Rental crisis leads to homelessness spike
Shortages lead to spike in hinterland homelessness
A growing rental crisis has led to a spike in homelessness in the hinterland with lower income earners and vulnerable people finding it too competitive to get a roof over their head.
President of Nambour St Vincent de Paul St Josephs Conference Teresa Forrest said a perfect storm of factors was placing pressure on the system.
Factors included high rents, interstate relocations, loss of jobs, lack of crisis and public housing and lack of investment in affordable accommodation.
She said the pressures were also having serious and widespread mental health impacts.
“People are living in cars, tents, by side of road and couch surfing,” she said. “They are subject to assaults, falling into mental illness, not planning a future and not eating well. It’s heartbreaking and distressing to see.
“It’s a vicious cycle too. People are unable to secure employment if they have no fixed address and limited access to basics like washing and cooking facilities.
“Children are having to change schools or not go to school at all because homeless parents face these difficulties.”
Ms Forrest said St Vincent de Paul was doing what it could to support the vulnerable but they were being inundated with requests.
“We give out food, petrol cards if their car is their home, advice for housing, advocacy, clothing and help with bills,” said Ms Forrest.
“We can assist with travel to relocate people or to help them get to family with bus or rail tickets.
“If they find a house locally, we help with furnishing and assist with storage fees.”
Ms Forrest urged people to pressure Government to find solutions for affordable housing, increase rent assistance and to rein in exorbitant rent rises.
“Also maybe if people have spare accommodation they could think about whether it is suitable for a homeless family or person,” she said.
Timely grant helps ease burden
Nambour’s St Vincent de Paul Society will be able to help more people thanks to a $5000 donation last month from Sundale Community Foundation.
“These proceeds make a difference to the way in which we can now expand our support for children’s education for families who are overwhelmed with the high cost of accommodation,” said Ms Forrest.
“There are stresses in being able to maintain children in school. When families are struggling to pay the rent and put food on table, education costs become another heavy burden.”
How to donate?
To donate or help St Vincent de Paul please phone St Joseph’s Conference 5459 5202 (Office) or 0407 859 965 (mobile).
From left: Lesley Cole, Teresa Forrest and Paul Byrne in the food pantry at St Vincent de Paul. The Rigby Street Nambour Family Support Centre is being inundated with requests for help.
St Vincent de Paul’s Family Support Centre in Rigby Street Nambour.
‘The amount of people who are genuinely about to become homeless is absolutely heartbreaking’
A Nambour property management agency says people looking for rentals in the region were getting desperate, with up to 40-50 people registering their interest when a new property comes onto the market.
With the Sunshine Coast rental vacancy rate at 0.5 per cent Jody Chatillon of REMAX Property Rentals said the situation was unprece- dented. “It’s the most difficult rental crisis that I have seen in my 20 years of property management,” she said.
“I’m sure I speak for all the property management professionals in our area, we need more houses to lease.”
“The amount of people who are genuinely about to become home- less is, without doubt, absolutely heartbreaking. So many of these are people and families who work hard and have great rental histories but are often missing out because of the sheer volume of applications for each property.
“People are so relieved to hear that their application has been successful, there are regularly tears on the other end of the line.”
Ms Chatillon said it was heart- breaking that even Lily House, opened over a decade ago in response to a vital need to provide supported accommodation for women in crisis, was a victim of the rental crisis. Lily House needs to vacate their rental premises within the next few weeks as the home is being sold.
Coast2Bay Housing Group, the Sunshine Coast’s largest community and affordable housing organisation, has also been inundated with a huge spike in enquiries for rental accommodation.
CEO, Andrew Elvin said “we work with both Government and private organisations in building affordable housing on the Sunshine Coast but we desperately need such projects given a high priority in the near future. Without such there will, unfortunately, be a rise in homelessness in the area.”
Real Estate Institute of Queensland CEO Antonia Mercorella urged people looking for a place to rent to work closely with property managers.
“They may know of an appropriate property before it officially hits the rental market,” she said.
“Or consider cohabitation, where you may be able to look at rentals at a higher price point and which may offer more outdoor space for your pet to enjoy.”