It’s been 12 months since Tom* has had a home. While the 24-year-old has a private school education and once held a decent job, his Centrelink Newstart payment isn’t enough to cover even the most basic rent.
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Even if he could afford it, there are no rental properties available, especially not for someone who has no rental history and no job.
These are hurdles Tom has been trying to overcome, with the help of St Benedict’s and Youth Care Canberra who have been working collaboratively to house Tom until they find him a permanent home.
It’s costing them a fortune in motel accommodation, as there are no refuges for single men in the region.
About a year and a half ago, Tom was diagnosed with panic disorder. It was because of this that he quit his job. “My boss pushed me to my absolute limit so it was either he was going to get hurt, or I leave,” Tom said.
He left his job and started medication for his mental health issues, but the medication meant he could no longer operate machinery – which is where he had experience. It’s been this spiral of events that has led him to where he was on Wednesday, at St Benedict’s in Queanbeyan asking for a hand up.
“I want to get my own stable home where I've got my own space which will allow my panic and anxiety to stabilise,” Tom said.
“From there, I want to go back to work, get my car on the road, move forward, go to private rental after that, because I'll be able to afford it then when I go back to work.” That’s been the plan for some time now, but it’s proved out of reach.
It’s a problem seen all too often by St Benedict’s co-ordinator Elaine Lollback due to the little crisis accommodation available across NSW.
Ms Lollback said she’s considered setting up an unauthorised “tent city” at the Queanbeyan showground for the people she’s had to turn away.
One possible solution, she said, was to open the eyes of landlords and allow them to choose people who might not have a rental history, but can prove they are reliable.
“You still get market rent, but you’re actually allowing someone on a lower income to prove they are good tenants,” she said. “It takes one person prepared to say, I’ll give a room, a house, that would make all the difference because it then opens up options.”
She said the problem was solvable with the right will and wise investment from the government.
- *Name has been changed.