Australian single mothers turn to shared housing to survive cost-of-living crisis

Single mothers in Australia are increasingly adopting shared housing arrangements to manage severe affordability pressures, according to ABC News Australia reporting on May 24, 2026. Single parents face three times the poverty risk of two-parent households, and single mothers experience homelessness at four times the national average rate. The shared housing model represents an adaptive response to a structural housing affordability crisis affecting vulnerable populations across the country. This trend reflects broader housing unaffordability challenges in developed economies, particularly as single-income households struggle with childcare costs and wage stagnation.