Vulnerable but not vulnerable enough: Rental crisis creating a new kind of homeless

A mum is desperate to be reunited with her kids but the rental crisis is keeping a wedge between them. And experts say this is just the tip of the iceberg.

A hard-working single mum is desperate to put a roof over her family’s heads but the worsening rental crisis is tearing her and her kids apart – and it’s a trend that’s not set to ease, experts say.

Jodie Redman has not lived with her children and her pets for four months because she cannot find a home to house herself and her loved ones.

Ms Redman moved to SA from Melbourne in January to escape the “awful” coronavirus situation and to care for her sick aunty.

“I had a traineeship lined up in disability care — it’s a full time contract, so it’s regular income,” Ms Redman said.

Though Ms Redman’s work is in Mount Gambier, she is couchsurfing in Penola while her 16-year-old daughter and 24-year-old son are boarding in Naracoorte.

“There’s no room for us to stay together,” Ms Redman said.

Jodie Redman has been separated from her two kids for four months because of Mount Gambier's rental crisis. Picture: Arj Ganesan

Working 12-hour shifts, Ms Redman said her long commutes, inability to see her kids and the constant knock-backs from rental agencies had left her exhausted and depressed.

“You roll up to a house for an inspection, you get 30 other people and you ‘think what is the point of this? I’m only going to get knocked back’,” she said.

“I try to see them when I get weekends off but between study, work and the driving I’m exhausted.”

Ms Redman added travelling daily between Penola and Mount Gambier was costing a fortune.

With the situation becoming dire, Ms Redman has asked support agency ac,care to help find securing stable housing.

“Honestly, I‘d be happy living in a storage shed at the moment,” she said.

“I’m quite willing to even get a two-bedroom unit and give the kids the bedrooms and put my bed in loungeroom.”

According to data from property investment group Real Estate Investar, Mount Gambier’s vacancy rate is 0.22 per cent.

Ac,care Limestone Coast homeless and community services manager Trish Spark said Ms Redman’s situation was part of a growing trend.

“Homeless numbers are increasing due to lack of housing,” she said.

“People who don’t have barriers to housing are approaching us.”

Ms Spark said inquiries for assistance had doubled from this time last year to almost 80 a month, with nearly a quarter of those from people who could afford to house themselves.

Describing it as a case of being vulnerable, but not vulnerable enough, Ms Spark said there was not a lot ac,care could do for people who could financially afford housing.

“We have to work with the people who are vulnerable – our wait-lists are already so long,” Ms Spark said.

She also said the turnaround time when finding secure housing had increased from three months to more than 12 months.

People in Ms Redman’s situation turn to ac,care as “a last resort” with many more not reaching out because of “stigma”, Ms Spark said.

“We do try do some early intervention – (we) might not be able to find them housing but we can help a little,” she said.

Human Services Minister Nat Cook said Covid-19 had a massive impact on the housing crisis this was exacerbating the number of homeless people.

“People with jobs are now struggling to find a home, many for the first time,” Ms Cook said.

“As part of our election commitments, the Cost of Living Concession will be doubled for the coming year to relieve immediate pressures on households.”