Latest news with #singleparent
The Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Strictly's Nadiya reveals she's joining celeb dating app to find a boyfriend as she moves on from show star ex
STRICTLY Come Dancing star Nadiya Bychkova has hinted she'll join the exclusive dating app Raya. Nadiya, 35, split from partner and fellow Strictly pro dancer Kai Widdrington, 29, last year after two years of dating. 4 4 4 The star, who is mum to seven-year-old Mila from a previous relationship, opened up on raising her daughter alone and what she thought about getting on to dating apps. Speaking about being a single parent at the National Film Awards, Nadiya said: 'In some ways it's easier, in some ways it's more difficult. "I think what was really helpful to me was that I realised there is no rule book. There is no recipe." Nadiya added: "It will be like this now. Because they are growing, our lives are changing especially with my type of work. I have different projects all the time so it is not 9-5. 'It is still different things. I think it is important for a parent to accept that it is a constant search for that balance we want to bring to our lives and our kids' lives." The pro dancer explained: "Once you accept it and say this is how it is going to be it becomes easier. This is what it is. It's like learning to surf and riding the wave. Every now and again you can fall off and then you get back up again. Then you find beauty in it." Naidya also spoke about the prospect of dating and potentially having more children. 'If the time is right, if I pick the right man, if I am able to then absolutely I'll have more kids," she said. "I always wanted to have many kids. As many as possible. As many as I can raise and give a good future." Speaking about her love life Nadiya added: "I'm not seeing anyone. I'm just enjoying life. When and if the right person comes. Yes I would go on Raya. I've been on it.' Raya is an exclusive dating app that is a private, membership based network, often used by A-listers from movie stars to athletes all over the world. Nadiya, who was born in Ukraine, was paired with Olympian Tom Dean in Strictly's 2024 series - yet the swimming ace was swiftly given the boot in the opening Results Show. The Sun reported last year that Nadiya and Kai were being kept separate backstage and "refused to stand by each other" at the BBC series. The break-up prompted suggestions Strictly was to consider banning workplace relationships between its stars. 4
The Guardian
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘Mum, I can't think straight any more': the mother who filmed her son's entire childhood
There's a scene in the documentary Motherboard in which life as a lone parent is very much going off the rails. While film-maker Victoria Mapplebeck is having treatment for breast cancer, her 14-year-old son Jim is partying hard and refusing to do his homework. After a huge row, he storms out. His mother recorded their subsequent phone call. 'When he said he couldn't wait to be old enough to move out, that was like a dagger through the heart,' she says. 'That cancer year was when life's difficult stuff was happening and I was filming the process all at the same time.' The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Back in 2004, when Mapplebeck found herself pregnant after a short romance with a man who wasn't keen on being a father, she was all too aware of the Cyril Connolly quote about there being no more sombre enemy of good art than the pram in the hall. 'So I trained my camera on that pram in order to find a way to combine life as a film-maker and a mother,' she says. Filmed over 20 years on a succession of phones, Motherboard is a doc that comes with equal amounts of jeopardy, trauma and humour. We first meet Jim as a foetus on an ultrasound screen, giving his mum-to-be the thumbs up. Over the following 90 minutes we see him grow into a warm-hearted young man with a gift for comedy. As a longitudinal project, the film has been compared to Michael Apted's influential 1964 TV series Seven Up!, which followed the same 14 children over the years to see how their lives changed. It has also been likened to Richard Linklater's 2014 coming-of-age feature Boyhood, made over 12 years with the same actors. But where those films were made by invisible directors seamlessly stitching together a narrative, Motherboard puts Mapplebeck centre frame with Jim, and shows her toggling between being a parent and a film-maker. Mapplebeck was a 38-year-old freelance TV director when she became pregnant. As this was hardly the most financially stable of jobs, she moved into teaching when she realised she would be bringing up a baby up on her own. As an innovator who had made the first C4 webcam series, Smart Hearts, back in 1999, her experience with virtual reality, self-shooting and using iPhones as cameras led to her becoming professor of digital media at Royal Holloway, University of London. Realising she missed film-making, Mapplebeck made the 2015 short 160 Characters, about the relationship that had led to Jim's conception, using old text messages found on her redundant Nokia phone. 