Family of eight forced to live in tent amid rental crisis
A family of eight have been forced to live in a tent for over six months as they wait to find suitable accommodation after their last rental lease ended.
Cameron and Tameka Fletcher and their six children, aged between one and 10, have been living in a tent and have had to move from campsite to campsite since September.
The couple claimed that the government can't support them because they have "too many children", and are waiting for public housing, but they might not meet the criteria to be eligible for it.
They were reportedly staying in a makeshift tent city in a suburban park north of Brisbane.
"We've always had a house, we've never done this," Cameron Fletcher told Nine News.
"Everyone here is going through the same thing. But it's the only way to get help."
“We can only do what’s best for our kids, to keep a roof over their heads,” his wife added.
One of the couple's daughters is due to start school next year, and they have been struggling to enrol her as the family doesn't have a permanent address.
The family said they are also struggling with day-to-day activities like finding breakfast, washing their clothes and getting the kids ready for school, and are using solar camping showers purchased from Kmart to clean themselves.
According to Nine News, the family would be happy with a three-bedroom home but were told by state housing officials that they can only be offered a five-bedroom home to avoid overcrowding, but there are currently none available.
In a statement issued to Yahoo News, a spokesperson for Department of Housing said it “has been working with the family since September last year, including providing accommodation which they chose to leave”.
"As we’ve been assisting them to find longer-term options, they have declined further offers of accommodation," the spokesperson said.
"With regards to social housing, there are eligibility factors that need to be met, including income thresholds. However, the department continues to work with the family to find a private rental and give any other support they might need."
This comes as new PropTrack data, released in March, revealed that rent has increased by 17 per cent over the past 12 months, across all the capital cities in Australia.
More than half of Queenslanders who have applied for social housing are reportedly homeless and have had to wait for over two years amid a lack of supply and increased demands.
Earlier this year, the Queensland government announced it was aiming to build another 53,500 social homes by 2046, with a $3.1 billion funding boost to deliver one million homes.
Images: Nine News