As a person living with multiple sclerosis (MS), Wendy Reid was warned to avoid stress, but recently she could not escape it.
She and her husband — and full-time carer — Shane Reid were preparing to move into a garage, then a campervan when the lease on their unit in the northern Hobart suburb of Claremont ends this week.
"I can't describe how stressful it is, really, not eating, not sleeping," Ms Reid said.
"The last few weeks I've had new symptoms: My left hand is now affected. My right hand doesn't work, which is scary."
The Reids had to move out of their rental unit when the lease ended because the landlord was renovating the property.
However, they could not afford a new rental in Hobart's private rental market and had been on the public housing waiting list for 18 months.
They were planning to move into Ms Reid's son's garage, but that house is set to be sold soon, so their next step could be be living in a campervan or tent.
Ms Reid uses a wheelchair and knew living in a campervan would likely further aggravate her MS.
"[It's] very unsuitable, no shower facilities — no shower I can get to," she said.
"I've got exercise equipment that I've got to use every day that's going into storage, which is going to affect me as well."
On Monday afternoon, just hours after Ms Reid spoke to local media, the couple were offered a public housing property, subject to an assessment to determine if it was suitable for their needs.
The Reids were previously offered a one-bedroom public housing unit in Howrah, across the River Derwent from their current home and family member, that they said was unsuitable.
Ms Reid said they had also turned down an offer of emergency accommodation.
"We're married, we don't want to be separated, and I need help," she said.
"I can't open a bottle of water on my own and there'd probably be steps. It just wouldn't work."
Wendy said she was frustrated, angry and scared by the situation.
Minister says couple is receiving support
Opposition housing spokeswoman Ella Haddad said the Tasmanian government had let the Reids down.
"It's completely unacceptable that someone who is wheelchair-bound and needing access to physio equipment every day is going to have to pack up that physio equipment and put it into storage and live potentially in a tent and a campervan," Ms Haddad said.
"The government has failed Wendy and Shane just like they're failing the thousands of Tasmanians who are waiting on the government housing waiting list."
Tasmania's Housing Minister Guy Barnett said Housing Connect was offering support to the Reids.
"I am aware that there has been offers of interim accommodation," he said.
"There is also a property currently undergoing assessment to make sure that it is fully suited to the family's needs for long-term secure housing."
Mr Barnett said the government was working to reduce homelessness and housing stress.
"Every Tasmanian deserves a roof over their head and we have a comprehensive approach to addressing homelessness and housing stress across the state," he said.
The government has committed to building 10,000 social and affordable homes by 2032, with funding of $1.5 billion.
Rising rents tip more Tasmanians into housing stress
Both Wendy and Shane Reid receive disability support pensions, which they said made private rentals unaffordable.
"We don't have the income for the prices of rentals now, we just don't have the income," Ms Reid said.
"They just look at our income on the application and throw it in the bin."
Rents in Hobart and regional Tasmania are continuing to rise.
According to market research company PropTrack, only 12 per cent of Hobart rental properties listed on a popular real estate website were renting for less than $400 dollars a week last month.
That compares with 20.3 per cent a year earlier, and 37.7 per cent in March 2020.
Hobart had the fourth lowest proportion of properties listed below $400 a week, after Sydney, Darwin and the ACT.
Outside of Hobart, 34.1 per cent of rental properties were advertised for lower than $400 a week, a decrease from almost 50 per cent 12 months earlier and 77 per cent in March 2020.
Homelessness service provider Hobart City Mission has seen an increase in the number of people seeking help as rents and other costs have risen.
"Everything is costing more, and for people to go about their daily lives it's just becoming harder and harder in the community, and for those who have the least it is really really tough times," chief executive Harvey Lennon said.
The Hobart City Mission's Safe Night Space in Hobart is now catering for a higher number of people each night, and of 368 people who used it last year, 200 were new.
"That's indicative of the pressure that we're under as a community at the moment, and indicative of the number of people that are sleeping rough in southern Tasmania currently," Mr Lennon said.