160 Characters was followed by another short, Missed Call, about Jim's wish when he was 13 to meet his absent father. That film won a Bafta in 2019, but footage of the two of them going up on stage to collect the award doesn't tell the whole story. Mapplebeck had been undergoing treatment for breast cancer and was worried she wouldn't live long enough to see Jim grow up. She had already started filming her year-long treatment as a VR project for the Guardian: 'I've always looked at painful experiences through a lens and on the whole it's helped. With cancer, you've got no control over it and you have to lean into that. It's not about whether you've got a positive attitude as to what your outcome is, it's in the lap of the gods. I wanted some sense of agency and decided to document this whole year of cancer treatment and explore its effect on family life.' Jim wasn't sure at first: 'Even if I was putting myself in her shoes, it still didn't make sense. But what I slowly learned was that for every person, therapy looks very different. And I realised that putting a camera in front of it was my mum's way of getting through it. I saw how positive it was for her, so then I was backing it.' Jim is now 21 and studying drama at university. He still lives in the south London flat his mother moved into before he was born. Closely involved with the film-making process throughout, he is credited as creative consultant on Motherboard. Talking alongside his mother, he remembers the 18-month edit: 'It was quite a funny time because I'd have my life and you'd have yours. And I'd come back home and it'd be pitch black; you'd just been so busy all the lights would be off except the illuminated screen. And you would go, 'Oh, could you watch this?' I was regularly watching cuts and giving feedback about what I did and didn't like. It was really cool.' Mapplebeck is at pains to stress the care taken to ensure that making the film didn't add to Jim's worries about the future: 'The bad stuff and the very difficult moments, they're not recorded live. And that was a very conscious decision. I didn't come back from the oncologist and say to Jim, 'OK, this is the diagnosis', with the camera in his face. All of that is off-camera. But then days, weeks later, we'd record a kind of recap. I always felt it was a myth that it's only going to be good if it's live and you're doorstepping. Having a bit of time to reflect made for really good material.' Jim comes through as a natural performer, whether singing his made-up songs as a charming toddler or acting in a school play. He admits: 'I like being the main character – as an actor that is nice. And I feel lucky we can talk honestly.' Not everything seen on screen was filmed by Mapplebeck. Snatches of Jim's life outside their flat – wading through muddy music festivals or partying with his friends – come from footage shot on his phone. Jim remembers: 'Mum would be like, 'Oh, could I get this?' And it was nice including a lot of my friends because they will always be a very big part of my life, especially those years.' Motherboard also weaves in telephone calls and texts between mother and son, even when their relationship is at its most fraught during the cancer treatment and Covid restriction years. At one point Jim texts: 'I can't think straight any more, this year needs to fuck off'. Unlike mom influencers with their 'sharenting' videos that stream their children's antics almost-live online – and too often without their consent – Mapplebeck makes it clear that there were lengthy negotiations between her and Jim: 'There were three years of showing Jim cuts. Asking, 'What do you think? How would you feel about using this?'' She would put the phone in selfie mode and film them talking side by side: 'You see us going back and forth about consent. There was the scene where Jim says, 'Nineteen minutes you've been recording. Nineteen minutes gone! You're a thief!'' They agree that the toughest discussions were about using that phone call, recorded after their biggest argument: 'You had stormed out and I didn't know where you were and you were supposed to be going to your grandma's and it was pre-vaccine. I was worried you'd infect her and you were screaming, 'Shut up, shut up!' It's so visceral. Both of us knew it was really powerful. You kept on saying to me, 'I think that people might hate me when they hear me talk to you like that.'' But at a test screening, Jim was reassured that the scene worked in the way that his mother intended: 'It was quite a rite of passage because I think Jim really felt the love in the room. And he realised that people have either been that teenager or they've been that parent – or both – and that everybody got it. Nobody was judgmental or down on him, and that was a real turning point. Jim said to me, 'You can't make a film about parenting unless you show the shit stuff.'' 