Kirsty Cook, homeless and living in her car, can’t find a home for her and her dog Max

Kirsty Cook, homeless and living in her car, suffers from lumbar sclerosis, which is more painful during the winter months. She doesn’t know what the future may hold for her and her dog Max.

No strangers to adversity, Kirsty Cook and her dog, Max, are facing their greatest challenge yet: surviving the Tasmanian winter without a proper roof over their heads.

The 26-year-old Ms Cook currently has no choice but to live in her Ford Laser, together with her beloved blue heeler-kelpie cross and all their belongings.

Her application is one of more than 4000 sitting on the public housing waiting list.

Ms Cook said it was difficult to find a rental where Max would be allowed to live.

Due to Housing Connect rules, she’s only eligible for a one bedroom social housing property, and she said this didn’t leave her with many options suitable for Max.

“There’s no one-bedroom home that’s got an enclosed backyard that’s big enough for a decent sized dog,” Ms Cook said.

Kirsty Cook with her dog Max is homeless and living out of her car. She is finding it very difficult to find permanent accommodation that accommodates both her and her dog. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“So I’ve been stuck in this predicament. I don’t know what else to do.”

Ms Cook, who has acute physical and mental health issues, said she couldn’t possibly give Max up because she loves him too much.

“His first owners used to really badly mistreat him and not feed him and chain him up all the time,” she said.

“I met the dog and I fell in love with him instantly. And he never left my side. It was meant to be.

“He’s pretty much like an assistance dog to me.”

Ms Cook said she lodged an application with Housing Connect in November 2020. She and Max have just returned to Hobart after three months living in South Australia.

RSPCA Tasmania chief executive Jan Davis said that more and more Tasmanians were finding themselves in situations similar to Ms Cook’s amid the state’s rental crisis.

“Our tenancy laws need to be updated to ensure affordable and secure rental accommodation is accessible for families to stay together with their much-loved animals long-term,” she said.

Jan Davis, CEO of RSPCA Tasmania. Picture: PATRICK GEE

The RSPCA’s Safe Beds program, which was recently given a $100,000 lifeline by the state government, provides accommodation for the pets of people experiencing housing challenges and has taken care of 55 animals in the past eight months alone.

Housing Minister Guy Barnett said public housing applicants who expanded their suburb selection “greatly increase their chances of being allocated a social housing property sooner”.

“We encourage this conversation to take place to work through Ms Cook’s suburb selection,” he said.

“We know some Tasmanians are doing it tough and that’s why the 2022-23 budget and forward estimates provide $538m into social and affordable housing and homelessness initiatives, with $204m this year alone.”

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