A mother-of-four chef has been homeless and sleeping in her car for 18 months, in another example of Australia’s desperate rental crisis.
Jaki Rose, 58, was a housewife, but in 2019 her relationship broke down and for the past year and a half she has been living in her van.
The reason is simple: “I couldn’t pay the rent,” he told ABC Queensland. At the state level program.
It drives from car park to car park in Redcliffe, 42km north of central Brisbane, and has recently been parking at a boat ramp.
Although Ms Rose works 25 hours a week in a brewery kitchen, she is one of 20,000 homeless people in Queensland.
Ms Rose has access to shower and laundry facilities provided by charities.
She had been denied social housing because she earns more than $609 a week, which is the state government’s maximum income threshold for eligibility.
The threshold is higher in other states, such as New South Wales, where single adults can earn up to $780 a week and still be eligible for social housing.
Jaki Rose (pictured), a mother of four who has been homeless and sleeping in her car for 18 months, despite also working as a chef, is another example of Australia’s rental crisis.
“They’re really geared towards unemployed people (in Queensland),” Ms Rose said.
“If the criteria for evaluating the means had been maintained with the CPI, inflation and salary increases, I would surely have qualified.”
She was shocked to find herself homeless in early 2023. ‘I was hoping there would be flats available for low-income people.
“I was hoping to be able to rent an apartment in this area for $200 or $250 a week. I didn’t know that. I wasn’t expecting this.”
The Queensland Council of Social Services (QCOSS) said her case is far from rare.
“The housing crisis we are currently experiencing is the result of decades of policy neglect by successive governments,” said QCOSS chief executive Aimee McVeigh.
Even when Queenslanders get on the social housing list, they still have to wait almost two and a half years to get a property, Queensland government data shows.
A state government review into the income threshold has been underway for almost a year but has yet to report its findings and may not do so before the Queensland election on October 26.
Both the Labor government and the LNP opposition have made promises of social housing in the election campaign.
If re-elected, Labour said it would build 53,500 new social housing homes and also buy existing rental properties to provide affordable housing.
Even when Queenslanders do get social housing, they still have to wait almost two and a half years to get a property. People are seen queuing to view a rental property
The opposition has the same construction goal and said it will also partner with nonprofits and churches with vacant land to build affordable housing.
The LNP says this could lead to the construction of 10,000 new homes.
But Ms. Rose doesn’t believe either side’s plans can help her.
“I don’t think anyone is offering anything,” he said. “I just want to see living conditions change.”