Barbara Dunlop never thought she would be homeless at 60.
Working six days a week as a lifestyle mentor for people with disabilities, Dunlop has been a reliable tenant in Bundaberg, south-east Queensland, for over two decades.
But it didn’t count for anything.
“I never imagined it in my life,” he said.
Willing to pay $ 400 a week, Ms. Dunlop has been facing foreclosures for the past few months since her rental property was sold.
“I’m applying, I’m giving them all the documents they need, but I think it’s because of my fur babies, I have two cats and two dogs,” he said.
“I need them for my mental health because of the stress of my job as a caregiver.”
Ms Dunlop represents the new face of homelessness not only in the Bundaberg region but across the state, according to local support agencies, as full-time workers, families with children and university students struggle to find a roof over their heads.
Barbara Dunlop works six days a week as a lifestyle mentor for people living with a disability like Joan Jeffrey. (ABC Wide Bay: Brad Marsellos)
With fierce competition in the rental market and vacancy rates at historic lows, Dunlop believes applications that may include pets, children and youth are being overtaken by applications that seem more desirable.
Helping those most in need
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Bundaberg State Member Tom Smith said he knew all too well what was going on in his community as his office received calls from people desperate to help.
“We don’t want to see kids living in cars, in tents, or on the street,” Smith said.
“If you are a family member or know a family that makes it difficult, come to our office immediately.
“We have a very good relationship with public housing and we have also been able to get families to have a primary lease and affordable housing.”
Smith admits he is concerned that housing shortages may have more social ramifications in his electorate, such as poorer levels of education for children and a lack of essential workers.
Build, not outside
The Bundaberg region is surrounded by lush and very valuable agricultural land and is known for its food production.
Bundaberg member Tom Smith. (ABC Wide Bay: Brad Marsellos)
But as regions like this are compressed by population growth, aided by interstate migration, Smith believes it is time to change attitudes about how people in the region live.
“We’re going to have to consider blocks of high-density units, especially when we have working people who want to move to the region,” Smith said.
“We have to look at things differently than we have in the past.
“We’re a very suburban community, and we love that, but we also need to encourage some private development.”
Tomas O’Malley is an architect who has worked in the Bundaberg region for the past 12 years.
O’Malley agrees that attitudes in regional centers need to be changed to facilitate growth, without affecting the environment, and to bring revenue to town councils.
“In the regional areas, we have a lack of diversity of housing options. Most homes are single-family homes in large blocks, which is not necessarily suitable for the entire population and translates into large suburbs.” , he said.
“Many people listen to the density and immediately think of skyscrapers, but in regional cities we need to focus more on the ‘Missing Middle’: incremental increases in density between low-density suburban homes and apartments. high density.
“This includes housing on small plots, townhouses, duplexes and townhouses, which maintain the character of low-rise single-family housing that people are comfortable with.”
O’Malley said the increase in density has many social benefits.
“[It] it makes neighborhoods more passable, keeps our farmland and shrubs high value and reduces the cost of roads, sewers and water supply, allowing us to spend more money on improving the community, ”he said. .
“Not a quick fix”
The Queensland government is investing $ 2.9 billion in social and affordable housing, with 170 new homes planned in the Wide Bay Burnett region.
Smith said the housing crisis needed to be addressed by all levels of government and the public sector.
Mrs. Dunlop said she couldn’t wait much longer.
Barbara Dunlop tries to keep hoping to find a home in the Bundaberg region. (ABC Wide Bay: Brad Marsellos)
“It’s not a quick fix,” he said.
“I think the government and politicians need to look at this rental crisis not just in the Bundaberg, but across Australia.
“So many families live in trailers, which is affecting low-income workers.”
Meanwhile, Mrs. Dunlop is staying at a friend’s house, but she hopes it will be temporary.
“I just have to take it day in and day out and keep asking for rentals,” he said.
“I keep the premises clean, I am reliable, I pay the rent, I am a long-term tenant.
“I just need a little help, assistance, a fair path, the Australian way.”
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Posted 9 hours 9 hours agoThursday May 26, 2022 at 8:27 am, updated 5 hours ago 5 hours ago Thursday, May 26, 2022 at 12:15 PM