The housing crisis across the country is hitting all rungs of society, but for the most vulnerable people in regional areas, it’s reached crisis levels.

Owner and Managing Director of LJ Hooker Taree, Amanda Tate, has seen first-hand just how bad the rental crisis in her community has become, with many young families and vulnerable people unable to find accommodation and forced to live on the street.

In this episode of the Courageous Conversations podcast with Leanne Pilkington, Amanda talks about how she’s taken on the task of finding homes for people in need in Taree and why she has even started housing at-risk families in her own private properties.

Leanne and Amanda discuss what’s behind the current housing crisis in regional areas and how Amanda has adopted a “transitional housing” model to help get families and those in need back on their feet and into a home of their own.

Amanda also reveals what she’d like to see from the government and improved policies that would benefit renters, private landlords and the overall community and how she’s now trying to help teenagers who have been caught up in the crisis.

Some key highlights of this Courageous Conversation, hosted by Leanne Pilkington:

2:00 – What’s driving the housing crisis in Taree, and why the town has reached a dire situation with people now living on the street.
3:20 – How Amanda is taking a unique approach to solving the housing crisis and is taking measures into her own hands, including buying a hotel to help house high-risk homeless people.
5:00 – Amanda helps tenants from at-risk backgrounds build a good rental history, which then allows them to move to private rentals.
6:44 – How Amanda’s “transitional” housing model has evolved and how it puts a roof over the head of more than 100 families.
8:05 – The best way to manage people who are in temporary housing situations and how she prioritises those in the most need.
9:00 – How to educate tenants, so they understand how to manage a property and the importance of paying your rent on time.
9:30 – A more effective way of managing rental payments and money from charities that the government should consider to better assist tenants and private landlords.
12:01 – The importance of maintaining a good rental reference and how it can impact you for many years if you end up with a black mark against your name.
12:50 – How Amanda wants to focus on youth housing because she sees children as young as 15 forced to try and live by themselves and survive while managing their lives and trying to find a place to live.
14:30 – Why Amanda purchased a motel, converted it into a youth hostel and teaches young people life skills to enable them to get a job, look after themselves and forge their owna path in life.n p

Links mentioned

Samaritans
Compass Housing
Sister to Sister