Over half of the suburbs in South Australia are facing a severe level of rental stress, indicating a larger issue at a national level.

This index, designed to measure rental distress, points to various Adelaide suburbs as critical areas of concern. Christie Downs, in particular, stands out as one of the nation's most affected areas in terms of rental hardship.

A significant factor in this scenario is the lack of rental affordability, with many residents in these stressed areas spending more than 35 percent of their income on rent.

In response, the South Australian government, in collaboration with Housing Renewal Australia and the community housing group Junction to launch a major social housing initiative in Oaklands Park. The project, known as Oaklands Green, aims to transform a 16.5-hectare area into a community with 235 new social housing units. A notable aspect of this development is that a minimum of 15 percent of these homes will be made available at accessible prices through the government’s HomeSeeker scheme.

This project marks a pivotal effort to improving the affordable and social housing sectors, with a focus on introducing diverse housing options to address the current shortage. The aim is to provide sustainable and affordable housing solutions, particularly targeting the needs of the southern suburbs.