Pregnant mum and family forced to live out of car after rent hikes
They family were part of the estimated 9,000 people who experience homelessness each night in Western Australia.
A pregnant mum, her partner and two young children were forced to live out of their car for eight months as the cost-of-living crisis continues to make life difficult for young Australian families.
Not being able to keep up with the rent increases, the Perth couple were forced to make the hard decision to pack up and move into their Ford Territory with their sons, aged 1 and 5, in December. The timing couldn't have been any worse, given Cassandra had just learned she was pregnant.
"We weren't able to afford food that we really needed to keep ourselves healthy and strong, so that made it very difficult for us," she told 9 News of the family's decision to sleep rough. "There were times when me and my partner would miss out to make sure our kids had what they needed."
High rents contributing to homelessness
Data from CoreLogic shows rents have increased by an average of 10 per cent nationwide in the last 12 months.
The mum recalled it being "extremely cold" sleeping in the car, with the car battery sometimes dying from the family trying to use the heater "to keep [them] from getting sick". Cassandra and her partner reached out to the Salvation Army for assistance, who have reportedly seen a 250 per cent rise in homelessness in Rockingham, Perth, just from this year.
The Salvation Army also shared statistics from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare that show Victoria has the largest percentage of people seeking support (37 per cent). Followed by NSW (25 per cent), where youth homelessness is on the rise, with specialist homelessness agencies servicing 9400 children and teenagers in March.
Homelessness NSW says the solution lies in properly funding homelessness services and urgently building more social housing. The group is calling on the government to set a target of lifting the proportion of social homes to 10 per cent, up from 4.6 per cent.
Luckily, Cassandra and her family have since managed to find a home, but hope more support is delivered to those in need, with over 9,000 Western Australians estimated to experience homelessness each night, according to Shelter WA.
with AAP
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