Elderly Couple Told to Sleep in Car as Housing Crisis Bites
An elderly couple on the verge of homelessness have revealed they were informed by housing authorities that they are no longer considered a priority for government accommodation, with a suggestion they could sleep in their car instead. Pensioners Viv Lockhart, 79, and her husband Ted, 80, have resided in the same modest private rental property in Umina Beach on the New South Wales Central Coast for the past 16 years.
Mounting Financial Strain and Desperate Searches
After enduring three consecutive annual rent increases of $50 per week, the Lockharts report that their life savings have nearly evaporated, leaving them at their wits' end. Despite applying for over 50 properties in a frantic search for affordable housing, the desperate couple claim they have not received a single response, fueling their terror about an uncertain future.
'Half the places we have looked at were not even fit for dogs,' Mr Lockhart disclosed. 'But there was still 20 or more people applying for each one of them. I don't know why we don't get a look-in—we have always paid on time and have good references, but maybe they just think we are too old and don't have much time left.'
Decade-Long Waitlist and Shocking Priority Shift
Ms Lockhart asserts they have been on the Homes NSW waitlist for almost ten years, and while they were once deemed a priority, that status has now been revoked. 'There were three of us to begin with because my mum lived with us for 30 years and I was her carer,' she explained. 'But Mum died a year ago, and around then I asked about housing again, and that's when they said we were no longer a priority. I said we were too old to be sleeping on the streets, and they said we had a car so we could sleep in that.'
Ms Lockhart fled the Homes NSW office in tears and has largely abandoned hope of receiving assistance from the department. 'I understand they hear stories like ours every day, but they don't seem to have any compassion at all,' her husband added.
Official Response and Emergency Measures
Homes NSW has stated it is committed to supporting anyone in need of emergency housing. A spokesperson remarked, 'Stories of people being forced to the brink of homelessness as a result of the housing crisis are heartbreaking. Homes NSW staff will contact this couple to determine how they can be assisted into stable, safe housing. They are currently on the waitlist for social housing.'
The couple were provided with emergency housing numbers to call, but they encountered no success there either. 'Most of them were separate places too, like hostels. We wouldn't be able to stay together,' Mr Lockhart noted.
Deteriorating Living Conditions and Financial Hardship
Their current residence is plagued by black mould due to a leaking roof, with cupboard doors having fallen off and curtains that were requested not to be washed still hanging from when they moved in 16 years ago. However, the couple, married for 40 years, do not fault the real estate agency.
'We are paying $550 a week now, and anything I can fix myself, I do,' Mr Lockhart said. 'And anything else we don't say anything in case we get blacklisted or the rent goes up.'
Mr Lockhart, who previously worked on the wharf in Balmain before transitioning to hospitality, mentioned they have always worked hard and once had $10,000 saved for emergencies. Yet, with rising medical bills and soaring rents, their savings have dwindled to a mere $2,000.
'We buy everything second-hand; our lounge chairs were $25 from Vinnies. We are not asking for anything apart from somewhere safe to sleep,' Ms Lockhart emphasized. 'It costs us $800 each time Ted sees his heart specialist and about the same when I have to see a neurosurgeon since I got a tremor in my brain.'
Community Support and Fundraising Efforts
The couple openly admit that the three-bedroom villa they currently occupy is too large for their needs. 'I know a family would love this place, and I'd be happy to move on if we had anywhere to go,' Ms Lockhart expressed. 'It's getting to the point I wake up every day and sit down, and the tears just roll down my face.'
Neighbour Rebecca Stanford initiated a GoFundMe campaign after learning of the couple's plight. 'They have no pets, a perfect rental history, and have done everything 'right' their whole lives,' she wrote. 'Yet in the current housing crisis, they are at risk of losing their home. They are now skipping food and medical needs to try to cover rent.'
Ms Stanford added, 'What broke my heart most is that in their despair, they have quietly said that not waking up sometimes feels like the only solution to their housing situation. That is how overwhelmed and frightened they are. They are proud, kind people who do not want to burden anyone, and asking for help is incredibly hard for them.'
The fundraiser, aimed at covering bond and moving costs along with essential expenses such as rent, food, electricity, and medication, has so far raised just under $4,000. Ms Stanford has received hundreds of comments from individuals outraged by the heartbreaking situation, including messages from others who reported being told similarly that having a car to sleep in disqualified them from priority housing status.
