It's Time to Cease Blaming International Students for the Housing Crisis

Amid the chaos of people queuing for rental inspections, there's much talk about the current housing crisis in Australia. 

It's undeniable that the rental market is scorching hot right now. Vacancy rates in major cities hover around a mere one percent, and rents have soared. In essence, fewer rental properties are available, and those available come with a higher price tag.

With the reopening of borders post-Covid and the influx of international students returning to Australian universities, fingers were pointed at these students as the culprits. Some claimed that international students were to blame for ordinary Australians struggling to find rental accommodation.

However, this claim doesn't hold up. A report released last Friday by the Student Accommodation Council has debunked the myth that international students are the cause of the rental crisis.

The housing crisis has multiple causes. Structural issues are worsened by changes in lifestyle and family structures, financial pressures, construction challenges, sluggish planning systems, and cities that have become more popular without a corresponding increase in housing availability.

International students constitute only four percent of the entire rental market in Australia, while domestic Australian students make up just over six percent.

Thirteen percent of renters live alone, but nobody is suggesting that local university students should move out of shared accommodations and back in with their parents, any more than we're telling single individuals to find roommates and leave their solo apartments.

A major factor affecting rental housing availability is the post-Covid trend of working from home. Second bedrooms are now home offices and plant nurseries, rather than spaces for flatmates.

International education is a significant economic asset for our nation, contributing $25.5 billion annually. Australia needs a robust economy to build the necessary homes, yet some have proposed capping international student numbers and reducing this revenue as a solution to the housing crisis. This approach is short-sighted.

Australia's reputation has also taken a hit as blame is tossed around. Conversations in student accommodation buildings reflect a fear that international students aren't welcome here. What's said locally reverberates overseas and affects the countries from which we draw our largest student populations.

Australian households are evolving. Fewer people live in larger homes, and Australia hasn't built enough new houses or alternative living arrangements to meet demand. Australia needs to expand student accommodation options to provide more housing choices for students without them having to compete for private rentals.