By C. Perera, JadeTimes News
This isn't the retirement Mary had envisioned. The former midwife spent years living on a cattle station with her husband on the north western edge of Australia, surrounded by the vast and ruggedly beautiful Kimberley region. Now, the frail 71 year old spends her days and nights in her battered car, parked near a public toilet block of a Perth shopping center. Mary is not her real name; she wishes to remain anonymous to prevent those she knows from discovering her current situation.
Mary is among the approximately 122,000 people who are homeless in Australia on any given night, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. A recent government report reveals that 40% of low income renters are at risk of joining this cohort. Mary’s predicament began when she was pushed out of her flat last year after her landlord opted to lease it for short term stays. Unable to find affordable housing on her state pension, and with her husband in a care home with Alzheimer's disease, Mary resorted to living in her car.
Her 4x4 is packed with belongings, including a walking frame and piles of clothes. On the passenger seat sits a tin of rice pudding, her nightly meal. Despite sometimes securing a bed in a shelter, Mary often parks in areas with a police presence to avoid assaults, having been attacked four times.
Mary recently suffered from pneumonia after getting caught in a rainstorm, which left her car battery dead with no money to fix it. She feels dehumanized, stating, "It seems that the moment people know you're homeless. you become what I call a non person. You no longer have any value in people's lives."
Homelessness services across Australia have reported a surge in demand amidst a national housing crisis, with women and children constituting the majority needing assistance. Indigenous Australians are also over represented. The crisis is driven by record house prices, underinvestment in social housing, a general housing shortage, and drastically rising rents. Perth has seen the fastest rent increases, averaging 20% over the past year.
Hailey Hawkins and her daughter Tacisha have been couch surfing and living in tents for nearly four years, despite being eligible for social housing. Michael Piu, head of St Patrick’s Community Support Centre, notes that homelessness can strike anyone due to a single trigger, leaving few options for those affected.
Housing remains a contentious issue in Australian parliaments. Wilson Tucker, a member of the Western Australia state parliament, recently made headlines for being a "homeless" politician, though he prefers the term nomadic. Despite earning a salary nearly twice the national average, he was unable to find housing and now stays in hotels or his 4x4 and roof tent. However, Tucker, who is also a landlord, acknowledges the struggles of many others without his privileges.
In federal parliament, MPs have debated making housing a legally protected human right. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced A$6.2bn in this year’s budget to expedite the construction of new houses, provide rent subsidies, and increase social and affordable housing. Nonetheless, homelessness charities call for more urgent reforms, such as scrapping tax concessions for investors and increasing protections for renters.
Landlords have been criticized for hiking rents during a time of financial strain for many. However, the property industry argues that landlords are also struggling due to rapidly rising interest rates. Cath Hart, chief executive of the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia, warns that measures like rent increase caps and eviction moratoriums could drive landlords out of the rental market, as seen during the COVID 19 pandemic.
Every night, charities offer support to those in need in Perth, providing food, clothes, laundry services, medical care, and even haircuts. Volunteers, including street chaplains, distribute meals and essentials. Michelle Rumbold, who once received these handouts herself, now volunteers to help others after regaining stability through transitional housing.
For Mary, the loneliness is the hardest part. With no TV or neighbors, she feels isolated. "People often just give you the side eye and think 'Oh God, not another one' and walk away," she laments. Despite the support available, many like Mary continue to struggle, highlighting the urgent need for solutions to Australia's homelessness crisis.
