Narangba family of five forced apart due to rental crisis beg to be reunited

Two brave teens have spoken about the impact of losing their home saying ‘they just want to be a family again’, after they were forced to separate when their mum was unable to find a rental.

Two teenage girls separated from their mother and younger siblings have given a heartbreaking account of how Queensland’s rental crisis has affected them.

Emma, 17, and Bella, 15, were forced from their rental home north of Brisbane after the landlord issued a notice to leave, without grounds.

The Narangba house had been their home with mum, Mel Ferencz, and their younger sisters Ebonee and Pheobee for five years.

Mel Ferencz and her children Emma, 17, Bella, 15, Ebonee, 4, and Pheobee, 3, have been forced to live separately due to the current housing crisis. Picture: Contributed.

And while Ms Ferencz desperately tried to fight the notice even taking it as far as mediation and QCAT – the result left them homeless.

She has applied for more than 200 properties during her search.

Ms Ferencz was left with no other option than to split her family up in a bid to keep a roof over their heads.

The teens are each staying with friends while they try to finish out the school year.

Their mum and sisters living out of their suitcases and car, travelling between two houses at Bribie Island and Acacia Ridge.

Emma says she just wants them be a family again.

“I need my family, I need my mum and my sisters and I need to be surrounded by my family everyday,” she said.

“Living away from my mum and sisters has been the hardest thing for me to ever deal with, it has had a massive impact on my mental health.

“My sister (Bella) and I have only ever lived with our mum and our mum only, she has stuck by us our whole lives and being separated from her has really pushed me a few steps back in my mental health.”

Mel Ferencz and her children Emma, 17, Bella, 15, Ebonee, 4, and Pheobee, 3, have been forced to live separately due to the current housing crisis. Picture: Contributed.

15-year-old Bella admits the situation is breaking her, every day.

“I never thought I would ever have to experience what my family is going through now and I don’t want anyone else to either,” she said.

“These couple of months have been the hardest months of my life.

“I need my family back, it’s breaking us all mentally.

“I used to live with my three sisters and my mum and step dad but now we are all in four different places, apart, lonely and heartbroken from what is happening for us right now.”

Bella said her younger siblings have been terribly affected by the changes.

“They always are saying when can we have our own room back, when can we have our toys back, I miss dad, I miss my sisters,” she said.

“(It) breaks us all to pieces, these are four and three-year-old kids and they shouldn’t going through this at their age.

“They should be playing with their neighbours in the streets, playing with their older sisters.

“But they can’t even do that. I need my family back, my sisters, my mum, I just need a home.”

Mel Ferencz and her children Emma, 17, Bella, 15, Ebonee, 4, and Pheobee, 3, have been forced to live separately due to the current housing crisis. Picture: Contributed.

Ms Ferencz said she was devastated by the position her family was in.

“It kills me, it absolutely kills me every single day, “ she said.

“We’re living out of the car, out of suitcases, I’m spending more in petrol and tolls than what I was in rent.

“We have a group chat and we try and facetime but we don’t really see each other all that often at the moment.

“(The little ones) they don’t understand, they’re like ‘mum, why can’t we go back to our house?

“They’re like when can we go back to our house mum, why can’t we play with our toys.

“Where’s our bed, why can’t we live there anymore, I just can’t explain it to them.”

17-year-old Emma paid tribute to her hard working mum, calling her the bravest person she knows.

“(She) always shows a brave face but when it came to this situation of us being separated, it really showed my sisters and I the way this has affected her,” she said.

“I have seen her break down in tears and completely lose herself because she doesn’t have two of her four children with her.

“My sisters (Ebonee and Pheobee) are autistic and have suffered a lot from this situation, they are so confused as to why we are not as a family.

“They ask all the time when we are going to get a house and have asked my mum when they are going to get their toys back, that broke my heart as well as my mums.

“We just want to be a family again and be able to wake up in the same house everyday and have our freedom again.

Mel Ferencz and her children Emma, 17, Bella, 15, Ebonee, 4, and Pheobee, 3, have been forced to live separately due to the current housing crisis. Picture: Contributed.

The figures in REIQ’s Vacancy Rate Report demonstrate just how strong the demand is for rental property across the region.

In the June 2021 quarter, Moreton Bay had a vacancy rate of 0.7%, down 0.5% from the previous year, while the Brisbane LGA had the highest vacancy at just 1.7%.

Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ) CEO Antonia Mercorella said the vacancy rate for the outer LGAs was exceptionally tight.

“It appears the perfect storm of conditions thrown up by COVID-19 still have their grip on vacancy rates,” she said.

“People are relocating to the regions from Brisbane and interstate in droves, where people can work remotely and commute to the capital city when necessary.

“In addition, some investors are taking advantage of high capital growth and making a decision to sell which is exacerbating the limited supply of rental properties.”

Ms Mercorella said rent increases are being seen across many parts of the south east.

“Property owners are taking the opportunity to ask for higher rents when tenancy agreements are up for renewal,” she said.

“By doing their research and being aware of the rental market in their desired location, renters can determine whether they’re prepared to pay more rent if staying in that region is a priority for them.

 “In this tight market, most rental property listings will attract multiple applications, with prospective tenants needing to look for ways to stand out from the competition.”