Rental crisis in SA: Mannum couple forced to live in a tent

A Mannum couple struggling to find a rental have called two tents in a reserve home for months, as advocates warn urgent action must be taken to address the current rental crisis.

Tracy and Allen Short have spent more than two months calling tents pitched in a Mannum reserve home.

They say the state of the rental market has made it virtually impossible to find a rental in the area.

It comes as advocates say thousands of quick build homes need to be built immediately to address “years of inaction” which is contributing to the current rental crisis in the state.

Since March 16, Mr and Mrs Short have lived in Haythorpe Reserve on the banks of the Murray, using an Esky to store perishable items and watching rats run over their tent to pass time.

Tracy, 59, and Allen Short, 60, have lived in a tent for three months while trying to find a rental in the area. Picture Dean Martin

Originally from the town, the couple aged 59 and 60, were given just over 60 days to find a new house after the owners of their former rental in Meningie sold the property at the end of 2021. 

Ms Short said they had decided to move back to Mannum, but have tirelessly been applying for homes since the end of last year, and has lost count of how many she had applied for.

“Some agents actually said to us, there’s not much point applying for them, because there’s like 50 or 60 people before us that have actually gone for them,” Ms Short said.

“But we still do it, you never know.” 

Shelter SA’s executive director Dr Alice Clark said any promises made by state and federal governments on public housing would not solve current issues facing the state.

“We need to be exploring quick building initiatives … it’s time we seriously looked into doing something like that and giving people a place to stay while we work on a strategy to fix this crisis,” Dr Clark told The Advertiser.

“It’s not something that would be ideal in the long term … but it’s time we seriously looked into doing something like that and finding people a place to stay while we work on a strategy to fix this crisis,” she said.

Tracy, 59, and Allen Short, 60, have lived in a tent for three months while trying to find a rental in the area. Picture Dean Martin

The current rental affordability index has listed most of SA as having severely unaffordable rent for a household with a total income of $60,000.

Rent prices have jumped in Adelaide, with two bedroom units costing $446 a week last year now up $65 a week on average to $511, and the amount of homes available for rent is at 0.4 per cent.

“What we’re seeing right now, is years of inaction,” Dr Clark said.

Executive general manager of Believe Housing Australia – the housing arm of AnglicareSA Michelle Gengenhuber said there was no quick single solution to the crisis.

She called for collaboration across the sector to find appropriate solutions.

“As a government, they could focus on raising the rate of income support, particularly jobseeker … it’s so low that really if we’re not putting those people into housing stress, they can only afford $93 rent a week,” she said.

Human Services Minister Nat Cook said Housing SA and regional homelessness services worked together to provide emergency motel accommodation when people have nowhere else to go.

“Labor welcomes all ideas to add new supply and use existing housing better to meet the needs of the community,” Ms Cook said.

“The perfect storm of inflation, interest rates, supply chain issues and few available trades people are presenting a unique set of challenges.”