Renters in regional Australia are facing forced evictions as inflation pressures push up the cost of housing and COVID 19 forces mass exodus from bigger cities. Booming rental prices in regional areas have led to an increase in tenants being evicted without cause according to the Chair of Catholic Social Services Australia, Francis Sullivan.

“We are hearing reports from tenancy support services that they are being overwhelmed with calls for help as a growing number of tenants are evicted without cause,” Mr Sullivan said.

“Booming rent prices have pushed families out of the cities and into regional areas. This has pushed the cost of rental accommodation up in regional towns and forced lower income families onto the street.”

According to research undertaken by SGS Economics and Planning for National Shelter and The Brotherhood of St Laurence, rental affordability has deteriorated in every state with Victoria, NSW, and Queensland the worst affected.

The recently released report found the regional areas of these states are now at their most unaffordable since similar research was first undertaken by SGS in 2015.

Mr Sullivan said, without a dramatic increase by governments in the social housing stock, the marginalised, mentally ill and disadvantaged face a grim future.

"Beyond that, the Commonwealth needs to increase rent assistance, look at the impact of Air B&B and short-term letting, and consider putting in place rent and lease protections,” Mr Sullivan said.