From Elizabeth to the Riverland: Young pregnant couple struggle to find housing amid SA rental crisis

A statewide search for a home proved so difficult for one young couple that they could only find one safe place.

A young couple expecting their first child have been forced to sleep in their car for days on end as they battle to overcome the state’s rental crisis, which experts say is the worst in 30 years.

Hayley O’Loughlin and Kyle Clayson, both 18, have applied for about 70 rental properties in the past month but remain homeless because of rising rents and stiff competition, which has resulted in some homes attracting up to 170 inquiries.

Mr Clayson, an out of work labourer, also suffers from spectrum disorders and is in contact with a carer through the NDIS.

The pair are staying in St Johns Youth 110 crisis accommodation in the city after spending a week living in their car at a McDonald’s carpark in January.

Hayley O’Loughlin, 18, and Kyle Carter, 18, who are struggling to find a private rental across Adelaide and in regional SA. Picture: Jason Katsaras

“It was tough, you’d constantly have the workers come out to ask you to leave or asking for us to buy food,” Ms O’Loughlin said.

“People also kept trying to break into the car.

“We’ve looked everywhere across Adelaide, including Salisbury, Elizabeth and even as far as the Riverland.

“Being young, pregnant and having disabilities while not having a place to call home is an experience no one should have to go through.

“We’ve been fighting for any public, community and private housing we can find, but unfortunately there is just nothing out there for people on low incomes without a rental history.

“I have applied for just about every house under $300 per week and yet still nothing.”

The young couple are now hoping to get a Housing Trust property.

They say they have also been turned away from crisis accommodation in the past due to Ms O’Loughlin’s employment as an after-school-hours carer.

“They look at our income and say, ‘Well, you earn enough money to get a private rental’, but we can’t,” Ms O’Loughlin said.

The median rent for a house in Adelaide in $430 a week, up $30 on this time last year.

Rental Property Network director Moni Mazzeo said the situation for new renters across the state was “dire”, particularly in the lower end of the market.

“There’s not enough public housing available, but that has been a big problem for a number of years,” Ms Mazzeo said

“We’ve also got investors selling out of the market and an increase in rent over the past two years. It’s grossly unfair to a lot of people who cannot find housing.

“I’ve been in this industry for almost 30 years and I’ve never seen the competition like this.

Hayley O’Loughlin, 18, and Kyle Clayson, 18, who are struggling to find a private rental across Adelaide and in regional South Australia. Picture: Jason Katsaras

Rental Property Network manager Taryk Mazzeo said the supply of rental properties was not keeping up with demand.

“We have a property in Salisbury North that has been up for less than two weeks and it’s had over 170 inquiries,” Mr Mazzeo said.

A state government spokesman said the government was delivering a $550m housing strategy that promoted home ownership, as well as public housing for the vulnerable.

“Our new strategy will deliver 20,000 housing outcomes to help relieve the thousands of South Australians living in private rental stress, including a $400m injection to deliver 1000 new affordable homes for low and moderate-income earners by 2025,” the spokesman said.

“We also assist South Australians who need help in the private market to maintain housing through our Private Rental Assistance Program, which supports people with bond or rent in advance or with rent in arrears, to avoid eviction.”

The spokesman said the government had also increased homelessness funding from $65.5m a year under the former Labor government, to $72.4m in 2021-22.

Originally published as From Elizabeth to the Riverland: Young pregnant couple struggle to find housing amid SA rental crisis