‘Sent me into shock’: 71-year-old Melbourne woman becomes voice of rental crisis after brutal eviction

An elderly Melbourne woman has become the voice of Australia’s brutal rental crisis after losing her home after a quarter of a century.

A 71-year-old Melbourne woman has become the voice of Australia’s brutal rental crisis after losing her home after a quarter of a century.

Louise Wilksch has lived at the same address in Melbourne’s Brunswick East for 25 years, paying $900 a month for her bungalow.

But now, Ms Wilksch, who receives disability pension, has just two weeks left to find a new home after being hit with an eviction letter at the start of this month, according to The Guardian.

“It’s sent me into shock. I couldn’t eat for a few days and then I got a really bad cold. I think from the stress,” she told the publication of the devastating news.

Priya Stern, a 19-year-old Visual Arts student at the University of Melbourne, was so moved by Ms Wilksch’s plight she has started a GoFundMe to help raise cash to support her, despite the two women never having crossed paths.

Ms Stern told news.com.au she had seen many of her own friends struggle over the course of the rental crisis, and said she wanted to highlight the fact that older Australians were also particularly vulnerable.

The Melbourne woman was evicted after 25 years. Picture: iStock

“I don’t know Louise personally, but when I read her story I just felt so sad for her, and as a young person, I wanted to bring the community together to try and help her out, because the housing market at the moment is just so intense,” she said.

“It is definitely affecting everyone, including a lot of elderly people – things are really bad.

“Louise can’t find anywhere else in the same area because it’s so expensive, even though she works there and all her friends are there, and it’s really hard to move, especially when you’re a bit older.”

Ms Stern said a lot of her own friends had been “hit hard” by the country’s real estate squeeze.

“A lot of my friends are really struggling, and some of my country friends who are trying to go to uni can’t move to the city, so they are travelling an hour and a half each way – it’s very hard,” she said.

“I feel like we need to come together as a community (to help) because not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to afford their own home.”

It’s no secret countless Aussies are starting to seriously struggle as the cost of living crisis spreads.

Australia is in the grip of a devastating rental crisis. Picture: Chris Pavlich/The Australian

In fact, there has been a staggering 263 per cent increase in the number of GoFundMe fundraisers that mention “cost of living” and “rising cost of living” in the last 12 months, compared with the 12 months prior.

GoFundMe regional director Nicola Britton told news.com.au the problem was only getting worse.

“The brunt of rising living costs are felt by the most vulnerable in this country,” she said.

“The past two years we have seen Australians grapple with the country’s rental crisis, launching fundraisers for temporary accommodation. Now, as the housing crisis continues, the rising cost of living is leaving these same people forced to choose between their home or pay for everyday essentials.

“While I am glad we can provide a platform for Australians to give and get help, community support can only extend so far.”

According to PropTrack’s August Market Insight report, rental vacancy rates dropped to 1.43 per cent in July, with a shortage of available properties driving up prices.

The trend is occuring in both major cities and regional areas, although Melbourne has been the hardest hit over the past year, experiencing the most drastic decline in rental vacancies.