Single mum-of-two Jess Blunt forced to live in caravan as rental crisis takes hold

Damp pillows, space that’s sparse, and constantly waking up bone-cold. This is what life is like for single mum Jess and her two kids living in a caravan during Adelaide’s rental crisis.

As Adelaide suffers through one of the coldest winters on record, staying warm has become a constant source of struggle for Jess and her two kids.

The nights are when it’s the worst. The pillows are damp, the space is sparse, and they constantly wake up bone-cold and shivering.

For five agonising months, single mum and finance professional Jess Blunt – along with her two children Lacey, 10, and Simon, 8 – have been living in a caravan in a friend’s backyard.

It’s still an upgrade from the alternative – having almost resorted to living in Jess’ car when forced to leave their rental in Waterloo Corner after the landlord jacked up the price by more than $200 a week.

“When the rent was increased, I was already travelling 1000 kilometres a week to get to work and drop the kids at school at Glenelg Primary, so with the raised rent and travel costs I couldn’t afford it.

Single mum Jess Blunt with her two kids Lacey, 10, and Simon, 8, are living in a caravan in their friend’s backyard. Picture: Russell Millard

“It would have been ‘am I going to eat this week? What can I afford to feed my kids?’,” Jess explained.

“I cancelled my lease because I thought I had a unit we could live in lined up, but it fell through.

“I was pretty much homeless so I put a big call out on Facebook and a friend gave me a caravan. Now we’re living in the backyard of my mum’s friend’s house.”

While she’s grateful for the act of kindness keeping her family off the streets, the sacrifices are enormous.

Jess has to cook outside with an airfryer.

When Simon and Lacey are at school, Jess spends as much time away from the caravan as possible, finding solace at the gym as she trains for an ultra-marathon to “get out of her head”.

She has already had to give her dog away, her life’s possessions are packed up in a storage unit. Having friends over from school is not an option for her kids.

“We’re always bumping into each other, we’re tired all the time, and the kids aren’t eating the healthiest because I haven’t got many options for cooking,” she said.

“I’m just so frustrated. It’s hard, but I’m trying to put on a brave face.”

Jess works in finance on a decent salary, rendering her unable to access benefits, and she has no support from her childrens’ father. Her daughter Lacey has ADHD, dyslexia and an auditory processing disorder, amounting to expensive monthly medical costs.

The search for a rental has an endless cycle of rejection, with agents admitting she’s an undesirable candidate for a lease, despite her solid income.

“As soon as they know you’re on one income and you’ve got two kids, you’re done. It’s just not even possible,” she said.

Ms Blunt said the family is always bumping into each other and the kids aren’t eating well because she doesn’t have many options/appliances for cooking. Picture: Russell Millard

“I’ve had people tell me that I’ll be at the bottom of the list. I’ve been to places that have 60 to 70 people come through, and I’m always last.

“The only reason I got (my last rental) was because it was a single parent home scheme. But now, it just feels hopeless.”

Ms Blunt is sadly not alone, with the rental crisis sweeping the state leaving families like hers in similarly dire living situations.

PropTrack data from April shows Adelaide has overtaken Perth to become the nation’s most challenging market in which to secure a rental, with just 0.83 per cent of homes available for lease, compared with the national average of 1.08 per cent.

While Adelaide’s vacancy rates rose by a slight 0.03 per cent over the past quarter, figures have sat under 1 per cent since September 2021, which is longer than any other capital city.

The crisis has worsened significantly since the pandemic, with levels of available rentals plummeting 44 per cent since March 2020.

PropTrack data from April shows Adelaide has overtaken Perth to become the nation’s most challenging market in which to secure a rental. Picture: Russell Millard

The data also shows the average home currently rents for around $550 a week, up 9.5 per cent to figures recorded this time last year.

But there is a glimmer of hope for families struggling to secure rentals in SA.

Under recent state reforms, rent price increases are now capped to once every 12 month period, while stronger penalties will be imposed on landlords who discriminate against potential tenants with children.

A testament to their strength of spirit, Jess, Lacey and Simon are staying positive in their search for a home.

When they do finally find a place to live, they’ve already discussed how “amazing” it’s going to feel.

Originally published as Single mum-of-two Jess Blunt forced to live in caravan as rental crisis takes hold