Ms Wilksch's story that she started a GoFundMe campaign to support her.
• There has been a staggering 263 per cent increase in GoFundMe fundraisers that mention 'cost of living' and 'rising cost of living' in the last 12 months, highlighting the severity of Australia's current housing crisis.

Members, it’s stories like Ms Wilksch’s that serve as a stark reminder for us all to stay informed when it comes to the rental crisis in Australia. Longtime landlords no longer feel guaranteed security, and tenants no longer have the peace of mind they once had. If you or someone you know is struggling to pay rent, you can contact Services Australia’s Rent Assistance here for information on how to get help.

What are your thoughts on this story, members? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

Actually, once you reach retirement age, you can’t get the disability pension. It happened to me. You are automatically transferred to the age pension.
Maybe the woman has a disability, maybe she can still do some paid work, that is allowed by the government. Your pension is reduced, but you are allowed to work.
The benefit enables you to receive the full pension if your disability stops you from working, even part time. Many people are under the impression that a disability makes you function less, and cannot work. It’s more often a medical rather than a physical condition, that can hospitalise you until it’s back under control. ie: epilepsy, severe arthritis, asthma, colitis, etc.
Before people judge, think carefully, just as a wheelchair parking allowance doesn’t mean you have to be in a wheelchair. It means you aren’t able to either get out of a vehicle unless the door is wide opening, walk long distances, or need a mobility aid.
Think before you comment and put yourself in the same scenario.
Mrs M Moore.

 

[Rob44]

Not all landlords live on the top end of town, nor are all landlords greedy. A lot of them are just battlers, trying to get along like everyone else.A lot of them bought rentals when interest rates were low, not thinking what they could afford when interests went up again.
Obviously also a lot of them not having any experience in owning a rental did not give much thought to the expenses to that come along with this type of investment. Not having funds behind them for things such as needing a new oven, hot water system, etc etc. Now interest rates have skyrocketed the only thing they can do is raise the rent or sell up.

Given a choice (thanks Keating) of either private superannuation or buying property to rent out to provide my wife and I with an old age pension, and having lost $80 000 from my superannuation thanks to the Great Financial Scam of 2007-2008, I went for property. At least that holds its value or increases and is capital that can be realised quickly in an emergency for ourselves or our now adult children.

As for begging for an Old Age Pension from Centrelink! That institution is an insult to common decency.

The Old Age Pension for a couple is around $10 000-$15 000 below the official poverty level and if one's partner dies, it is what, $28 000? That is at least $23 000 below the poverty level. So no, it is not being a greedy landlord. It is how to survive one's old age in Australia, a most selfish and uncaring country and no I don't vote for the LNP. The ALP are uncaring enough. As for tenants; they commonly can be guaranteed to cause damage, some more serious than others. It would be nice to be able to find a long-term tenant responsible enough to keep the garden tidy and the house clean, as do most people who own their own home.

 

[Rob44]

Actually, once you reach retirement age, you can’t get the disability pension. It happened to me. You are automatically transferred to the age pension.
Maybe the woman has a disability, maybe she can still do some paid work, that is allowed by the government. Your pension is reduced, but you are allowed to work.
The benefit enables you to receive the full pension if your disability stops you from working, even part time. Many people are under the impression that a disability makes you function less, and cannot work. It’s more often a medical rather than a physical condition, that can hospitalise you until it’s back under control. ie: epilepsy, severe arthritis, asthma, colitis, etc.
Before people judge, think carefully, just as a wheelchair parking allowance doesn’t mean you have to be in a wheelchair. It means you aren’t able to either get out of a vehicle unless the door is wide opening, walk long distances, or need a mobility aid.
Think before you comment and put yourself in the same scenario.
Mrs M Moore.

Wheelchair parking in supermarkets. How many time have I seen young 'uns (up to age 40) park their utes or cars in a supermarket's wheelchair parking spot that should be left for someone needing to use that space? Ok young 'uns, if that's your attitude, don't expect low rental charges. WE ALL create the society we live in.

 

[Rob44]

Both my son and I are on disability pensions and over the past year our rent has gone up from $350 to $450 a week. We are lucky we live together but finding a place with cheap rent is impossible. We have moved 3 times in the past 2 years. Rental agents have become rude, ruthless and uncaring. Our last agent with Orange Maple properties put our rent up $60 a week and refused to accept the government rental subsidy offered us , he even physically assaulted me because I stood up to him. It is about getting what they want with no care for a renter and their situation, I call it great, maybe the people in government should come and try living the way we do and see if they can last more than a week on our income.

"Our last agent with Orange Maple properties put our rent up $60 a week and refused to accept the government rental subsidy offered us , he even physically assaulted me because I stood up to him."

