Single mum’s rental hell

Mother, son face prospect of sleeping rough

SINGLE mum Emma Jeffrey has applied for 20 rental properties since being told in February she would need to move out of her Risdon Vale residence.

Ms Jeffrey has been rejected for every single one.

“Every house viewing, there’s at least 10 other families viewing the same property because they’re obviously in the same boat,” she said.

“I’m just so overwhelmed with everything. I thought I would have had a house well and truly by now.”

Ms Jeffrey works about 40 hours a fortnight as a school cleaner at Lindisfarne North Primary School and Rose Bay High School.

The four-bedroom home where she and her 12-year-old son, Declan, are living – which costs $300 a week in rent – has been sold to a family that plans to move in.

She wants to find a new place to live in that will accommodate not only her and her son but also their two dogs.

Ms Jeffrey said she had only recently managed to get on the state’s public housing waiting list, where she joins more than 4400 other people.

For now, she and Declan have no accommodation lined up and face the grim prospect of sleeping rough during the cold Tasmanian winter.

“I’ve heard so many stories [about the rental market] but I guess because I had a stable home I didn’t really acknowledge it as much,” an emotional Ms Jeffrey said.

“But now, going through it, it’s like, ‘What the hell?’ And there’s so many more people [experiencing it] than just me.”

Franklin MP David O’Byrne said it was “heartbreaking” to see the struggles some of his constituents were enduring trying to navigate southern Tasmania’s

ruthless rental market.

“My heart goes out to Emma and we are doing our best to assist her,” Mr O’Byrne said.

“In normal circumstances, if you [had] a job it usually meant you could support your family and put a roof over your head, but the housing crisis has meant more and more people are being forced into desperate situations, through no fault of their own.

“It’s heartbreaking and the consequences are profound.”

Housing Minister Guy Barnett encouraged anyone at risk of homelessness to contact Housing Connect.

“We are taking unprecedented action to assist the housing needs of Tasmanians through a massive 10-year housing package, in excess of $1.5bn, to build or buy 10,000 new homes to get more roofs over the heads of more Tasmanians,” Mr Barnett said.

“But we know there is more work to do and some Tasmanians are doing it tough.”