‘We don’t want people like you’: realtor’s rejection triggers new young adults housing association
Amber Barry, Saxon O'Neill and Geoff Clarke of the YPHA.
A young Sunshine Coast couple who’ve endured countless rejections for rental properties, has channelled their disappointment into launching the Young People Housing Association Inc – a new association dedicated to achieving housing for young adults.
Amber Barry and Saxon O’Neill – both 21 – have received “dozens and dozens” of rejections for rental properties from Birtinya to Peregian Springs, even though they both have good earnings – Amber is a nurse and Saxon an electrician.
They were even bluntly told by one Buderim realtor during a rental inspection, ‘We don’t want people like you’, in reference to their young age.
“We were having a big long conversation with her, and she was essentially saying, ‘You’re young, unpredictable, the owners don’t know what you’re going to do with the place’. She wasn’t even tip-toeing around it,” Ms Barry explained.
Saxon added: “Homeowners can put in requests for who they want living in their properties, and the agent was saying, ‘It’s families and older couples’ – that’s kind of the base line for every owner, there’s never an explicit direction to ‘Just accept anyone’.”
The difficult experience prompted Amber to write to local politicians, the Queensland and federal housing ministers, and even the Prime Minister.
Sunshine Coast Council’s Cr Joe Natoli responded by introducing the couple to retired builder, workplace educator and housing campaigner Geoff Clarke, who helped them with the recent launch of the Young People Housing Association Inc (YPHA Inc.) to campaign for wider recognition of the issue.
“I have grandsons in Sydney and I just believe that they’ll never own a house, so I’m really concerned that, in this great country of ours, we are forsaking our young generation,” Mr Clarke said.
Mr Clarke has wide experience in housing, including in PNG and with indigenous communities.
“Nothing is impossible to solve, but we need to work together; we need the help of government departments, politicians, but also public servants, to work with us to try and find solutions to it,” he said.
“We have some answers of our own, which we’re happy to put forward, but for our ideas to work, we need the support of government agencies.”
Mr O’Neill reiterated a deeper hidden need for a solution to the young adults’ housing dilemma.
“Being rejected over and over, and being told that we aren’t the people they’re looking for, impacted our mental health quite badly, so we could only assume that everyone else around our age looking for rentals are in the same situation – getting rejected, feeling like there’s no hope for us, and there’s no support at all,” Saxon explained.
“So, while we are trying to get affordable land to build affordable homes, it’s more about young adults getting a ‘fair go’ in housing, because, right now, we’re getting rejected before we even have a foot in the door.
"YPHA Inc is a community-driven voice for young Australians being locked out of housing. We advocate for policy change, affordable pathways, and practical alternatives so young people can secure a place to call home."
The Young People Housing Association Inc (YPHA Inc) has been established to engage with industry and elected representatives to provide a cohesive voice and advocacy for property rental and home ownership by young people. The association has Not for Profit (NFP) status. To learn more or if you are in a position to support the campaign, please visit the website: www.ypha.org.au