‘She was like a shell’: Deepening rental crisis a call to action for South Burnett real estate agent Jane Erkens as families forced onto street

A South Burnett woman has been inspired to fight for change, with gut-wrenching reports of families being forced to call tents and cars home and mental health plummeting as the state’s housing crisis reaches dire new levels.

A South Burnett real estate agent is fighting for emergency housing in the region, as Queensland’s rental crisis sees people being forced to live in tents and cars and depleting their savings to survive.

A strong market, rising rent prices, and people moving to regional areas from interstate have created a perfect storm for desperate tenants, leaving them weeks to find a new place in a hyper-competitive rental market.

Nanango real estate agent and South Burnett community activist Jane Erkens. Picture: Dominic Elsome

Nanango Real Estate owner Jane Erkens has seen first-hand the devastating consequences on South Burnett tenants, including a mother-of-four forced to squeeze her family into a 6x3 metre living space in a relative’s backyard after 24 lease applications were rejected.

“They have no plumbing, a portable toilet, and she has four children,” she said.

“When she used to rent from us a little while back she was quite a bubbly person, she’d always come in quite cheery. But when she sat in here the other day, she was like a shell.”

Ms Erkens said while many people finding themselves in these situations are perfect tenants who’ve done nothing wrong, the stigma of homelessness still stands and impacts their mental health.

“She’s very concerned because she feels that people will judge her because she can’t get her family a house. She’s worried the kids will get teased because they’re not living in a house. It’s just terrible,” she said.

According to a report by the Real Estate Institute of Queensland in June, 22 local government areas out of 35 have either recorded their lowest vacancy rate or equalled it over the last 11 years.

Falling victim to the rental crisis herself, Ipswich local Leanne Horsten has been lobbying for statewide assistance on behalf of others who need a helping hand.

When she was handed her vacate notice after three years at the same property, Ms Horsten said she and her children were days away from sleeping in the car before they found a place last-minute.

“It was falling apart and it had rats, but at least it wasn’t a car and it wasn’t a tent,” she said.

Within a few of months the family were facing homelessness again when the owner decided to sell the property, leaving her teenage son with severe mental health issues.

Since creating the Rental Crisis QLD Support and Ideas on Facebook earlier this year, Ms Horsten said the group has accumulated thousands of people across Queensland who have been homeless or are in danger of becoming homeless.

The group both provides support for people who’re desperately trying the find accommodation, enabling them to openly discuss their struggle with people in a similar situation, and links them up with real estate agents who can help them get an edge in the market.

Nanango real estate agent and South Burnett community activist Jane Erkens. Picture: Dominic Elsome

Ms Horsten said she’s been faced with some heart-wrenching stories over the past year, hearing of mothers who’ve had to give their children to child safety or even their abusive ex-partners to spare them from sleeping in a tent, and a pregnant woman who had to live in her car.

“I've seen families with multiple children setting up tents in random places. This has been through winter and it’s been a bloody cold winter,” she said.

Ms Horsten shared the tragic story of a Toowoomba woman who was unable to find accommodation after escaping a violent relationship.

“She had some money in the bank and used it all paying for motels, camping sites, and petrol just to go for inspections,” she said.

Ms Horsten said the situation became so dire the woman at one point tried to take her own life to escape the stress.

It is those types of stories that have inspired the Ipswich woman to help those who need it most.

Ms Horsten has been doing blanket drives for those living in tents and offering advice to those at risk of becoming homeless, as well as emailing politicians.

With help from the agents in the group, such as Ms Erkens, at least a dozen people have managed to find long-term housing.

Ms Erkens is hopeful she may have found emergency housing for at risk residents in the South Burnett. She is encouraging anyone who needs help to contact her at [e-mail].

If you need help, please phone Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Originally published as ‘She was like a shell’: Deepening rental crisis a call to action for South Burnett real estate agent Jane Erkens as families forced onto street