Tamworth single mothers are unluckier than most in rental search

Her 11-year-old son Braxton is used to having his own space, but he's had to share a room with his two-year-old cousin since June.

Ms Tyrna said he barely comes home anymore, choosing to stay with friends instead.

"He just hates coming home and the overload of people here," his mother said.

"It really affects him.

"It's easier for him to stay out," she said.

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The single mother and her two children are crashing at her sister's place.

There are eight people in the house all up, and Ms Tyrna has to share a room with her sister's daughters.

Sometimes she has to miss out on having a shower because she's making sure the kids get the water before it runs cold.

"It makes me feel helpless and like a failure," she said.

"I haven't been able to put a roof over my kids' heads."

The 41-year-old works as a disability support worker for two separate companies.

She's been applying for a home with three bedrooms in her price range of $450 for months, but had no luck.

She said some discrimination against single mothers could be at play.

"They just assume that maybe they just won't be able to afford to pay the rent, or the kids are feral and will wreck the house," she said.

"It's just either way you've got no hope these days."

Allison Jones has faced online abuse in her search for a place to call home.

She was called a 'druggo mother' for turning to social media for help.

She's become desperate after searching for a place to call home for a year and a half.

The single mother of five is the full time carer of three of her children with disabilities, and earns $800 a week in pension.

She paid $300 a week at her previous home in Quirindi - but the market has changed dramatically since then.

Ms Jones is staying with her sister, but the arrangement isn't ideal.

Her sister's son recently sadly passed, and Ms Jones' sons struggle with sleeping in his room.

"They find that very hard," she said.

Allison Jones said she's been searching everywhere for a place for her and her children to rent, but getting nowhere.

"I have never taken this long to get a house ever before," she said.

"This is very much a struggle, and stressful. I know I'm not the only one in this boat."

Ms Jones said single mothers should be given the same opportunity to rent as couples.

"I don't know why we're excluded," she said.

"A lot of us didn't ask to be single, or if we did, that's our choice.

"We shouldn't be outcasts. I think that's a bit unfair."

Maree McKenzie, CEO of Homes North said single parent mothers are one of the demographics that struggle most to get private rentals.

It's the effect of having a tight market, she said.

Tamworth is the centre of industry and support for the region of New England - which makes it an attractive place to live, she said.

In a competitive market, an agent will select the person least likely to default on rent payments, she said.

"It may be a single mother not working, which is, by definition, a low income household," she said.

"But also, women generally earn less."

It means single mothers don't typically end up on the top of an agent's list.

Ms McKenzie sees affordable housing as an important part of the housing market for people on lower incomes.

"The rents at the moment are simply about maximising returns for a landlord," she said.

"There needs to be a pipeline approach, and multiple strategies that are all working, marching towards increasing supply and keeping a segment of the market affordable."

Samantha Clement's children have been removed from her care until she can get a suitable home for them.

Her two-year-old and four-year-old have been out of her care since May 2021.

Her mother is looking after them but struggles with her health, and gets tired looking after them.

Ms Clement feels terrible - she's applying for houses but getting nowhere.

She lives in a second storey unit she rents with assistance from Homes North.

Her children can't live there because her autistic son climbs onto the balcony and puts himself in danger.

Ms Clement has requested a transfer through Homes North into a suitable situation, and has been told the letter she sent them is being considered.

The 29-year-old was employed until her anxiety got the best of her. She receives an income from a pension.

Her price range is $400 a fortnight, and she wants a place with a backyard and a room for her and her fiancé.

But she said her chances are slim.

"It's not fair," she said.

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