PHOTO: FILE
Two Australian single mothers have shared their struggles of being priced out of the escalating housing market.
Kaitlyn Bailey, a mother of three, and Anna, a mother of two, have both faced significant challenges in finding a rental or purchasing a home, despite not living in Sydney.
Kaitlyn Bailey applied for 157 rental properties near Cessnock in the NSW Hunter Valley and was rejected every time.
“I’m not a bad tenant; I keep the house clean, always pay bills, and have never had a problem,” she told 60 Minutes.
Single mother-of-three Kaitlyn (left) revealed she was knocked back on 157 rental applications and has only found a home thanks to her mum Karen (right) dipping into her superannuation
Determined to avoid homelessness for herself and her children, Ms. Bailey continued to apply for rentals despite the repeated rejections.
“I don’t want to be homeless with all my kids—I just can’t bear to do that,” Ms. Bailey said.
Her only solution came through a significant sacrifice from her mother, Karen. Unable to bear seeing her daughter and grandchildren struggle, Karen accessed her superannuation early and took out another loan to buy Kaitlyn a portable home on her own property.
“I feel for my kids; I’ve tried to do the best for them with what I’ve had,” Karen said. “I just hate seeing them going through this because I hate seeing them upset.”
While the family appreciates the closeness, both Kaitlyn and Karen acknowledge the situation is far from ideal. They predict intergenerational living will become more common out of necessity.
“Families are being brought back together because of necessity,” Karen said.
Ms. Bailey added, “You all have to survive at the end of the day. And it’s very, very hard these days.”
Anna, an assistant school principal from the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, also shared her difficulties. Despite earning a decent wage and saving nearly enough for a 15% deposit, she cannot secure a mortgage approval partly because she is a single mother with two dependent children.
A growing number of Aussies struggling to ensure a roof over their families’ heads as the national housing crisis worsens. Pictured is a woman walking past a real estate in Sydney
“It doesn’t feel right when you do work so hard,” she said. “I am working so hard to achieve this goal, but I’ve hit the line. There is nothing else I can do.”
Anna expressed frustration over her situation, stating, “I’m the only one of my adult friends who doesn’t own a home, and it makes it difficult.”
Ms. Bailey and Anna’s stories highlight the growing number of Australians struggling to find housing as the national housing crisis deepens.
A year ago, the federal government promised to deliver 1.2 million new homes over the next five years to alleviate housing demand and reduce prices. However, the building industry faces significant challenges due to the cost of living crisis, with many companies going bankrupt.
New federal housing minister Clare O’Neil acknowledged the severity of the housing crisis, stating, “Homes aren’t affordable, we don’t have enough of them, and the situation for renters in particular is really dire.”
Housing Minister Clare O’Neil admits addressing the national crisis will be a huge challenge
Ms. O’Neil emphasized the importance of government efforts to provide a stable income stream for Australian construction firms and encouraged builders to explore new ways to address the housing shortage.
She also addressed the concern that younger Australians are increasingly relying on the “bank of mum and dad” for substantial loans to secure homeownership.
“It’s a really huge problem, and I think it’s a symptom of a broader breakdown in our housing market in Australia,” she said.
SOURCE: THE DAILY MAIL