A local mother-of-four who has been couch-surfing with her young daughters for more than a year is at breaking point, after being rejected for more than 120 rental applications.
Cecelia Schultz and her daughters aged five, 10, 16 and 17 have moved more than five times in the last 14 months with no end in sight.
She is pleading with somebody to give them “a go” before her eldest daughter graduates from high school next week.
The families’ lease ended last September because the owner wanted to renovate and put the rent up from $580 to $675, which was beyond what Ms Schultz could afford on her own.
READ MORE: The human impact of the Sunshine Coast rental crisis.
“Rent increases happened everywhere but I couldn’t do it,” Ms Schultz said.
“From there on we just moved from house to house – we even moved down to Brisbane and I was commuting – it was really hard.”
The family of five eventually moved back to the Sunshine Coast but, being a single-income earner, Ms Schultz said homeowners and real estate agents constantly knocked her back.
“I am still looking, applying for and inspecting houses,” she said.
“I do have a dog as well, who is really well respected from previous landlords. But nothing.”
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She said the situation has been unsettling for her youngest daughters, however, her teenage girls are not coping with the mental strain of not having a secure roof over their heads.
“The little ones are quite resilient. The 10-year-old is quite edgy but she manages,” she said.
“My daughter is about to graduate next week and she was really hoping her grandmother could come and stay for us, for a night prior to graduation, which can’t happen.
“They are not coping with having to get up and move every second weekend … we have to move again this weekend.”
She described the situation for homeless people as “horrible” at the moment.
“My friend down south, who works in real estate, told me I was on my own and that I would need a second applicant, but I don’t have one,” she said.
“It makes me feel horrible.
“I’ve had my breakdowns along the way from not being able to support my kids, I should be able to put a roof over their head and it shouldn’t be this hard.
“But I have to stay strong, it’s been so difficult.”
Ms Schultz’s hope was for longer term security, but for now she just “wants to get a house, even if it was too small for them.”
“The Department of Housing told me I couldn’t take a smaller place, that it wouldn’t be efficient, but at this point I will take anything,” she said.
“All I get told from support services is there is a housing crisis and I get that, but there are houses that just sit there because they aren’t up to standard and I would take them as is, but they won’t let me.”
Ms Schultz said she had worked with every homeless support service she could but that “they can’t really do much” for them.
“They put you on the list but as far as they are concerned I am not classified as homeless because I have a roof over my head,” she said.
“Unless I am living in a tent, which gets pretty close to happening, they are not interested. That really hit home.
“I am homeless and I am sick of not having a home … I am sick of paying $600 a month in storage fees. My kids want their stuff.”
She said the wait times for government housing was up to five years for someone in her situation.
“I wish there was an answer to it but I don’t think there is one,” she said.
“Support agencies don’t realise the damage it does to teenagers. That’s my biggest concern.”
If anyone can help Ms Schultz find her and her daughters’ a home, please email: ceciliaschultz83@gmail.com
Last month, speakers from around the country shared their ideas to address homelessness at the Hope for Homes event at Goodlife Community Centre.
The centre’s Ruth Jeffs recently told SCN that more people were struggling to get by on the Sunshine Coast.
“The shortage of affordable rental accommodation on the Coast means that often employed parents are sleeping in cars,” she said.
“Single men and women, often in their 50s, 60s, 70s and even 80s are sleeping rough, while teens who are experiencing difficulties in their families are couch surfing.
READ MORE: Confronting homelessness: ideas showcased at forum
Meantime, a Sunshine Coast housing analyst who is pushing for united community action to solve the housing stress problem, is urging community members to “spend 15 seconds” to sign up to help raise public awareness of the housing crisis.
Mal Cayley, of Direct Collective, has launched the Homes for Everyone website to help inform and motivate the community about the issue.
To sign up to the Homes for Everyone supporters list, click here.
“We need strength in numbers to show the politicians and decision-makers that we want to end homelessness and the rental crisis. It affects all of us,” Mr Cayley said.
“We’ll keep you updated with our progress, but we certainly won’t be marketing to you.”
Mr Cayley has previously revealed that, by his calculations, the coast is at least 8,000 houses short, with 5,500 of those needed for our desperate rental sector.
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