A woman who says she applied for 35 units in the space of a week fears she is facing homelessness.
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Courtney Paige Belz, 25, of Dapto in the NSW Illawarra region, says she has an impeccable rental history but has struggled to find a new home to rent with her partner after being forced to move out of her current home.
Despite having a budget of up to $450 a week and applying for 35 units in just one week, Ms Belz, who an intellectual disability, fears she will end up homeless and "sleeping on the street".
So desperate to find a property to rent, she took to Facebook this week to appeal for help.
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"Unfortunately, I'm facing homelessness at the end of June. I've applied for 35 units in the last week and basically have been declined for all of them. So I thought I would try my luck here as the time is ticking away and I'm getting more worried I might have to look at caravan parks and storage," she wrote.
"I'm looking to rent long-term a two-bedroom unit or house with one car space. My budget is up to $450 a week. I will be moving with my partner who I have been with seven years. We have no pets and have been with our current real estate for the last seven years."
She said she had "never missed a rental payment" and had references. They were only moving from their current home, she added, as it was being knocked down for redevelopment.
"Please, if anyone has any offers we are open to anything," she wrote. "I know a lot of people are in the same boat but I'm hoping there's someone out there willing to give us a go."
The post was shared on What's Happening Dapto and Surrounds and UoW Students Buy and Sell Facebook pages.
Ms Belz receives a Disability Support Pension, while her partner receives JobSeeker benefits but recently found a new part-time job. They are paying $260 a week but can pay up to $450, and have saved up the bond and three weeks' rent.
Ms Belz previously worked in hospitality but work dried up during COVID-19 and she also suffered a hand injury that required surgery.
She is now recovered and eager to get back into the workforce, and was about to start looking for work again when she was told she had to move out of her home.
"I have applied in the last week for 30 to 35 properties and they have been basically declined. I contacted my real estate to ask why and they said it was my rent to income ratio," she told the Mercury this week.
The prospect of homelessness terrifies Ms Belz.
"I have been in this situation with my mum multiple times. Three or four times we were homeless; myself, my mum and my brother slept in a car or stayed in a caravan park."
Ms Belz's disability support worker told ACM that while Ms Belz is well-presented and well-spoken, she believes she may be missing out on rentals due to her disability.
She said the stress of the situation had caused Ms Belz to suffer heart problems.
"Things are hard enough for Courtney without this," she said.
"She worked really hard to get ready to get back into the workforce. We were really on track. Courtney was building up her confidence ready to go to job interviews and improve her financial stability and this has put her back."
Sadly, Ms Belz is not alone in her plight.
Massive drop in available rentals
Anglicare released its annual Rental Affordability Snapshot 2022 last month, which measures the availability and affordability of rental housing in the Illawarra and Greater Sydney.
The snapshot, conducted on March 19-20, 2022, is based on rental listings data provided by REA Group and displayed on a real estate website.
It found there was a 42 per cent decrease in the number of properties listed for rent in the Illawarra in the past year.
In Wollongong, the house median rent increased by 13 per cent in the past year to $590 a week and in the Shoalhaven the house median rent is $500 a week.
The snapshot found it was a potentially difficult time for low-income households in the Illawarra in terms of housing security, and concluded the lack of affordable and appropriate rental housing for people living on income support payments and the minimum wage continues in the Illawarra.
The snapshot found there were no properties in the Illawarra that were affordable and appropriate for people living on income support payments without placing them in housing stress.
Only 87 properties in the Illawarra were affordable and appropriate for people living on the minimum wage without placing them in housing stress.
The supply of safe, affordable and appropriate housing is conspicuously low, and that is a danger to low-income earners.
- Anglicare CEO Simon Miller
In the Wollongong and South Coast regions, there were only nine affordable options for single people on the minimum wage.
The findings show how difficult it is for people in the Illawarra to find appropriate and affordable rental accommodation, with the situation particularly difficult for people living on income support payments.
Rather than presenting a cheaper housing alternative for households dependent upon government benefits, areas outside Sydney such as the Illawarra and South Coast faced their own critical lack of affordable and appropriate housing.
Anglicare's chief executive Simon Miller said it was clear that affordable housing properties in the private rental market across the Illawarra were dwindling, especially for low income earners and those relying on support.
"The supply of safe, affordable and appropriate housing is conspicuously low, and that is a danger to low-income earners," he said.