Mary was still grieving her husband's death when she realised she could no longer afford a home.
For decades they lived on a hobby farm at Arcadia, on the outskirts of Shepparton, where they raised six children.
It was the home she and husband Jock built together after leaving Scotland in their 20s on the hunt for adventure.
After Jock died, however, Mary soon learnt she could not maintain the vast property on her own.
She searched for weeks but was among a rising number of people getting squeezed out of the region's rental market by soaring house prices.
Mary eventually found the only accommodation she could afford — social housing.
More social housing needed
Shepparton currently has the highest rates of homelessness in regional Victoria, with 5.6 homeless persons per 1,000.
In 2020–21, homelessness service Beyond Housing saw the number of Shepparton families it supported surge 17 per cent on the previous year.
Mary, now 89, found her new home in a block of units provided by Wintringham, an organisation supporting elderly and frail men and women who are at risk of homelessness.
But a new proposal by Wintringham and Beyond Housing to build 30 social housing dwellings above a council-owned car park in Shepparton's CBD has received widespread backlash from neighbouring residents and businesses.
This includes opposition from a local independent school, which fears the development could place high-risk adults next to vulnerable students.
Fears 'misguided'
Wintringham deputy chief executive Michael Deschepper said public concern about the project was misguided.
"I don't understand what their concerns would be," he said.
"The project needs to align with the town planning requirements [and] that could be located beside any building in any community."
He claimed the community's fears were due to "an outdated, unfair stereotype" about homelessness.
"And in this case, the language being used to describe social housing tenants has, at times, been quite disgusting."
Greater Shepparton City Council recently held a two-day hearing about the development, after receiving more than 700 submissions.
It said it will consider all submissions and make a decision at a future council meeting.
Seeking homes away from violence
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, those most at-risk of homelessness include young people, First Nations people, people aged 55 and over, and children on care and protection orders.
Those who have experienced family and domestic violence are also top of the list.
Shannon (whose name has been changed to protect her identity) is one of them.
She found herself suddenly homeless four years ago after a relationship with her housemate broke down.
With no affordable rentals in sight, Shannon started couch surfing with friends until she could find a home.
Sometimes she had nowhere to sleep and would walk around Shepparton all night staying on brightly lit streets to avoid danger.
After three months, she was finally given emergency accommodation by Beyond Housing.
Three years to find a home
Despite being placed on priority listing, however, it would be another three years before Shannon found a secure home.
She said she entered a violent relationship during that time and found herself fearing for her life.
But with nowhere else to go, she could not escape.
"Whether I liked it or not, he would be there," Shannon said.
It was not until late last year she was finally placed in safe, stable housing, in a location hidden from her former partner.
"I'm actually excited about the future," Shannon said.
But Shannon said she had several friends who were still trapped in abusive relationships due to the lack of housing.
"There's a huge need for more public housing in Shepparton, especially with increasing domestic violence," she said.
"There's a lot of normal, everyday people that need somewhere to go.
"Homelessness doesn't discriminate."
New home for great-grandfather
After a long career as a station manager, 80-year-old Anthony Mr McClure never dreamed he would face housing strife.
But after falling out of bed and injuring his back, he started struggling to pay both rent and medical bills.
Six months ago, he and his dog, Miss Rio, moved from a private rental into a single-bedroom unit with Beyond Housing in Benalla — about 45 minutes east of Shepparton.
His daughter lives just 300 metres down the road and the great-grandfather knows he can rest easy in a home he will have for the rest of his life.
"It's been wonderful," he said.
Mary is also living just down the road from her grandchildren, and around the corner from the son's karate school, where she is a fifth dan.
"We need more social housing like this in Shepparton," she said.
"I never thought I'd live here, but I've got a house. I've got a roof."
Lengthy waitlists
More than 1,500 households in Shepparton are languishing on lengthy waitlists for social housing, however, with almost 900 awaiting priority access.
Rental affordability figures from urban public policy consultancy SGS Economics and Planning show Shepparton rentals are "severely" unaffordable for single people on benefits.
Nathan (whose name has been changed to protect his identity) experienced this firsthand when he moved to Shepparton for a fresh start, after being caught up in the "wrong crowd" in Sydney.
He had not been living in the Goulburn Valley long before his housemate was sent to jail.
Declining mental health
Unable to pay rent with his small pension, he had no choice but to move into a boarding house.
"I kept on getting my stuff stolen," Nathan said.
His mental health spiralling, Nathan attempted to take his own life.
"I just felt so hopeless," he said.
Finally, this year, the 34-year-old moved into his first stable home in more than a decade.
But he said he was one of the lucky ones.
"Not many people come back from poverty," he said.
"A lot of people are still on the streets in Shepparton; it's an ongoing crisis.
"But everyone deserves a roof over their head, no matter who they are."
