Renters in Noosa should be able to breathe a sigh of relief as new data shows the region has its highest number of vacant homes in almost three years — but that is a long way from the reality for those trying to hold on to a home in the popular seaside town.
Welfare advocates are even advising struggling renters and families on how to leave the region, once their situation becomes hopeless.
Beryl Rowan heads not-for-profit St Vincent de Paul's services in the region.
She said her team would meet with families and help them move from Noosa to a place where they have support from relatives or friends, with some leaving for rural parts of Queensland while others head interstate.
She said the conversations took a toll on the workers and the families in need.
"We have to understand that it's the knock-on effects for children, if they're at school, being wrenched away from their social circle," she said.
"And because of the high rents that we have, my big worry at the moment is people who are living in cars with families; how do you get a child ready for school if you're living in a car?
"What are the ramifications to that child? The impact on that child's education?"
Data says rental crisis should be easing
Ms Rowan's experience with Noosa's battling renters seems to go against new data from the Real Estate Institute of Queensland, which estimated the rental vacancy rate in Noosa at 2.3 per cent — its highest since 2020 and a shade below what would be considered a "healthy" rental market.
Ms Rowan said there may be empty homes, but they were likely unaffordable.
The average rent across Noosa now tops $900 a week, and more than $1,100 a week for a home in Noosa Heads.
"We are not seeing any light at the end of the tunnel there," Ms Rowan said.
"And if you monitor social media — the Noosa community page — every day people are putting up requests for anybody that can help them find an affordable rental."
In January, Noosa Council strategic planner Rowena Skinner told a housing forum that residents needed to help their neighbours however they could.
She suggested they take in a boarder, rent out a granny flat, put a tiny home on their land or convert their short-term holiday houses to a permanent rental.
First the rents went up, then came everything else
The situation may be dire, but it is not new.
Ms Rowan said since COVID, rental prices have continued to climb.
And with increases to the cost of living, people are having to make impossible decisions.
"Many of them have to make a choice between putting food on the table or keeping a roof over their head," she said.
"We still have a number of people who are actually homeless.
"We're getting lots of requests for people to help with bills like car repairs, so they can move from place to place because they're actually living in a car."
Long waits for social housing
Figures from property analysts CoreLogic show how much tougher it has become to live in the tourism hot spot in recent years.
For those who moved to the area in early 2020, they are now likely paying between $200 and $300 a week more in rent. And that is having an impact.
There are now close to 3,000 people in the queue for social housing across the greater Sunshine Coast region, which includes Noosa.
The average wait time is about 2.5 years.
"Which means that many, many people will have to wait a lot longer than that," Ms Rowan said.
"It's a sobering thought isn't it?"
