Bill experienced Homelessness during the peak of the COVID-19 crisis last year. He had been living with his daughter in Shepparton but when she relocated to Queensland, he found himself living in his car.

When he sought our help, BeyondHousing were able to support him with a few weeks stay in crisis accommodation and then into a private rental home through the From Homelessness to a Home program.

“This isn’t the first time I was homeless but it’s the last time. Being homeless while COVID was everywhere, and lockdowns were on, was even harder than before.”

“I’ve been on the waiting list for housing for over 6 years. I’ve got no rental history. I have no family around here to stay with again. I didn’t have a place to go.”

“I was living in my car, but I knew I couldn’t stay like that, it was no good for me. The stress was making my diabetes shoot through the roof. I went into BeyondHousing, and they put me in a hotel for a couple of weeks.”

“When they came to me and said they had somewhere I could rent I was so relieved, I didn’t want to end up with nowhere again. I’m 65 and already had two heart attacks. I don’t have the strength to keep fighting like I did when I was 25 and had money in my wallet every week and no worries in my head.”

“I came into BeyondHousing and all I had was a pillow, a doona and my clothes, now I have a home…it’s unbelievable. I’m cooking my own meals; you can’t do that when you’re living in a car. I’ve got my diabetes under control, and I have support for my mental health. And it’s not far to some good fishing spots.”

Annie is Bill’s private rental provider; she says Bill has been a wonderful tenant and it is great to see how much his wellbeing has improved since moving in.

“Bill is a real character; he has been rolling up his sleeves and working on things around all of the common areas of the units. He told me how much he misses gardening and growing his own food so together we are building a new garden area he can use to grow veggies.”

“We have a great rapport. I appreciate how Bill looks after the property, and that living there means he can look after himself and have the quiet stress-free life he has wanted.”

“It’s so important that more people who own private rentals consider helping others who have found themselves in Bill’s situation and would struggle to get into private rental because maybe they don’t have a rental history. It’s vital to see the person and what they can do when they get that chance for a stable home.”