Whyalla mother-of-three living in one-person tent in friend’s backyard unable to find rental housing for her family

A joking remark has turned into a stark reality for a mother-of-three trapped in the state’s rental crisis.

A joking remark has turned into a stark reality for a Whyalla mother-of-three who says she has been forced to camp in a friend’s backyard because she cannot find a house to rent.

Juli Lloyd, 48, says the situation has left her demoralised, depressed and separated from her children, who are fortunate to be living with their father, Ms Lloyd’s former partner.

“I often wonder how the hell did I end up here, where did I go wrong, why am I in a tent, why am I homeless?” she said.

“In my life I’ve moved (houses) I don’t know how many times but I’ve always gone from one house to another … but this is ridiculous. The more I talk to people the more I hear of the same stories about nothing being available ... even emergency accommodation.”

The rental crisis gripping SA has left families struggling or unable to find properties amid short supply and increased demand.

Whyalla woman Juli Lloyd is having to live in a tent in a friend’s backyard because she has been unable to find secure rental accommodation. Picture: Supplied by Juli Lloyd

Ms Lloyd said her family was evicted from their previous rental of 11 years on July 5 because the landlord wanted to renovate.

She and her children aged 15, 14 and 11 were given 2½ months’ notice.

“Normally (that) would not be a problem to find something to rent but every rental inspection we went to there were 10 to 12 people having a look,” she said.

“I made a joke to my friend ... ‘can I camp in your backyard’. But as time went on the situation became more serious and I began asking ‘can I seriously camp in your backyard?’”

Her friend has no room in the house for her, so she sleeps on a sofa bed in a one-person tent, which also houses a small clothes rack, plastic bedside drawers, a washing basket and bin.

“It was pretty damn cold the other night, we had gale-force winds and rain,” she said. Ms Lloyd is registered with Housing SA but has been classified as a category 3, defined as someone without “urgent or long-term barriers” to housing.