A working mother-of-two has revealed how she begged her landlord’s agent to halve her $200 rent rise, only to lose her home in response.
Lucy’s harrowing testimony was heard alongside other tenants’ stories at the People’s Housing Commission in Camperdown, in Sydney’s inner west, on Thursday.
The public hearing calls for an overhaul of the rental system to protect and assist struggling families and individuals facing historically high rents and low availability.
Lucy, a single mother of two, told the commission how she begged her real estate agent after her rent increased by more than $200 a week to $850, reported 7 news.
‘The only thing I could afford was $750. His response was an eviction order,” she said.
Lucy, a mother of two, told the People’s Housing Commission that when her rent increased by more than $200 a week to $850, she received an eviction notice when she told her real estate agent she could only pay $750.
The commission heard from tenants (pictured) who face housing insecurity due to rising costs. Libby (pictured far left) told the public hearing how her family had to move six times in six years, which affected her children (pictured second from left, tenant Lucy, and far right is co-commissioner Doug Cameron).
“I ended up sitting in my car thinking, ‘This is where we’re going to live.’
An emotional Lucy told the hearing that to pay her current rent, she has to work three jobs.
“I’m working all the time,” he said.
“Saying I’m tired is… it’s hard.”
Libby, another tenant facing housing insecurity and affordability, said she and her family have had to move six times in six years.
The mother said the whole move affected her children because the sky-high rents pushed them out of their community.
“We’ve reduced everything we can, but we know we can’t do it again,” he said.
‘When the next increase comes we will have to act. We will most likely have to leave Sydney and our families completely.
Co-commissioners, former NSW Labor senator Doug Cameron and Professor Nicole Gurran, a housing expert at the University of Sydney, heard evidence on Thursday and the hearing will continue on Friday.
A third day of online hearings will be announced soon.
“It’s really about listening to the voices of the victims of the system,” Cameron said.
Everybody’s Home, a national campaign to solve the housing crisis, said Australia is currently experiencing a “historic housing crisis” (pictured, tenants queuing to inspect a property).
The housing crisis commission, the first in Australia and convened by housing campaign Everybody’s Home, was told rental solutions go beyond the issue of supply.
The hearing was told there needs to be longer-term rentals and limits on rent increases to help make a positive impact.
The commission also heard that more action is needed, as well as political courage.
Cameron and Gurran were told that if there are no changes to the current system, more people will be forced to move out of their area.
A final report will be published with recommendations to the federal government.
According Everyone is at homea national campaign to solve the housing crisis, there are now 640,000 Australian families in need of social housing.
There are also 122,000 homeless people on any given night in the country due to Australia’s current “historic housing crisis”.