Becky was priced out of a home. This is how she got one

Sydney Morning Herald

4 days ago

Sole parent Becky Lois once feared she was priced out of renting and at risk of becoming homeless. She had lost one source of income and, even working full-time, wouldn't have had enough to make ends meet.
Then she was referred for a place in community housing with support services. Her stress levels fell, she has a smart apartment and, more than a year on, she feels more able to manage working and parenting.
She's not alone. More employed people are seeking out homelessness services, a new report finds, as record rents across the country add pressure to the housing crisis.
The Mission Australia report found that of the 2323 people at risk of homelessness who accessed its support services in the past five years, one in 10 were employed. That number jumped to one in seven over 2024, indicating more working Australians were struggling to keep a roof over their heads.
Mission Australia deputy chief executive, Ben Carblis, said demand for the non-denominational Christian charity's housing support had grown 52 per cent over the past 12 months. 'What that shows is with the increase in the cost of living … the number of people at risk of homelessness is rising quite a lot.'
Domain data show median house and unit rents were at record highs in every capital city other than Darwin in the June quarter. Asking rents for houses were $780 per week in Sydney, $580 in Melbourne, $650 in Brisbane and $700 in Perth. Asking rents for units were $740, $575, $620 and $620, respectively.
Lois was referred to Mission Australia and has since moved into community housing run by the charity. She said she feared she was priced out of living in Sydney.
'My ex-husband was providing financial support for me and my son above and beyond what he had to do, but that had to end at some point, and I'm not a high-income earner,' Lois said. 'It was so stressful it was affecting my long-term health.'