Over 50 percent of renters living in major capital cities face “housing stress,” according to figures from advocacy group Everybody’s Home, prompting 150 organisations to call for the government to invest in more social housing. According to the latest data, renters in outer suburban and coastal areas suffered the most from rent hikes and housing stress—which occurs when a household spends over a third of its gross income on costs such as rent. More specifically, 76.5 percent of renters in the New South Wales (NSW) electorate of Macarthur in southwest Sydney suffered housing stress, while the figures for Chifley and Mitchell stood at around 73 percent. Additionally, Bruce in the southeast of Melbourne had a housing stress rate of 64 percent, compared to 60 percent in Bowman in Brisbane’s east. Regional electorates were not spared from the impact of rising rent costs, with housing stress staying over 60 percent in the …