'People can say I did the film to please my mum,' adds Jim, 'but there was no devil on my shoulder saying, 'Do this for her.' If I hadn't wanted to do the film, it wouldn't have happened.' Mapplebeck received guidance from OKRE (Opening Knowledge across Research and Entertainment) about protecting Jim, as well as legal advice on ensuring his father's anonymity on screen. 'I would not want internet sleuthery and I've never been interested in naming or shaming, or even being judgmental of his decisions. It was a real lightbulb moment for me when I thought, 'I don't want to try and get into his head.' 'I will never understand his own experiences and what led him to these decisions. The advice we've always had from lawyers and compliance people has been: 'Yes, you can tell your story. You've got a right to your truth, a truthful and honest account of how this situation affected you.'' A 2013 study found that 13% of fathers report having no contact with their children. Jim was 14 by the time he met his dad. They saw each other three times that year, and haven't met since. Jim expresses ambivalence about him: 'I don't hate him at all. Don't even dislike him. I just have a very neutral view, which is that he did what he did in his life. I've done what I've done in my life. I don't want him to watch the film and regret anything. We all make choices, and I think, yeah, he might someday think that wasn't the best choice, but I wouldn't want him to feel like he should regret anything he's done. I know I've got a dad out there, but I am very, very happy with my current family and there's no guarantee that I would be who I was if he was in my life.' Motherboard is at selected cinemas from 15 August
The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
Smugglers' adventures: All the fun of the fair (and fresh air) at the seaside in Hastings
Is it possible to cope as a single parent in charge of three children for an entire weekend? And, what's more – to actually have fun while doing it? This was the challenge I set myself when I decided to take my eight-year-old son, my 13-year-old daughter and her best friend, who's also 13, away to the seaside. We decided to escape London's sticky heatwave for somewhere with a sea breeze and plenty of cold water to cool off in. Hastings, which I'd never been to before, seemed the perfect choice. Not only is there an ancient castle for the history buffs (that's me), there's penny arcades, a funfair, an aquarium and the crowning glory: a smugglers' adventure – that's dark caves carved out of rock with actual ghosts (apparently). Talk about spooky! Setting sail We were due to 'set sail' (metaphorically) from Charing Cross station at 10.15am – on 'a proper train' as my son described it, staring back at the cramped London Underground we'd just left behind. He was right to be pleased: once we were moving, Hastings-bound – with 15 packets of crisps, seven orange juices, what felt like 500 bags of sweets and my Family & Friends Railcard all displayed proudly on the train table like an artwork – the journey to the coast became part of the adventure. Where else can you spot world-famous landmarks from the comfort of your train seat? We saw the London Eye, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, the Thames and Southwark Cathedral before anyone had even munched their way through a single snack. RDG HASTINGS ONE Carousel with one slide shown at a time. Use the Previous and Next buttons to navigate between slides. Image 1 of 4 The girls settled into watching a movie on their iPads, my son was playing a game and I actually read a book – the last time I'd read a book was probably before I had the children. In fact, this journey was so revelatory that I don't think I will ever drive again. It's all about taking trains, now. I was so relaxed, it felt like being on a spa day. Where else can you spot world-famous landmarks from the comfort of your seat? We saw the London Eye, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, the Thames and Southwark Cathedral before anyone had munched a single snack. Just an hour-and-a-half later, we arrived in Hastings and navigated our way to our guesthouse: Ruby's Rooms – an arty space just 10 minutes from the town centre. We had the entire ground floor sea-view apartment, with a continental breakfast included, free Wi-Fi and just a 30-second walk to the beach. What a win. Sea life We'd been in the apartment for five minutes, when the kids started whining about having to get into the sea IMMEDIATELY. Beach towels borrowed from Kate at Ruby's Rooms, we headed for the shore, where the children did something utterly unthinkable: they got straight in the sea. It takes me at least an hour to work up the nerve but they were straight in and under. Unbelievable. Once they were out and I could stop anxiously hovering in the shallows worrying about them, I laid my towel on the pebbles and closed my eyes, feeling like I was in Marbella. Hot sun, salt in the air, the girls making silly TikTok videos and my son burying himself in rocks. Everything was dreamy. Even better, was getting an ice cream from one of the many artisanal ice cream shops along the parade. Black treacle flavour with a black charcoal waffle cone? My goth heart was