Gabbi and her partner Jesse experienced the impact of the housing shortage in Victoria, firsthand. Despite Gabbi having a job and them both growing up locally, they found it impossible to find a private rental.
“We didn’t have any rental history so we couldn’t get a private rental” said Gabbi.
After couch surfing with friends and staying with family on and off, they moved into a share house with five other people, but they weren’t on the lease.
“One of the people at the share house ruined it for everyone and we all got kicked to the curb. When we got kicked out, we didn’t know where we were going to sleep each night” said Gabbi.
Not having a safe and stable home impacts every part of your life.
“I had to tell my job that I couldn’t work anymore because I didn’t know where I’d be sleeping each night” said Gabbi.
“I worked at a nice hotel where I needed to be presentable. The idea of not knowing where we were going to rest our head each night, it was too overwhelming. I couldn’t focus on work” said Gabbi.
With nowhere to go, Gabbi, Jesse and their dog found themselves sleeping rough in their car. That’s when Gabbi found out she was pregnant.
“We were homeless the first half of my pregnancy. I’d be sleeping in the front seat of our car with the dog, and Jesse would sleep in the back seat. It was really hard being pregnant, being sick and not knowing where we were going to be” said Gabbi.
“We were staying at a mates house for a couple days here and there, but we were not wanting to intrude on people” said Gabbi.
Not knowing where they were going to stay each night, Gabbi and Jesse struggled to find any kind of housing they could
“We were offered a THM property in another town two hours away. We didn’t want to leave our supports behind, but we had no other option” said Gabbi.
In their Uniting home, Gabbi and Jesse found enough stability and support to get back on their feet.
“We had a Youth Worker from Uniting who was really amazing. She helped fund a Certificate III in Community Services, and helped me get a laptop for school. She helped out with food vouchers and petrol vouchers too” said Gabbi.
After 10 months in their Uniting home, Gabbi and her family had built up the rental history they needed to find a private rental property back home, close to their support networks and specialist appointments for their son.
“The first private rental we applied for, we got accepted. Our home with Uniting was the booster that we needed to get our foot in the private rental market. We wouldn’t have been able to do that without the reference and support from Uniting” said Gabbi.
With Uniting’s support, they were able to move their belongings and settle into their new home.
“We moved into our private rental two weeks ago. With our son’s specialist appointments being here, it’s a lot easier and less stressful,” said Gabbi.
“Now we have my partner’s mum and grandma up the road, and my family 15 minutes away. It’s so much better having those supports around us. Jesse got a job two days after we moved back. With support here, I can get help from family and focus on getting a job” said Gabbi.
This is a true story about real people. The photo accompanying this story is for illustrative purposes only. It is not a photo of the people featured in this story.
