By WLIA Fellow Dr Rebecca Huntley
Two entrenched and complex social problems are getting much-needed attention in the news and public debate at the moment – women’s safety and housing affordability. While discussions about women’s safety often highlight the barriers women face in finding suitable emergency and long-term accommodation, a gender lens is rarely applied to the discourse on housing affordability and accessibility. This oversight needs to change.
Our 2023 Portrait Research
Research released last year by the Sydney Women’s Fund highlighted the critical links between women’s safety and insecure accommodation. This research, conducted every three years over the past nine years by a team of researchers that I lead, paints a portrait of the lives of women in Greater Sydney through a large-scale survey and in-depth interviews,
Unsurprisingly, the 2023 Portrait Research revealed widespread anxiety among women due to the cost-of-living crisis. Housing insecurity was driving this concern, with women across the city expressing fears about homelessness, rent increases, competition for rentals and worrying about their children being able to afford a home in the future. Women who rent were by far the most economically stressed group, with 61% describing themselves as ‘just getting by’. Peta, a woman in her mid-40s living and renting in Parramatta, described the precariousness of her current life in the following terms: “I am probably one significant life event away from moving into a car, like a job loss or a significant medical event that means I can’t work.”
Women who rented were also more likely to express concern about their own personal safety, both inside and outside their homes. 1 in 2 Sydney women said they were concerned about their personal safety. But this figure rose to 54% among women who rented and 60% among those who rented alone. Major concerns for this group of women included feeling unsafe waiting for transport or walking alone in their local area, with inadequate lighting being key factor in how un/safe they felt.
Our property research
More recent research by 89 Degrees East, where I lead research, further illustrates clear gender differences in the lived experience of housing.
In May of this year, we surveyed 2,022 people aged 18+ living across Australia about homeownership and housing development. We found women, particularly young women and women who rent, were more likely to agree with the statement, “the Australian dream of home ownership is pretty much dead for younger generations.” This property research showed women, overall, were much more financially stressed than men, and women who did not own their own home were significantly more likely to say they would not be in a position to buy a home in the next five years (37% compared to 26% of men).
There are several implications here for the housing sector. Set aside the social and economic impacts of such a large portion of our citizens and workers feeling unsafe, even in their own homes. This has consequences for any plans companies and governments have to build more medium-density housing, which could, if done well, make housing more accessible and affordable for women.
Our property research found that women were less likely to feel confident about medium-density housing regardless of the benefits such housing developments might bring the community, such as more transport, and cultural and social infrastructure. By a large margin, 45% of women were less confident about the development of more medium-density housing in their local area compared to 35% of men.
The missing link
Considering the insights from the Portrait of Sydney Women Research, this lack of support for medium-density housing is likely connected to safety concerns and a lack of trust that such developments will bring an upside of more accessible, secure, and affordable housing to rent and buy.
Cynics might dismiss this gender gap in support for medium density as NIMBYism, but my research shows women are more attuned to the downside of socially-insensitive housing developments and more likely to bear the brunt of badly designed buildings.
We know that providing safe accommodation for women experiencing family violence is essential, but broader housing policy must also consider women’s safety and security needs and wants. Listening to the voices of women leaders in the housing sector would help ensure a better gender lens on this issue.
As numerous state governments move towards more medium-density developments to address housing affordability, we urgently need to ensure women feel safe in and around the places they live, work and play. Research can guide these much-needed efforts.
