The rise of the ‘working homeless’ in Australia as rents soar in housing supply crisis

A rising number of Australian ‘working homeless’ are being forced to live on the street and in makeshift tent villages as rents soar around the country.

Kerry, in her 30s, was renting a $1,200 a month two-bedroom apartment in Sydney’s Waterloo just 12 months ago but now lives in a tent in Enmore Park where she was recently attacked by strangers.

‘I’m in a bad situation, I was literally beaten up,’ the well spoken former administration worker told 7News. 

She had to move out after falling ill, having to pay for medical bills and medicine, and has brought her cat and dog to the park with her. 

‘My best option right now is to take care of myself until I am able to afford rent again,’ she said. 

She explained she always considered a homeless person as somebody with ‘a little cardboard placard’ until she was forced to sleep rough despite still working as jeweler.

‘A lot of us don’t want to be put on government benefits as it’s a slippery slope… there are people out there working or hoping to start work but just can’t afford to rent,’ she told The Daily Telegraph.

Her simple green tent pitched under a tree in the park is one of a growing number of tents, cars and vans appearing not only here, in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s electorate of Grayndler, but in parks in other capital cities.

Real estate research firm Proptrack confirmed rentals in Sydney for under $400 a week have hit record lows – plunging from 21 per cent of all rentals to just 9 per cent between 2020 and 2023.

The Albanese government is attempting to get a $10billion housing package through parliament but community support organisations are calling for more urgent action.

Trina Jones from Homelessness NSW said there are more than 57,000 households on the waiting list for temporary short term accommodation, especially concerning considering the chilly winter temperatures in Sydney this week.

‘Homelessness is just one bad situation away from everybody,’ Kerry said.

Kerry was ‘beaten up’ while living in her tent, where she also cares for her cat and pet poodle

The Inner West Council, which incorporates Enmore Park, told the newspaper they were concerned about the situation.

‘Several agencies have been involved in visiting Enmore Park and engaging with those people who are sleeping rough. We are aware of it and it’s distressing,’ a council spokesperson said.

A spokesperson for Mr Albanese said the previous government had ‘failed’ by allowing this to happen over the decade it was running the country.

‘The Budget included an extra $67.5million boost to homelessness funding to states and territories on top of approximately $1.6billion provided annually to states and territories for housing and homelessness through the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement,’ the spokesperson said.