SINGLE mum Jane Bradbury has been forced to sign up for furniture handouts from the Salvation Army in a bid to cope with the rental crisis in Cairns.

Ms Bradbury and her two children moved to the Far North from Toowoomba for job opportunities, but soon discovered finding a home here would not be easy.

"It’s so expensive to live up here," she said.

The family is staying with friends until they take over a tiny two-bedroom apartment, where the rent will put such strain on their budget that Ms Bradbury will rely on the charity to furnish it.

Ms Bradbury said it was easy to see why some people in Cairns had to share overcrowded accommodation or live in tents.

The Cairns Post yesterday revealed families were so desperate for accommodation they would live in a nursery shed.

yesterday revealed families were so desperate for accommodation they would live in a nursery shed.

Gordonvale tour park operator David Collier was shocked to take calls from people who wanted to rent his greenhouse, which had dirt floors and no amenities.

But Salvation Army Captain Craig Spooner was not surprised by the story.

Capt Spooner said the charity had seen more than the usual number of people coming in for help in the past two weeks.

"We’re always run off our feet here, but in the past fortnight more people have been coming in for help with electricity, phone bills and rent," he said.

"Usually they’re looking after themselves just well enough to keep their heads above water, so if rents rise they have to look for other accommodation."

REIQ zone chairman Rick Szelpuk said rents had increased "marginally" because of interest rate rises.

But when asked whether he thought rents had gone beyond the reach of many Cairns residents, he said: "Not at all".

"When I first came to Cairns 20 years ago my wife and I paid $165 per week for a two-bedroom unit in Lake St.

"That same unit now is about $210 to $215, an increase of just $45 in 20 years."

 

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