sated! The kids scoffed a weird combo of pistachio, peppermint and bubblegum ice-cream as we tackled an incredibly steep hill on the way to the 'Smugglers' Adventure. They were enjoying themselves so much – I didn't hear a single moan from them. RDG HASTINGS TWO Carousel with one slide shown at a time. Use the Previous and Next buttons to navigate between slides. Once we we got to Smugglers' Adventure however, there was plenty of moaning. It was all ghostly though – so much that my son wrapped himself around my leg like a baby koala as soon as the eerie voice of Hairy Jack – a smuggler from the past, doubling as our tour guide ghost – boomed through the dark caverns. We had a lot of fun attempting to hoist an anchor and shouting 'boo!' at the waxworks. I laid my towel on the pebbles and closed my eyes, feeling like I was in Marbella. Hot sun, salt in the air, the girls making silly TikTok videos and my son burying himself in rocks. Everything was dreamy. Ahoy! It was time for pizza! I'd read about the 'best pizza in Hastings' online – and despite fierce competition, opted for Monellis sourdough gourmet pizza on George Street – and boy, was it worth it – if a little spicy! After another ice-cream for the walk home to cool our mouths down, we fell into the penny arcades, where we spent far too much money trying to win a dinosaur toy on the 2p slot machines. Historical Hastings The next morning, it was off to a castle to learn about history – I ignored the laments of, 'Do we have to?' And won them round by telling them about the Battle of Hastings in 1066, which I still remember even though I'm ancient. 10/10 for Mum. They got even more enthusiastic when I reminded them that according to the Bayeux Tapestry, King Harold was killed at the Battle of Hastings by being shot in the eye with an arrow. Grisly. If there's one thing I'm learning about my children, this weekend, is that they are weird, wonderful – and grisly. So, off we headed up the very steep hill, into the castle entrance, and straight into the dungeons. RDG HASTINGS THREE Carousel with one slide shown at a time. Use the Previous and Next buttons to navigate between slides. Image 1 of 4 They were a welcome break from the heat (that steep hill in 28-degree heat, carrying everyone's bags wasn't pleasant). I considered asking the man behind the counter if he would lock the kids up in the dungeons for a couple of hours, but sadly he looked too busy. Shame. Instead, we did what everyone should do when looking at the ruins of an ancient castle – cartwheels – as well as a comedy 'jump shot' through an archway; and marvelled at the genuinely stunning panoramic views. We could see right out across the bay; we could see people sailing, swimming – we could even see France, right there on the horizon, through the haze. C'est magnifique. It would be all too easy to lose track of time, but thankfully, I had a FitBit which told me we'd already done 26,000 steps (that would be the steep hill) – and our feet were aching, so we decided to grab the super-cute funicular railway lift back down the cliff to the old town. It was built in 1902, I told them. 'Was that when you were born?' my son said. Thank you, thank you… We did what everyone should do when looking at the ruins of an ancient castle – cartwheels – as well as a comedy 'jump shot' through an archway; and marvelled at the stunning panoramic views. We were really going for it now, trying to fit everything in during our final precious hours, so we made a pit-stop at the aquarium to see some cool sharks, wandered along the seafront where we discovered a truly gigantic anchor, had an incredible fish and chips meal at Maggie's and still had time for another ice-cream and a spot of shopping, before it was time to get the train home. We slumped tired but happy into our seats, knowing we could relax after all the action. What did I learn? Children are the best travel companions – funny, frank, eye-wateringly honest when something is going well… and when it isn't. They don't fake anything – when they're having fun, you know about it – and those are the sweetest moments of all. And as a bonus, Hairy Jack and the dungeons have given me great reasons to make them do their homework… Enjoy great value British adventures by train From stunning nature and the great outdoors, to culture, cuisine and incredible scenery, there's no doubt Britain has it all in spades, and these unmissable adventures are just a simple, enjoyable train ride away. So there's never been a better time to start planning some Great British getaways, from day trips to weekends away or a longer staycation. With Railcard, whether you're travelling solo or with a friend, on a couples weekend or off on holiday with the family, you can save on all sorts of train journeys around Great Britain. Railcard helps you save a third off rail travel and for just £35 for the year, it pays for itself in no time. With 9 different Railcards available, find the one for you at So make this your year to get out, experience and explore everything on your doorstep and enjoy truly great value getaways.
