Hardworking mum-of-two Lucy pleaded with her landlord for help after her rent was increased by $200 a week. What happened next reveals the heartbreaking reality of Australia’s housing crisis
A hard-working mother of two has revealed how she begged her landlord’s agent to halve her $200 rent increase, but in response she lost her home.
Lucy’s heartbreaking testimony was heard alongside the stories of other tenants at The People’s Commission into Housing in Camperdown in Sydney’s west on Thursday.
The public hearing calls for an overhaul of the rental system to protect and assist struggling families and individuals facing historically high rents and low availability.
Lucy, a single mother of two, told the committee how she begged her agent after her rent was increased by more than $200 a week to $850. 7 News.
“The only thing I could afford was $750. Her answer was an eviction notice,” she said.
Mother-of-two Lucy told The People’s Commission into Housing that when her rent rose from more than $200 a week to $850, she was served an eviction notice when she told her agent she could only afford $750.
The committee heard from tenants (pictured) who are facing housing insecurity due to rising costs. Libby (pictured far left) told the public hearing how her family has had to move six times in six years, which has affected her children (pictured second from left, tenant Lucy, and far right is fellow commissioner Doug Cameron)
‘Finally I sat in my car and thought, “We’re going to live here.”
An emotional Lucy told the hearing that she has to work three jobs to pay her current rent.
“I’m working all the time,” she said.
“Saying I’m tired is – it’s hard.”
Another tenant dealing with housing insecurity and affordability, Libby, said she and her family have had to move six times in six years.
The mother said all the moves have affected her children as skyrocketing rents have pushed them out of their community.
“We have made cuts in every way possible, but we know we can’t do this again,” she said.
“When the next surge comes, we will have to move. We will probably have to leave Sydney and our families altogether.”
The co-commissioners, former NSW Labor senator Doug Cameron and University of Sydney housing expert Professor Nicole Gurran, heard evidence on Thursday and the hearing will continue on Friday.
A third day of online hearings will be announced soon.
“It’s really about listening to the voices of the victims of the system,” Cameron said.
Everybody’s Home, a national campaign to solve the housing crisis, said Australia is currently experiencing a ‘historic housing crisis’ (pictured tenants queuing to inspect a property)
The housing crisis committee, the first to be held in Australia and convened by the Everybody’s Home housing campaign, was told that rental solutions go beyond the issue of supply.
The hearing was told that longer-term rentals and caps on rent increases are needed to have a positive impact.
The committee also heard that more action is needed, as well as political courage.
Mr Cameron and Ms Gurran were told that if changes are not made to the current system, more people will be forced to move from their areas.
A final report will be published with recommendations for the federal government.
According to Everyone is homea national campaign to solve the housing crisis, 640,000 Australian families now need social housing.
There are also 122,000 people experiencing homelessness on any given night in the country dealing with Australia’s current ‘historic housing crisis’.