AS the State Government pushes ahead with its controversial public housing units in the Shoalhaven and Illawarra, local demand for affordable housing continues to grow.
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Southern Cross Community Housing CEO Marg Kaszo is managing a waiting list of about 2000 people while encouraging a better understanding in the wider community of the demand for public housing.
Margaret King is one of those people on the community housing waiting list, but by this time tomorrow she won’t be.
On Thursday she moves into a new place owned by Southern Cross Community Housing.
Mrs King has been scraping by financially, paying private rent while on the pension. She has been on the community housing waiting list since 2008 and said the thing she looked forward to most about the move is security of tenure.
“Knowing I’m in accommodation surrounded by people in my age group, and knowing I’m not likely to be evicted. You don’t have that same security when renting privately,” she said.
Mrs King has lived in rented housing all her life, which was fine while her husband was alive and they were working.
“I have worked from when I was 15 years old until I was 62. I was never lucky enough to have the money to buy my own home, though.”
The ever-tightening private rental market didn’t leave Mrs King with much money from her pension.
“It is hard financially, I’ve got to budget strictly each fortnight.
“Also, the place I’m in now is a bit hard on me as I’ve got arthritis in my back and legs and I have to step up into a bath to take a shower. The new place is more suited to older people.
“I can’t wait to move, it’s going to make a big difference to my life,” she said.
Carol (surname withheld) who is also on the waiting list, hopes make the move from private rental to community housing.
Difficult circumstances in her life resulted in her entering the rental market for the past 20 years.
She’s currently renting a two-bedroom house at Sanctuary Point and said there was nothing smaller available.
“I don’t drink, smoke, or even play pokies. I’ve worked all my life and have always made sure I had a nice clean place to live.
“But it’s costly to rent and as I get older I’m finding it very stressful financially,” she said.