SBS Australia
4 days ago
- General
- SBS Australia
'Rent is going up five times faster than wages': What's behind WA's housing crisis
Elizabeth Wright parks her ute beneath the shade of a tree at a quiet suburban park in Perth's north. It's not her first time here, and lately she's been coming more regularly — not for fresh air or a picnic, but to mentally prepare for something more confronting. The 38-year-old single mother gestures to the adjoining car park and says this is where she thinks she'd park on most nights. ''I would build a secure load on the back of my ute," Wright tells SBS News. "It's just about condensing life into a vehicle and [to] see what I can fit in the back of it." In a quiet moment by the water, Elizabeth Wright reflects on the uncertainty of life without stable housing. As rental prices soar, she's among a growing number of Australians facing an increasingly fragile future. Source: SBS News / Christopher Tan Wright, who is on income support, talks through the layout of her single-cab ute, with calm resolve: she's already planned how to convert it into a sleeping space. "I probably have to get a smaller bed than this … so I can fit a wardrobe on the side … and that's all I would really need," she says. "I always aim for minimalist living but maximalist style, and the past year and a half has really challenged me to do that." I can't have my daughter with me in that space. That's what's demoralising, that's what breaks me. Wright grew up in Perth and moved around frequently as a child due to her father's work. Later, she lived with her mum and stepdad until they decided to sell the family home to downsize in July last year. That was when her rental journey began — one she never imagined would lead her to scoping out bedding options for a ute. But after a year of renting across Perth — and facing three evictions through no fault of her own — she's rehearsing how to survive homelessness. A single mother on the brink of homelessness scopes out this park in Perth's north as a potential place to sleep. With nowhere stable to live, she's planning how to turn her ute into a last-resort shelter. Source: SBS News / Christopher Tan For now, Wright is couch surfing at her sister's rental, another single mother on the verge of being priced out of housing in Perth. "But, just sort of losing [my] home over and over again, after losing something I'd built myself [and] having to re-set up somewhere else … I am so over moving things," she says. Housing pressures most acute for WA renters Wright's story is becoming disturbingly common, not just in Western Australia, but across the country. According to a 2025 housing affordability study by Bankwest Curtin Economic Centre (BCEC), capital city house prices have surged by 59 per cent — an increase of more than $373,000 — with Perth and Brisbane recording an 84 per cent growth. Perth's median house price jumped from $463,000 in 2019 to $851,000 in February 2025, driven by investor interest and population growth. It's one of the steepest increases for a capital city in the past five years. Despite recent and forecasted interest rate cuts, as well as expanded government first home buying schemes, affordability in Perth is continuing to deteriorate. But it is renters who are feeling the sharpest edge. Perth recorded the steepest rise in advertised weekly rents nationwide between 2019 and 2024, outpacing all other capital cities. Source: SBS News The median advertised rent in Perth has climbed from $350 a week in 2019 to $650 by the end of 2024 — an 86 per cent spike that makes it the least affordable capital city for renters in the country. Along with the Northern Territory, WA is one of the two remaining jurisdictions that still allow "no-grounds" evictions. This describes a scenario in which landlords can evict tenants without providing a reason, as long as they give 30 days' notice at the end of a fixed-term lease or 60 days during a periodic lease. They can issue an eviction notice even if the tenant hasn't done anything wrong. There are seven other legal grounds for eviction, including property sales, hardship and tenant breaches. The lack of protection from no-fault termination leaves renters like Wright vulnerable. Growing risk of homelessness According to the most