You should report him to the police for assault and quite possibly to the Real Estate Institute which is supposed to control the professionalism of such people. One trusts that Orange Maple Properties will soon face bankruptcy.

Australia needs to improve its game when it comes to assorted pensions; pensions need increasing and we need a government- run service that actually cares about those needing a pension, not the junkyard system that we have now.

 

[Rob44]

All past and present government should have been doing more to have affordable housing for the vulnerable not just the new Australians as people get older they should be able to access affordable housing SHAME on politicians who take pay raises while have no where to live out their days in peace and a little comfort

Check out the yearly allowances paid to Melboune City' s Mayor, Deputy-mayor and Councillors. The details are on Wikipedia or wherever one finds such information.

 

[Rob44]

I didn't know they supplied washing machines

Landlords have no obligation to provide any white goods or furniture.

 

[Rob44]

We are losing all our human rights ,with Political correctness and the woke brigade.

Last time I read about Australia's Human Rights Charter we didn't have one.

 

[Littleboy8]

Both my son and I are on disability pensions and over the past year our rent has gone up from $350 to $450 a week. We are lucky we live together but finding a place with cheap rent is impossible. We have moved 3 times in the past 2 years. Rental agents have become rude, ruthless and uncaring. Our last agent with Orange Maple properties put our rent up $60 a week and refused to accept the government rental subsidy offered us , he even physically assaulted me because I stood up to him. It is about getting what they want with no care for a renter and their situation, I call it great, maybe the people in government should come and try living the way we do and see if they can last more than a week on our income.

Assaulted you get legal advice ASAP

 

[Littleboy8]

My daughter who is a single mum with 3 kids has been evicted from her town house in Bankstown, the owner did this to her neighbour , the new neighbours are now paying $750 , up from $520.
My daughter knows this will be the same for her.

She has not found or should I say been approved for a property, they are more likely to give it to a working couple rather than a single mum with 3 kids.

Here is the bad thing. She needs to be out by Monday, so tomorrow her belongings go into storage , she then needs to call a place that is a branch of Dept of Housing and they will put them in a hotel which is crisis housing, will then help to get her into a home. Yes I can give them my upstairs loungeroom but then she won't get any help as she won't be classed as homeless and I can't have an extra 4 people long term .
Her kids are 12, 14 and 17 , the 17 year old has aspergers .

It should never come to this, if she was on drugs she would get a housing commission place straight away.

Our government needs to stop sending so much money overseas and start helping their own !!!

Ps She went to the tribunal and it was them that extended it a month to the 4th September, she has applied for over 100 properties mostly units as that's all she can afford

that’s terrible good luck with it all keep us informed

 

[Jan A]

As we have seen in recent years, home rental in this country is at crisis point. Rents are rising and there is a shortage of rental properties. While politicians attempt to look sympathetic and tell the public they are working to help fix this dire situation, they continue to make the problem worse by reaping money from taxing rental property owners.

Corporations, many of them located overseas, own bulk properties. Many properties are owned by individuals and families who may have one property or a few. The tax burden placed on property owners is particularly hard on the individuals and families who are finding that the cost of holding investment properties is no longer viable, even with the limited benefits of “negative gearing.” The following is a list of the financial strains on property holders that explain to some extent why rents are rising and rental properties are becoming hard to find.

Stamp duty: A huge tax calculated on the cost of the property and imposed by the federal government on home buyers. As property values have increased, this tax has become exorbitant. As a rough estimate, the average buyer would need to plan for at least year’s salary just to pay this tax.

Land tax: A State tax imposed where a person lives in one home and has another in the same State. If the estimated land value of the second property exceeds a specified amount, a tax of thousands of dollars is imposed annually.

Interest rates on mortgages: While banks impose the charge, it is the government’s policy on interest rates that drives the rising cost. High mortgage rates are contributing to property investors either selling to escape rising costs or raising rents to cover the mortgage rate increases.

Capital Gains Tax: This tax amounts to 15% of the profit made on the property at sale, no matter how long it was held. This tax is likely to take the equivalent of all the rent (which was already taxed) earnt from that property across the time it was owned by the investor.

Council charges: Rates (higher for investment properties). Water supply service. Annual smoke detector inspections (about $1,000 per year). Councils can demand the owner makes repairs to their property where it is adjacent to council property.

Other: Landlord’s insurance, managing agent’s fees, termite barriers, repairs to plumbing and general maintenance.

With all of these costs rising at unprecedented rates, it is not surprising that rental properties have become a less desirable investment leading to decreased availability and higher rental costs. If people cannot rent and cannot buy, what can they do? If the government does not want to increase public housing, then a positive move would be to stop taxing individual property investors out of the rental market and put a brake on the interest rates that are causing cost hikes in every area of life.