Many Melton residents are feeling the pinch, with an increasing number of people being evicted from rental properties.
Figures from the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal show the number of Melton renters evicted from private rental properties rose from 136 in 2010-11 to 178 in 2012-13.
A total of 455 Melton renters were evicted over the three-year period, the third-highest in Melbourne behind neighbouring Brimbank (707) and Wyndham (684).
Melton township had the most renters evicted (117), ahead of Melton South (98) and Caroline Springs (59).
Victorian Council of Social Service chief executive Emma King said evictions were common in growth areas.
“This is because of poor planning, lack of services and limited or non-existent public transport,’’ she said.
“We have seen stronger retail in Melton, but lots of people are working in areas which are in the city.”
Ms King said Melton’s dynamics had changed greatly over the past five years, which had contributed to the increase.
“[Developers] entice people to move into growth areas as it appears to be cheaper, but with the cost of travel to access jobs and services it’s not as cheap as first thought,’’ she said.
“There’s a higher number of people in growth areas who are suffering rental or mortgage stress, so any small increases hurt.’’
There had been a significant rise in the number of single-parent families being evicted, Ms King said. “There’s a larger number of children homeless. It makes it hard for them to stay engaged at school and they don’t get the education they need. It then becomes a cycle of poverty.”
Ms King advised anyone having difficulty paying their rent to seek financial counselling before their circumstances become dire.