recent Census, 9,729 people were experiencing homelessness in WA in 2021 — a 114 per cent increase from the previous Census. That includes 2,315 people who reported sleeping rough. In the last financial year, Shelter WA says nearly 25,000 people sought help from specialist homelessness services in WA, representing an 18 per cent jump over the decade. Housing advocate Jordan van den Lamb says the crisis is no longer isolated to the most vulnerable. "We're seeing 10,000 people experience homelessness each month," he says. "Most people have felt this pressure in the last three years. Renters are choosing between their rent and medication, groceries, bills." Housing advocate Jordan van den Lamb says soaring rents and weak protections are pushing more Western Australians to the brink. "We can't rely on a market solution to fix a market failure," he says. Source: SBS News / Christopher Tan Shelter WA estimates a person earning $70,000 a year would now spend 58 per cent of their income on rent alone. "I am pretty sure constantly moving out … unless you want to … is not what the great Australian dream is for housing," Wright says. The power imbalance Tenants are increasingly afraid to speak up. Alice Pennycott, principal tenancy lawyer at Circle Green Community Legal, says she sees this fear every day. "People come to us for advice on repairs, but then they hesitate — worried that if they complain, their lease won't be renewed," Pennycott says. There's no way to challenge a no-grounds eviction. Unless the notice itself is invalid — the reason doesn't matter. Victoria and NSW have scrapped no-fault evictions. NSW introduced reforms in May, allowing landlords to terminate leases only for specific reasons, such as selling the property, renovating, or moving in themselves. Advocates say the WA government is reluctant to act, fearing landlords may exit the market. But Pennycott says that's not a justification for inaction. Alice Pennycott from Circle Green Community Legal is calling for urgent reforms to end no-grounds evictions and improve protections for people at risk of losing their homes. Source: SBS News / Christopher Tan "We are not saying landlords shouldn't be allowed to evict people," Pennycott says. "We are saying we just want a reason and we are supporting introducing more reasons into the legislation." A broken market Even with 20,500 homes completed in 2024 — the most in seven years — WA still fell short of its National Housing Accord target of 25,000 dwellings. Since March 2023, only 694 new rental dwellings have been added in Perth, which represents a growth of just 0.4 per cent. Over the same period, the population has surged by 119,000, leaving a rental shortfall of 7,700 homes. Vacancy rates have ticked slightly above 2 per cent but remain well below healthy levels. "Rent is going up five times faster than wages," van den Lamb says. "We can't rely on a market solution to fix a market failure." Even with 3,300 social homes delivered and 5,800 more promised by the WA government, waitlists continue to grow. Demand for social housing in WA has surged, with the waiting list ballooning and urgent applications rising sharply over the past six years. Source: SBS News More than 21,000 people are now waiting for public housing. The average wait time is 151 weeks. Among priority applicants, including people escaping domestic violence or homelessness, demand has jumped 330 per cent in six years. 'You didn't choose that life' For many Western Australians, financial stress is only the beginning. "People used to get a termination notice and say, 'Well, I'll just find another rental.' Now they're saying, 'Where am I going to go?'" Pennycott says. Accessing legal support is becoming more complex, she says. People are looking for help more than ever because they have fewer alternatives. We hear from people every day who don't know where they'll sleep next week. The cumulative toll on renters like Wright is immense. "If you can't have your children with you, or you're both living in a car and you didn't choose that life, that's not just hard, it's dehumanising," she says. "How is it that we live in such a beautiful and privileged society, and there are so many people without somewhere to live?" Systemic change needed The latest BCEC report