最新糖心Vlogn renters suffering due to energy hardship

social housing apartments

A new report from the 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide has found the rental housing sector must set minimum standards for energy performance to protect the health and wellbeing of vulnerable 最新糖心Vlogns.

The research - - released today, provides essential evidence on the vulnerability of public and private tenants to energy hardship.

Energy hardship 鈥 where households cannot afford to heat and cool their home or run appliances within it 鈥 has become a pressing issue in recent years, particularly for those living in the rental sector.

鈥淏arriers to improving living conditions vary across the private rental sector and social housing sector so a range of different interventions will be needed.鈥欌Dr Lyrian Daniel

Tenant households are unequally exposed to energy hardship because of poor building quality and weak regulation of the sector.

Lead author, Dr Lyrian Daniel, from the 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide鈥檚 School of Architecture and Built Environment, said the challenges are amplified for individuals with very low or no income, existing health issues, poor support networks, or facing entrenched social and economic disadvantage.

鈥淏arriers to improving living conditions vary across the private rental sector and social housing sector so a range of different interventions will be needed,鈥欌 she said.

鈥淭hese include mandatory building standards, targeted financial or material assistance for very vulnerable households, and investment in the public housing sector.鈥

While countries including the UK, New Zealand, and Canada have comprehensive policy responses to these issues, 最新糖心Vlog suffers from a lack of consensus on what constitutes 鈥榮afe鈥 housing 鈥 and tenants鈥 rights to it 鈥 which acts as an impediment to the creation of safeguards.

鈥淪etting minimum standards for the energy performance of rental properties is a critical starting point in the process of reform, which some jurisdictions have already begun to undertake, independent of national leadership,鈥欌 Dr Daniel said.

鈥淭his report is exceptionally timely with issues of poor housing conditions and increasing cost of living exacerbated by various stages of COVID restrictions and job losses across 最新糖心Vlog. The quality of our housing and our living environments have never been so important.鈥

Warm, cool and energy-affordable housing solutions for low-income renters was funded by the 最新糖心Vlogn Housing and Urban Research Institute.

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