Tasmanian family forced to live in a tent by rising rents

THESE are the faces of Tasmania’s new homeless, forced to live in a camp trailer by a housing shortage and rising rents.

THESE are the faces of Tasmania’s new homeless, forced to live in a camp trailer by a housing shortage and rising rents.

Mum Nat Joseph, her partner Kodie Connors and their five children — including two-year-old Shelby, who has a severe disability — are living in Ms Joseph’s parents’ yard.

Forced to move out when their rental went on the market, the Primrose Sands family say there is virtually nothing for the $380-a-week they are prepared to pay.

“My seven-year-old actually asked for a new house for Christmas so she can have her own room,” Ms Joseph told the Mercury.

Ms Joseph, 25, is on a carers’ pension to allow her to look after Shelby, who has quadriplegic cerebral palsy and is non-verbal.

Mr Connors, 26, is unemployed.

They say the private landlords who used to lend a hand, and advertise on websites like Gumtree, have dried up, leaving them to apply with to real estate agents a mass of other hopefuls.

Nat Joseph (centre) with partner Kodie Connors (second from right) and their children (L-R) Shelby Connors, 1 Shkylah Emery, 7 Jackson Connors, 10 months old and Kyden Emery, 3 Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

“Last time, within two weeks I found another property,” Ms Joseph said.

“But this time it’s very difficult. There’s even not that many on the market.”

The family is in the eye of southern Tasmania’s rental affordability storm, with houses up to $400 proving almost impossible to find.

Housing services are doing their best, Ms Joseph said, but sometimes suggest suburbs she says are inappropriate.

They’ve viewed five homes at Primrose Sands, Dodges Ferry and Sorell in recent weeks, sometimes with 10 or more other couples.

“They were the only ones around our price range,” she said. “There’s a few in our price range but there are more higher than that, around the $400 mark and way too expensive.”

For now, it’s the five-bed trailer, also home to the kids’ Christmas presents.

It’s still a novelty for the younger members of the family, but Ms Joseph expects it will soon wear off.

“I’d just really love a house, just so we don’t have to pack up and move around all the time,” she said.

“Just be settled somewhere so the kids have got some stability. Never in my life did I ever think we’d be homeless.”