titled 'A long way from home' outlines a comprehensive plan to tackle WA's housing crisis, and calls for urgent investment in both rental and public housing. Short-term recommendations include expanding the Commonwealth Rent Assistance scheme and making the WA Rent Relief Program permanent. The program has already helped over 2,700 renters remain in their homes. At Circle Green Community Legal, frontline staff take calls from renters facing mounting housing stress. Many are seeking urgent advice after receiving eviction notices or struggling with unaffordable rent hikes. Source: SBS News / Christopher Tan The report also calls for more crisis and transitional accommodation, particularly for women and families escaping domestic violence. In the medium term, it recommends fast-tracking housing completions, scaling up social and affordable housing using the state's investment fund, and targeting new developments at first-home buyers and key workers, such as childcare educators, retail and hospitality workers, health support workers, and general administrative services. It also calls for incentives for build-to-rent developments and enforceable standards for rental properties. Among its long-term recommendations, the report urges the WA government to commit to delivering 24,000 new homes each year — including a minimum of 1,200 new or repurposed social dwellings — and to replace stamp duty with a more efficient system to support household mobility. Small steps, but a long way to go In 2024, the WA government updated its Residential Tenancies Act, with the first tranche of changes allowing pets and minor modifications in most rentals and limiting rent increases to once every 12 months. The reforms were introduced in addition to the ban on rent bidding and retaliatory actions from landlords brought in earlier that year. However, there's still no cap on rental increases. In a statement to SBS News, a state government spokesperson declined to say whether it would abolish "no grounds" evictions entirely. "Recommendations for a second phase of reforms are expected to be finalised for consideration later this year," the spokesperson said. "Stage two will consider a range of further measures to protect renters, including setting minimum standards, the collection of bonds, rents and other charges, and clear definitions of boarding and lodging. "Consultation with stakeholders will guide the second phase of these reforms." Seen through her office window, tenancy lawyer Alice Pennycott works to support renters navigating an increasingly hostile housing market. She says more and more people are reaching out with nowhere else to turn. Source: SBS News / Christopher Tan But advocates say these measures barely scratch the surface. "It doesn't address the heart of the problem: renters being protected from being thrown out into the street into homelessness," Pennycott says. WA court data shows more than 1,500 eviction applications have been filed annually in the last four years, not including informal or unchallenged cases. BCEC figures also reveal that nearly two-thirds of single women renters in WA aged 55 and over are living in poverty, with half in the "severe poverty" category. "There's a growing awareness now. Everyone knows someone who's been impacted — whether it's rent hikes, eviction, or just the stress of trying to find a place to live," Pennycott says. "[But] we've been lobbying for change since 2019." Sitting beneath the trees by the Swan River, Elizabeth Wright reflects on the emotional toll of housing insecurity. With support systems stretched and options running out, she says no-one should be forced to raise a child from the back of a car in a country as wealthy as Australia. Source: SBS News / Christopher Tan For Wright, the crisis isn't just about statistics — it's about recognising the humanity of renters. We treat housing as a commodity, but it's a basic human right. Wright's wish is singular: All she wants, she says, is a place to call home again. "I just want to give my daughter a secure place to grow up. "Not a car, not someone else's couch. A home."
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
I'm a 50-year-old single mom and my finances are in shambles — with $80K of debt and no savings, where do I even start?
