Surge in families renting puts more children at risk of housing insecurity

More children are growing up in rental housing and moving every couple of years In short: A new report by researchers at Adelaide University shows children who grow up in rental housing move every 2.3 years, on average. Around one-in-eight children who grow up in rentals have moved at least 10 times by age 14. The proportion of Australian children growing up in private rental housing jumped by 20 per cent between 2001 and 2023. More children are growing up in private rentals and facing housing insecurity, a new report finds, warning that it could have long-term implications for their development, physical health and mental wellbeing. The study by four researchers at Adelaide University — Amy Clair, Emma Baker, Lynne Giles and Claire Morey — has been released by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute today. Analysing a range of comprehensive and long-term datasets, such as the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey and the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, the authors have attempted to determine the effects of Australia's multi-decade housing affordability crisis on children. The report finds that as housing prices surged between 2001 and 2023, the proportion of households with children living in homes owned outright plunged 52 per cent, those in social rentals fell 46 per cent as the public housing sector stagnated, while those who owned with a mortgage increased 27 per cent, and those in private rentals rose 20 per cent. Research lead Associate Professor Amy Clair said the latter statistic was particularly concerning as children growing up in private rental properties move roughly every 2.3 years, on average. "By age 14, a child in a private rental had moved an average of six times. By comparison, those in households that owned their home had moved a little over twice on average, and children in social housing had moved just over four times," she said. The data shows children growing up in households with a mortgage tend to have moved about three times by age 14, which is half as often as those in a family renting. However, those averages also mask more extreme housing instability in many cases. Around one in eight children growing up in private rentals had lived in 10 or more homes by age 14, compared to approximately one in 40 children living in a home owned with a mortgage, the research found. "Results were concerning, as housing impacts mattered most during developmental transitions, such as starting school, when disruption can compound other disadvantages,"Dr Clair said. It may not surprise you to learn that few households with children were renting by choice, with only 7 per cent reporting they did so because they prefer it and 8 per cent saying they appreciated its flexibility, while more than half said they did not have a housing deposit saved and around half said they could not afford to buy. 'Housing a critical determinant of physical and mental health' The research also showed that children growing up in rental housing were more likely to live in a household suffering financial stress or poor living conditions. Roughly 18 per cent of households with children in private rentals were late on a housing payment, compared to about 7 per cent of households with a mortgage, while around 10 per cent of children in private rentals experienced overcrowding, which was more than twice the rate of children living in owner-occupied homes. Dr Clair said children's experiences were often ignored in the public discussion of housing affordability, partly through a lack of data about their housing status, and better information could help foster the housing conditions that allow children to thrive. "There is a growing evidence base positioning housing as a critical determinant of children's physical and mental health, behavioural outcomes, developmental vulnerability and educational attainment,"she said. "However, Australia's data is fragmented — creating blind spots that hinder early intervention, response targeting and accountable policy." The report suggests that maternal and child health services, early childhood education, schools and primary care services could routinely collect indicators of affordability stress, overcrowding and dwelling problems, while population surveys could include indicators of thermal comfort, damp, mould, crowding, safety and amenity. "Children's lives are being shaped by housing, but we need the data to see how this is happening, and for policymakers to use the insights to craft policy that will improve housing outcomes for children," Dr Clair said. She said the resulting insights could support early warning systems, local service planning and targeted intervention.