A helping hand to find a home

Last updated: 

17 April 2024 4:16PM  

First published: 

27 August 2024 4:16PM

Aaron, a full-time truck driver, and his mum, Helen, spent 6 months living in a camper trailer at Bundaberg’s popular riverside area, Kirby’s Wall, after being priced out of the private rental market.

RentConnect officers from the Bundaberg Housing Service Centre (HSC) visited Helen, who has significant health issues, and helped her and Aaron secure a Helping Hand Headlease on a house close to shops and essential services.

The property came complete with a backyard for their dogs, KC and Shylar.

In a Helping Hand Headlease arrangement, we lease a private rental property through a real estate agent and sublease it to you.

At the end of a successful lease, we work with you and the real estate agent to transfer the lease.

The Bundaberg HSC team was also able to provide Helen and Aaron with some household essentials. ‘We appreciated the team’s help, we really did. It means a lot. I’m glad for Mum – she’s close to toilet, shower, air-conditioning,’ says Aaron.

‘And we’ve been able to acquire a second car since we’ve been here, so Mum can get around when I’m at work. Mum is a Salvation Army soldier and is always down at the church, and she babysits for one of the ladies there, too.’

Aaron says having their own home also means he and Helen can invite friends and family over again.

‘I’m collecting things and doing up the entertainment area, so we can have barbecues and the like. We had Christmas here, and my last birthday. It was really good.’

As part of our Homes for Queenslanders plan, we're working towards ending homelessness with more funding for frontline services and more temporary supported accommodation. We’re also doubling our team of RentConnect officers across the state to help people like Aaron and Helen access rental support services.

If you or someone you know needs housing help

Call 13 QGOV (13 74 68) or contact your local Housing Service Centre.

If you are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness, contact the Homeless Hotline for free on 1800 474 753 ( 24 hours a day, 7 days a week).

Find out more about housing help and support.