The absence of a safe and secure home can have a devastating impact on families. Kylie knows this all too well.
Kylie had been living in a private rental property with her partner, son and daughter-in-law until early 2018.
When her partner was sent to jail, Kylie was no longer able to afford the rent and the family were evicted from the place they had called home for many years.
With no-where to go, the family spent the next 3-and-a-half months living in their car.
“I felt sick to the stomach when we had no-where to go as I’d never been in that situation before,” says Kylie.
“I got really depressed and kept putting myself down.
“I told my son and daughter-in-law that I was no good for them because I couldn’t support them.
“It’s the lowest I’d ever felt, and I didn’t want to be here.”
After months of struggling, the family were put in touch with Uniting.
They were provided with emergency accommodation in a motel in Ballarat, before moving into a friend’s house while they waited for transitional housing to become available.
When that placement broke down, the family spent the next 2 weeks living in their car again.
“It seemed like we were stuck in this awful cycle,” says Kylie.
“But thankfully we reached out to Uniting again and they put us in a motel for a couple of days and then found us transitional housing in Daylesford.”
That was 2 years ago, the family have been living in the Uniting Housing property while they wait for a public housing property to become available.
During that time, Kylie’s son and daughter-in-law welcomed a baby boy into the family.
“I’m so grateful to Uniting for putting a roof over our heads before my grandson was born,” says Kylie.
“My mental health is much better and we’re all doing really well now.
“Any time I need to talk, the team from Uniting have been there.
“The future is looking much brighter for us now.”