Jen* has lived alone for years now, but this week, she had to do the unimaginable — move back into a sharehouse. The 44-year-old, from the Penrith area in western Sydney, had to cut back her hours of work due to health issues and began falling behind on bills as the cost of many essential expenses soared, including rent. No longer able to afford her rental, she had to move.
She never imagined she'd be sharing with five strangers at her age, but amid Australia's red-hot rental market, she feels 'very lucky' to have found anywhere at all. 'It has been quite challenging ... I was telling a friend about it and I almost burst into tears, I never thought I'd be going back into sharehousing at 44,' she said. 'You think you'll have made it in life at this stage.' Jen has been relying on Centrelink due to her health issues and said she had just $70 a fortnight left after paying rent and other expenses. She said while the recent increase in welfare payments has made a difference, housing remains out of reach for many people