Noosa housing: Single mums consider sharing their properties as rentals remain tight
As the Noosa rental market remains tight, single mums from across the region have met to consider ways to beat the crisis. Read how they want to do it.
Sunshine Coast
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In a desperate bid to stay in the Noosa region some single parents are considering shared accommodation as a way to beat the housing crisis.
Tewantin resident Marny Mackay put the call out for a meeting on social media after she started looking for a new rental.
“We’re quite happy in our little home but with rental prices it’s just gotten to the point it’s no longer sustainable to stay where we are,” she said.
According to the Real Estate Institute of Queensland’s June quarter report, the Noosa rental market had eased compared to last quarter but remained tight at 1.1 per cent.
The Sunshine Coast Daily reported in June, 2022, one mum applied for more than 130 rentals before finding a home in Sunrise Beach.
Sunshine Beach restaurant owner Jason Cox also said in June, 2022, his staff were struggling to pay the “stupid rents” in the Noosa region, which was one reason behind the hospitality worker shortage.
In July, 2022, Noosa Christian College reported losing about 10 per cent of its enrolments at the start of the year because of housing affordability.
Ms Mackay had more than 20 people message her with similar stories of their struggles to find affordable housing and a group met on Sunday, August 7, in Cooroy.
The property manager said the only way forward in the housing crisis was by the community meeting and considering options like share-housing.
“It’s a very big deal to go out in this direction,” Ms Mackay said.
She said she was paying rent “over and above” the average mortgage and would never get back into the housing market while she was paying it.
Fiona, who withheld her surname for privacy reasons, has been couchsurfing with her two children for a year after she sold her home and was struggling to buy another one.
“I’d rather buy but I’m now looking at renting,” she said.
The mother said she shared custody with her former partner.
“I’ve got limitations as to how far I can go away from the kids,” Fiona said.
She said renting with someone would be much better than renting alone.
Fiona said she was in a constant state of “total anxiety” about her situation and wanted to provide stability for her children.
She said despite not having a home, she was reminding her children that the family had each other.
Laura Newman, a single mum of two children aged seven and four, lives in Cooroy.
“I do believe it takes a village to raise a family,” she said.
Ms Newman said she had the support of the children’s father and he saw the children every other weekend.
“Living with others, I guess, for my support, my wellbeing would be really nice,” she said.
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