When juggling the responsibilities of life as a single parent, it can be easy to slide into debt. Sarah, for example, recently turned 50, is a single parent of two and has $80,000 in debt total. She owes $55,000 on her credit cards and an additional $25,000 that she missed paying on taxes, not including the total she owes on her mortgage. Her credit card debt alone is larger than the average American household's credit card balance of $6,065. In terms of overall debt, the latest data from the Federal Reserve shows that the average U.S. household debt is just over $105,000 per household, but this includes mortgages as well as auto loans, student debt, credit cards and other forms of personal debt. Beyond the almost $2,000 per month in debt payments, Sarah also needs to cover her $2,100 mortgage payment. With retirement age on the horizon, she feels like she's drowning under mounting financial pressures. And without savings or retirement funds, she wants to map out her next steps carefully. For Sarah, bankruptcy is off the table, but she still wants to find a way forward. So. here is what she — and you — could do next, when faced with such a situation: Don't miss Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 6 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) You don't have to be a millionaire to gain access to this $1B private real estate fund. In fact, you can get started with as little as $10 — here's how 1. Evaluate your finances and set a realistic budget When facing a mountain of debt, the first step is to assess the situation. Gain clarity by tracking each of your expenses and income. This will give you a realistic picture of where you stand with your expenses and income, help you plan ahead and stretch every dollar as far as it can go, while helping you eliminate any unnecessary spending. Next, build a bare-bones budget that allows you to cover all of your basic needs. With this in place, ratchet down your spending. Move on to actually eliminate any unnecessary spending. This will alter your lifestyle and feel uncomfortable, but it doesn't have to last forever if you do it right. Take a closer look at your largest expenses. For most Americans, housing, transportation and food represent the biggest line items in any budget. Start by taking a look at your housing expenses and how they ladder up to your long-term financial goals. Sarah is a homeowner with a $2,100 monthly mortgage payment and $100,000 in home equity. If you don't want to relinquish homeownership, then refinancing your mortgage to lock in a lower payment could help. Downsizing or renting out a room may be other ways to help offset housing costs. If you aren't married to the idea of homeownership, then look into the cost of renting a reasonable place to call home. Selling your property with $100,000 in equity would help you wipe your debt in the quickest way possible. Beyond potentially paring down your housing costs, evaluate your transportation costs. If you drive a relatively expensive vehicle, swap it out for a more affordable ride. You may also want to consider remote work, if this is possible for you, as this would further free up both any time and money spent on commuting. Lastly, try to meal plan once a week, so you only buy the groceries you need (preferably at discount or cheaper grocery stores), avoiding dining out. Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says — and that 'anyone' can do it 2. Make a debt repayment plan After making adjustments to your spending habits, it's time to make a debt repayment plan. Starting with the tax debt, consider applying for an IRS payment plan to break down your large tax bill into more manageable monthly payments. Next, tackle your credit card debt. If you have the debt spread across multiple credit cards, start by making a list of each balance and the attached interest rate. Common repayment strategies include the [snowball or the avalanche methods] (). The snowball method involves putting all available cash toward the smallest balance so you rid yourself of that first before moving onto the next one, while the avalanche method tackles the balance with the highest interest rate first. Technically, the avalanche method is more mathematically efficient, reducing the total amount of money you pay on interest but the small wins of the snowball method might give you the motivation to stick to the plan. Refinancing offers another way to manage debt repayment. Typically, personal loans come with significantly lower interest rates than credit cards. If you can refinance your debt into a single larger 'consolidated' loan with a lower fixed interest rate, a home equity-based loan (or HELOC) or a transfer balance card, this may allow you to pay down your balance more quickly without added costs. Lastly, while this isn't an option for Sarah, you may want to explore Chapter 13 bankruptcy. 3. Look to the future Picking up extra income can help you make headway in your debt repayment faster. And, if you take on a side hustle, you aren't alone; more than half of Americans have one. Some possible side gigs include delivering groceries or meals, tutoring, freelancing graphic design or writing. You may even consider a more traditional part-time job at a small business in your area. Depending on the age of your children, you can involve them in contributing with their own part-time job to help cover their non-essential expenses or as a way to contribute to their education fund. Once you've made headway in reducing your debt, it's time to start shoring up your emergency fund. Experts suggest saving three to six months of expenses. This will help you have enough to cover unexpected expenses without sliding back into debt. With these blocks in place, you can divert funds to help pay off your mortgage faster and even start saving for your retirement. What to read next Robert Kiyosaki warns of a 'Greater Depression' coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 'easy-money' assets will bring in 'great wealth'. How to get in now Accredited investors can now buy into this $22 trillion asset class once reserved for elites – and become the landlord of Walmart, Whole Foods or Kroger without lifting a finger. Here's how Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? Stay in the know. Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise sent straight to your inbox every week for free. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. Solve the daily Crossword
