Many difficult circumstances contributed to Cheryl leaving her home in October 2023 with a poor rental history. Unable to secure a new tenancy, Cheryl and her youngest two children spent months couch surfing and staying in friends’ garages — often commuting very long distances to work and the kids’ schools.
The insecurity of depending on others’ goodwill to keep a roof over her family’s head took a toll, and Cheryl began looking for other supports.
“I called everyone,” says Cheryl. “In the park across from my work there were a huge number of tents. It [was] humbling, thinking what might happen.”
“One organisation I contacted wasn’t able to help us with accommodation right away, but they could provide fuel vouchers, which took away some of the strain.”
Finally, Cheryl moved her family into a motel, but knew it wasn’t financially sustainable. “It almost killed us, paying that ourselves… and paying for storage for all of our things.”
When another organisation helped her secure government-funded motel accommodation it was a huge relief, even though it wasn’t a long-term solution.
During this period, YFS got to know Cheryl through her daughter’s participation in YFS’ Youthlink program, and became aware of the family’s need for longer-term housing. When a YFS worker asked Cheryl whether she would like to be considered for a tenancy at a YFS Ellen Whitty Property*, she agreed.
“[YFS] kept us up to date at every stage of the process. There was no guesswork, we weren’t left wondering. It was great.”
And when her tenancy was approved and the family moved into the apartment, Cheryl was reminded how much she and her children had missed since leaving their old home.
“It’s the little things, like being able to cook with something other than a microwave. Or being able to do a load of washing whenever you want.”
“You’re always thinking about a million little details…it’s very stressful.”
During her time at the Ellen Whitty property, Cheryl was able to begin moving out of survival mode and start making plans for the future. She found a private three-bedroom rental which would be a good fit for her family, and with YFS’ support and a new, well-earned rental reference from her Ellen Whitty tenancy, applied for the property.
“I was just a blubbering mess when we were approved.”
For Cheryl, being able to access the private rental market again means she has more options to meet her kids’ specific needs – like secure outdoor spaces for a very active ten year old, or shops within walking distance where her daughter can apply for a job.
“My son just loves the backyard. He can zoom his bike right up and down the driveway and do laps of the backyard whenever he wants.”
“The [Ellen Whitty] property was wonderful, but he couldn’t do that there. The kids are more settled now. They know it’s ours. They can have friends stay over again.”
She encourages others experiencing hardship to seek support, and to persevere even if they have to ask many times.
“Don’t feel ashamed because you need help. You might not find what you need right away, but if you have reached out then they [government services and community organisations] can contact you if something comes up.
“And in the meantime, they may be able to help with something else. Just call everybody. Don’t give up.”
*Purchased through a donation from the Ellen Whitty Trust, YFS owns properties which provide clients with a safe, medium-term home environment and support to develop skills to maintain a long-term home in their community. Clients pay a fixed proportion of their income as rent and (after an initial settling-in period) a formal rental agreement is lodged with the Rental Tenancy Authority. When a client’s tenancy at the Ellen Whitty property ends, they have a rental reference which can be used to secure other housing, including in the private market.
