An Adelaide family who lost their home in a fire sparked by a faulty extension cord is facing the daunting prospect of homelessness due to the city’s tight rental market. The family has applied for new rentals but has faced rejection, leaving them at risk of being displaced for an extended period. The situation is particularly distressing as their five-year-old son is due to return to school next week, and his belongings were destroyed in the fire.
Single mum Michaela, 23, and her 8-year-old daughter are separated by almost 700km due to Australia’s rental crisis. Michaela has been unable to find a rental near job opportunities and schools, while sharehouses have rejected her multiple times because she has a child. The crisis is forcing families to make impossible choices between food and shelter, with data showing that only 0.6% of rentals are affordable for people on minimum wage. Single mothers are particularly vulnerable, with over half spending 50-70% of their income on rent, and many resorting to dangerous living conditions.
