Upper Spencer Gulf residents continue to struggle to find suitable housing amid crisis

An Upper Spencer Gulf mother has been forced to live separately from her children as many residents in the state’s North continue to battle it out in the current housing crisis.

A 23-year-old mother of two has been forced to live separately from her children as residents in the state’s north continue to battle it out for homes.

Port Pirie mum Nikita Penhall, says she has become one of many who have been in and out of homelessness, dealing with dodgy leases or unsuccessful housing applications.

“I became homeless in March, I had to send my children away to their Dad’s in Whyalla,” Ms Penhall said.

“I managed to get a house out in Peterborough in June, it was a private rental with a dodgy lease.

Nikita Penhall has been unable to see her daughter Zeanna due to being unable to find an available rental property.

“They refused all repairs and in the end I was left with no hot water, no toilet and a collapsing roof while I continued to apply for properties and still got nothing.”

Now homeless again, Ms Penhall has since registered with housing trust but admits even that is an uphill battle after being placed on a ‘non-urgent’ list.

“I’m near the bottom of the list for a house,” she said.

“There are so many empty houses everywhere around here that they could be moving people into.”

Without stable housing Nikita continues to find it difficult to find suitable employment and placing her kids in kindergarten.

Nikita's eldest daughter Amara hasn't been attending kindergarten due to difficulties related to finding housing. Picture: Facebook

“I’ll be looking for a job once I’m settled, I’m very adamant on making sure my rent is always the first thing paid for and have a good reference from the last place I was crashing at,” she said.

“I miss my kids bad but I cant have them where I’m staying, every single day I’m looking and applying for houses and still getting nothing back.”

The housing crisis is set to become even harder after the SA government announced a $593 million hub in Whyalla, which is set to attract more than 900 new workers to the city and surrounding regions.

Justin Commons, Chief executive officer at City of Whyalla, says he has witnessed the influx first-hand, with Whyalla experiencing an annual growth in migration levels of 55 per cent in the year to the end of September, making it the fourth-highest local government area on that measure in the country.

“We expect this will only continue to increase as the major hydrogen projects begin to ramp up from next year, requiring thousands of skilled workers in both construction and ongoing operation,” Mr Commons said.

Justin Commons – Chief Executive Officer at City of Whyalla.

“Fortunately being the only masterplanned city outside of metropolitan Adelaide, we have ample residentially-zoned land and services in place to meet the anticipated demand.

“It is now only the critical shortage in housing stock that is inhibiting the growth of our city.”

Shane Hutchen, manager at Shoreline Caravan Park in Port Augusta, vouches for the difficult situations people in the region have been finding themselves in while seeking housing.

“We’ve noticed in the last probably three to four months we’re getting more phone calls and stays from families,” Mr Hutchen said.

“We get about half a dozen phone calls a month, (they) literally have nowhere else to go but a caravan and some of them live in their cars or go buy a tent.”

Released in March 2022, the Spencer Gulf cities housing survey report found that the urgent need for suitable residential accommodation for temporary and permanent workers was significantly preventing economic growth, with Port Augusta recording zero building developer projects between 2019-2021.

“Port Augusta Council has observed a decline in the quality of State Government housing over many years and an under investment in the management, maintenance, and refurbishment of these properties,” the report stated.

“Port Augusta has identified up to 1,100 allotments that are currently under the ownership of the Minister Transport that could be considered to be land that might be able to be used for residential housing.”

Housing and Urban Development Minister Nick Champion said; “We recognise the challenges that currently exist with housing in regional South Australia and the impact that has on supporting existing needs and any future major regional initiatives such as the Hydrogen Job Plan and economic development more broadly.

“The state’s regional housing challenges require a whole-of-government approach and as such, this government is working across its agencies and with key stakeholders to develop a state-wide strategy that intends to have more South Australians in their own home, with more

“If we can forecast instances of acute housing demand to support major projects like a Hydrogen hub in the Whyalla region and use these short-term peaks in activity for lasting urban renewal, there is a real opportunity for legacy outcomes, particularly along the Upper Spencer Gulf.”