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More than 1,500 homes were damaged or destroyed in the Lismore floods. One of them was Donna’s*.

Half of Donna’s house was submerged underwater in the devastating 2022 floods, rendering it uninhabitable. All her belongings were destroyed. For five months, Donna searched in vain for temporary housing, but there simply wasn’t enough emergency accommodation in Lismore for the number of people who needed it.

Thankfully, Donna was connected with the team at Mission Australia, who helped her find a permanent home in Coffs Harbour for her and her dog, Tucker.

Donna’s story had a happy ending — but her case is far from unique, and not everyone is fortunate enough to find a safe place to call home. In fact, 3,000 Australians reach out to homelessness services like Mission Australia every hour.

With rising living costs and a housing emergency, extreme weather events like fires and floods are further exacerbating the demand for housing — and there simply isn’t enough accommodation to go around right now.

Nathan has worked with Mission Australia for nearly five years. In that time, he’s seen first-hand the extent of the homelessness crisis in Australia.

“When we recently built 40 new social and affordable home units in Coffs Harbour, they were filled instantly,” he says. “It shows just how urgent the housing emergency is. We could find a home for hundreds more people tomorrow, if enough truly affordable options were available.”

Any night of the week, Nathan says, Mission Australia connects 80 to 100 people with emergency accommodation in the Coffs Harbour Area. And the overflow of people from Lismore seeking accommodation during the floods has placed an additional strain on the system.

For many people seeking a roof over their head, there are real barriers to getting into private accommodation. Securing a property, however, is only one hurdle; the subsequent challenge lies in affording the rent, a significant obstacle amidst today’s cost-of-living crisis and housing emergency.

Extreme weather events like fires and floods are exacerbating the demand for housing — and there simply isn’t enough accommodation to go around right now. Consequently, many individuals find themselves caught in what Nathan describes as the homelessness services “revolving door”.

Another contributing factor is rental history — in Australia’s highly competitive rental market, you need to be able to prove your history as a “good” tenant with rental ledgers and references. 

But, for instance, a woman escaping domestic violence might not have had her name on the lease, as her partner controlled the finances — leaving her without a formal rental history. 

“Or she might have been living in her own property which was washed away [in the floods] and has no rental history,” Nathan says. “Without a rental history, it’s really, really hard to get a property, which is why young people find it exceptionally difficult to get properties.”

How Mission Australia helps

Mission Australia provides vital ongoing community services and homes across Australia. The charity advocates for greater long-term investment to build more social and affordable housing, while its case workers work with vulnerable people like Donna to find suitable housing.

Donna and her dog, Tucker were first provided with emergency accommodation before Mission Australia found them a permanent home in Coffs Harbour.

While the longer-term recovery from the Lismore floods continues, Mission Australia will be there to help find homes for those still dealing with homelessness. It’s donations from the public that help Mission Australia find safe, secure homes for people like Donna.