I initially became homeless due to domestic violence, about a year ago. It's left me with nothing and I had to hand in my animals today. There's a program by the RSPCA, it's called Living Rough, for homeless people. I've had to put my animals in there. My cat's been there a few weeks, now the dog, and I still have to find somewhere for the bird.
You sign a two-week contact with them, every two weeks, to say you are not surrendering them. You can visit them, but I don't have any transport to get out there because my car is out of order.
That was a hard thing to do. I've had the dog in the car with me all the time and now I've had to hand her over.
It is $10 dollars a day, the program, and apparently you can pay it back. She is already de-sexed and micro-chipped and they'll vaccinate her, but $10 dollars a day is still a lot of money for someone on a low income.
I only get Newstart, with a doctor's certificate, so I don't have to look for work. I get $397 a fortnight and it's going to cost me $140 a week for my animals.
They can't stay at the motel.
I got blacklisted from private rental because my ex-partner was violent and smashed a flat. Even though we repaired it all, it was in my name so I got blacklisted for it. Even though he was charged, it still came down to me.
Housing department are telling me I have to go for a rental up to $200 per week: it's just so unrealistic. I can't get my head around it. It impacts on my depression.
Apparently there are only four residencies in the Shoalhaven for the homeless and they are all full. Department of Housing want me to go to Wollongong.
You have to sign an agreement before they'll put you in a hotel, that you will look for somewhere to live. I go to real estates, but there aren't any houses in my price range so it's a housing shortage.
My depression and anxiety is pretty bad at the moment, I can't seem to settle for very long. I'm trying to do with it without Valium or anything addictive, so it's tough times.
I crochet to make myself feel better. It keeps my hands busy and my mind from thinking too much about what's going on. My Nan taught me how to crochet, that and cooking.
I'm a chef by trade. At the moment I am too unsettled to work. You need somewhere to live so you can function for work. You need to be able to get up in the morning and do everything you need to do and go to work and be normal. I haven't even looked for work yet because being homeless is a priority.
Once you are homeless everything falls apart around you.
Contributed with assistance from the Shoalhaven Homeless Hub.