A family of five has been forced to live in a tiny tin shed for 18 months after hundreds of rental applications were rejected – in the latest example of Australia’s rent crisis.
Jesse Shaufler, 32, her partner Kirrin Oliver, 32, and their three sons, all under 12, live in the three-by-five-foot shed on a relative’s property in Newcastle, NSW.
They were forced to move into the barn after being evicted from their home under a no-fault clause so that their old landlord could move in a relative.
Ms Shaufler revealed the family’s struggles in an interview with Karl Stefanovic on the Today Show on Monday.
She explained how the family was evicted almost two years ago and was trapped in the barn for a long time despite hundreds of rent applications.
The family was forced to move into the barn (above) after being evicted from their home under a no-fault clause
“It’s very hard, you try not to get too comfortable because you don’t think this will last much longer, but then of course more days and more weeks have passed, more months and then it’s, yeah, it’s quite difficult,” she said. said.
‘I don’t know what to hope for, really just a safe and warm space for the children. Just somewhere where they can feel comfortable and we can feel comfortable and just in normal everyday life really.’
The family has filed more than 200 rent applications since losing their home — and the situation has left them desperate.
Local authorities have rated the family as “high priority homeless” after visiting the property and noting their living conditions, according to The Courier-Mail.
Mr. Oliver earns up to $1300 a week working in a factory, while Ms. Schaufler earns about $300 as a cleaner.
They are looking for a home for about $550 a week, but say demand is keeping them from coming in.
The three-by-five-foot metal shed is packed with their belongings, a makeshift kitchen, and mattresses for each member of the family.
“When it’s cold it’s so cold and when it’s hot it’s just not comfortable,” Ms Shaufler added.
The family has filed more than 200 rent applications since losing their home — and the situation has left them desperate
Jesse Shaufler, her partner and their three sons, all under 12, live in the ten-by-five-foot barn
Australia is in the throes of a rental crisis with hundreds of Aussies struggling to find a home amid rising prices.
The Association of Housing Associations predicted that rental costs, which already rose last year by 17.6 percent for units and 14.6 percent in capital cities, could go even higher as supply fails to keep up with demand.
Nationally, housing vacancy is 1.1 percent, the same rate as Melbourne and Hobart, while it’s 1.3 percent in Sydney and a crushing 0.5 percent in Adelaide.
The return of migrants, students and tourists to Australia could lead to a worsening of vacancy rates.
“This imbalance will further exacerbate affordability and the rental crisis,” said Tom Devitt, HIA senior economist.
There was a shock at the beginning of the month when it was revealed that a windowless closet that barely fits a single bed was being advertised for a whopping $300 a week in rent.
Australia is in the throes of a rental crisis with hundreds of Aussies struggling to find a home amid rising prices
While the listing, which was taken down Wednesday morning, says the price is $300 a month, the Australian who shared it said they spoke to the person who posted the ad, and it really was: “$300 a week to sleep in a pantry room of a CBD apartment’.
Rents have risen across Australia as low housing supply and the spillover effects of 11 consecutive mortgage rate hikes coincide with the reopening of borders and the return of waves of foreign workers and students.
Between March 2022 and March 2023, average unit rent in Sydney increased by 24 percent, equivalent to an additional $120 per week, according to the Domain Rent Report.
Melbourne rose by nearly the same amount, rising 23.1 percent, while rents in Brisbane rose 16.3 percent.
Rents in Adelaide and Perth rose by 13.5 percent and 12.5 percent respectively, and in Darwin and Hobart by about 6 percent each.
