The gravity of the South Coast's housing crisis on our doorstep

Shoalhaven and Eurobodalla Shire locals have turned to living in cars, mouldy tents, and in caves - some with just tattered tarps tied above them.

Support services and advocates are crying out for solutions as waitlists for priority housing blow out and rental vacancies hit all-time lows.

South Coast Register, Ulladulla Times and Batemans Bay Post journalists have heard the stories of several locals who have been forced into homelessness, and the support services that work closely alongside them.

The issue is nuanced, but one factor is clear.

It can happen to anyone.

There are up to 800 people in the Shoalhaven who are either sleeping rough with no shelter, in makeshift shelters or couch surfing, according to chief executives of Salt Ministries, Peter and Megan Dover

There are around 700 in the Eurobodalla Shire without stable accommodation, which is more than four times the figure of 121 homeless people in the area, according to the 2016 census.

Exact figures are difficult to quantify, said Peter Dover, as more people turn to couch surfing and the bush.

"The problem is, it's been going on so long ... it's getting harder to find and identify them now," Mr Dover said.

"A lot of people don't want to be recognized, they're out in the bush for a reason - and COVID hasn't helped that."

The majority are males aged 25 to 60, but there is an alarming rise in young single mothers, women aged 40 to 60, and people with stable jobs left with nowhere to go.

Tanya Littler, in her 50s, had worked as a nurse and owned her own property in Sydney. After fleeing a long-term domestic violence relationship, she spent three years hopping between her car, tents and caravans from Nowra to Ulladulla.

Having a roof over her head now is "surreal", she told the South Coast Register, but she continues a daily battle with mental illness and the trauma of homelessness.

Lucas* is an essential worker earning more than he ever has, but his search for stable housing in Batemans Bay is running dry and he is weighing up quitting his job and leaving the area.

The Aged Care worker has spent weeks at a time sleeping in his car and has stayed in four locations since moving to the town just over a year ago.

"I am making more money than I ever have ... but I still don't have any nice place to live," Lucas told the Batemans Bay Post.

Assisted housing managers of Shoalhaven charity Salt Care have been forced to turn away Nowra mothers with as many as four children due to a lack of housing and funding.

Salt Care has one crisis accommodation facility with 12 beds as well as 24 assisted housing rentals, but it could easily fill 200 more in the Shoalhaven.

"We need more funding to employ more support workers ... the need is so great and our support workers are burning out," housing manager, Ash Hudson told the Ulladulla Times.

Jason*, in his 70s, has been homeless for six months and is living in a mouldy tent.

It was his only option after his former residence was sold under him and the new landlord decided not to continue renting the property.

He stays at the North Head campground near Moruya where around 50 others live in tents.

"We need better tents. They're not designed to live in," Jason told the Batemans Bay Post.

If swift action isn't taken soon, Mr and Mrs Dover worry about the fallout homelessness will have on South Coast communities for generations to come.

"Even where people end up homeless in circumstances beyond their control ... it doesn't take very long for them to end up with major mental health issues because of the isolation and disconnection from the community," Mrs Dover said.

"They become unwell, then their kids become unwell.

"If we don't put a stop to this now ... it will just become another generational issue that is out of control."

But with new data showing multiple South Coast suburbs with no rental vacancies, what will it take?

The equation is simple, Mr Dover said, but it will take fierce commitment from all levels of government.

Major funding and a strategic plan into social and affordable housing is desperately needed to get people off the streets.

But funding a model that provides wraparound social and mental health support is just as vital.

"It's our job to get the houses and get the people in the houses, but it's the support workers' job to help the person maintain their tenancy," Ms Hudson said.

"We had one guy in a cave for seven years and he can't function," Mr Dover said.

"When services say he's missed an appointment or hasn't rung them back ... some don't have the mental capacity for that, because their mental health is so damaged that from the trauma of homelessness.

"And that's why we need people. That's why we have support workers to get alongside them."

Mr Dover said councils must work with local support services and police to ensure there are safer solutions for those with no shelter who get moved on.

He added the Shoalhaven City Council's homelessness taskforce works to provide solutions, but councils need state government funding for new housing.

"The disadvantage councils have is they don't have money or resources to put into new housing," Mr Dover said.

"On a state level, we need more strategic housing ... we could easily fill 200 in the Shoalhaven. But it's not just about housing.

"There's an epidemic of mental health that's going through our nation.

"We need to combat this by putting major amounts of funding into it ... we need more support workers."

The state government must fund affordable and strategic housing, and the federal government must bolster governments with more funding, added Mr Dover.

Property owners also wield the power to change lives.

"More and more have ended up homeless because their normal rental has been sold or become an Airbnb," Mrs Dover said.

"You don't blame people, they're investment properties ... but putting your house with Salt, you're actually getting the same guarantees and same amount of rent, but you're changing a homeless person's or family's life."

The South Coast Register, Ulladulla Times and Batemans Bay Post will be sharing personal stories from those in our community who have been touched by homelessness, as well as the plans of politicians to aid the crisis.

In the meantime, Mr and Mrs Dover hope the crisis doesn't snowball further.

*Some names have been changed for privacy reasons.

Lifeline 13 11 14

Kids Helpline 1800 551 800

MensLine Australia 1300 789 978

Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467

Beyond Blue 1300 22 46 36

Headspace 1800 650 890

QLife 1800 184 527