The Advertiser launches ‘Be Their Champion’ campaign, calling on state government to help ease victims of South Australia’s housing crisis

These women with long, stable rental histories have suddenly found themselves homeless. The Advertiser’s new campaign calls on the state government to help ease their pain.

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They are the crushed and hopeless victims of South Australia’s housing crisis.

Women with long, stable rental histories – one stretching back nine years – who suddenly found themselves homeless when their landlords jacked up their rates.

Today, The Advertiser launches the Be Their Champion campaign, calling on the state government to help ease their pain.

In a southern suburbs motel, youth worker Cassie Richardson is struggling to come to terms with being homeless for the first time in her life.

Angie, Cass Richardson with her dog Armani and Rose Brahimi with her grandson she is raising are staying in the emergency accommodation at Port Noarlunga Motel. Picture: Brenton Edwards

“I never thought I would end up with no place to live,” said the 38-year-old, who spent three years renting a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home in Hackham before being given notice and finding herself homeless.

“I’ve always had private rentals but I just couldn’t find anywhere. I was absolutely in shock.

“I was working full-time but after being forced to move into emergency accommodation and the stress, it was just so overwhelming, I stopped. It was hard enough just getting up every day, let alone going to work.”

Ms Richardson, 38, who this week is interviewing for a new job in youth work, has been living in emergency accommodation in her tiny motel room with no kitchen since July.

She shares the 3m by 3m space with her teenage son, 24-year-old partner and French mastiff dog.

Angie in her single room emergency accommodation at Port Noarlunga Motel. Picture: Brenton Edwards

To ensure she keeps her place, she says she must apply and inspect at least two rental properties every day – a time-consuming and demeaning task that has seen her rejected for hundreds of homes. If she and her motel neighbours fail to apply for enough properties, they risk being kicked out of their accommodation.

“It’s horrible,” Ms Richardson said. “I looked at 47 properties over four days – 10 inspections and the rest were divided between inquiring and then applying for properties – and that wasn’t enough.

“I’ve always had rental properties and it’s demoralising and embarrassing being rejected over and over again.”

The Advertiser’s Be Their Champion campaign is calling on Housing Minister Nick Champion to ease the emotional burden on people struggling to put a roof over their heads.

It urges the state government to cut the debilitating requirements that women say are having a devastating effect on their mental health.

Ms Richardson and her motel neighbours have joined the call, inviting Mr Champion to visit their emergency accommodation and conduct an audit of the crippling expectations placed on homeless people, including having their children sighted by workers from the government-funded Towards Home Alliance once a week.

Angie’s single room emergency accommodation at Port Noarlunga Motel. Picture: Brenton Edwards

“It’s horrible, to be honest,” said Ms Richardson. “They need to know pretty much where we are at all times of the day. And if we don’t do what they ask, they try to kick us out. We are living with that constant threat every single day. I feel so judged, all of our mental healths have just plummeted.”

School canteen worker Angie said she had hit “rock bottom” since moving into the motel with her two daughters, aged 12 and seven, more than six months ago.

She lived in a Morphett Vale home for nine years before suddenly being told its rent was increasing from $390 a week to $500 and her lease would not be renewed.

“I always paid my rent, always looked after the property, got my full bond back when I left there but I couldn’t find anything,” said Angie, who is finally moving into her own home in the western suburbs.

“I didn’t even know where I was going until the day I arrived at the motel.

“I have hit rock bottom here ... I’ve been losing my mind. It has made me realise not to take anything for granted.”

Widow Rose Brahimi, 55, has been living at the motel with her six-month-old grandson since June.

“We are begging for something simple and basic because we need to have a roof over our heads,” she said.

“The light at the end of the tunnel seems to get further and further away.”

A government spokesman said more than $15m was allocated towards emergency accommodation to provide short-term, crisis accommodation for about 800 rooms across the state. Last financial year, 4693 people accessed emergency accommodation for a total of 84,184 nights.

Emergency accommodation is the responsibility of the SA Housing Trust, which provides financial assistance to pay for hotels or motels.

Clients are eligible if they are homeless, unable to return to their address for reasons including domestic abuse, can’t access alternative housing options such as staying with friends or relatives, and meet the income and asset limits.

Recipients are required to contribute to their accommodation costs – the same as they would if they were renting a property – but pay no more than 30 per cent of their gross income.

Homelessness services are funded separately and fall under the portfolio of Human Services Minister Nat Cook.

Ms Cook said the government provided about $100m each year for various homelessness programs across the state.

“Of this, about $55m goes to the five homelessness alliances, which includes four geographic alliances and one statewide Domestic and Family Violence alliance,” she said.

“These alliances are made up of multiple organisations with flexibility to use the money to meet local needs.

“A further $20m goes to a number of directly contracted services including the 24/7 Homeless Connect service, youth shelters and extreme weather responses (Code Red/Blue) and $15m to the Emergency Accommodation Program.”

Ms Cook said there was a range of smaller programs and services, including grants for Hutt St Aspire Program, Catherine House, Vinnies and discounted rent for services such as the Adelaide Day Centre.