Viv and Ted Lockhart, an elderly couple aged 79 and 80, respectively, are facing a dire situation as they teeter on the brink of homelessness. After living in the same modest rented home in Umina Beach, located on the New South Wales Central Coast, for 16 years, they now find themselves in a precarious position regarding their future housing.
Over the past three years, their rent has increased by $50 each year, draining their savings and leaving them with dwindling financial resources. Despite their best efforts, having applied for over 50 different properties, the Lockharts have not received a single response, leaving them in a state of anxiety and uncertainty.
The couple, who are both pensioners, have reportedly been informed that they no longer qualify as a priority for government housing, with one suggestion being that they may have to resort to sleeping in their car. This alarming prospect has added to their distress.
Mr. Lockhart expressed his frustration in an interview with Daily Mail, stating, “Half the places we have looked at were not even fit for dogs, yet there were still 20 or more people applying for each one of them.”
This unfortunate situation highlights the broader issues of rising rental costs and the challenges faced by the elderly on fixed incomes. The Lockharts’ story is a stark reminder of the housing crisis that affects many in similar circumstances, as they desperately search for a stable and affordable place to call home.
‘But there was still 20 or more people applying for each one of them.
‘I don’t know why we don’t get a look-in, we have always paid on time and have good references but maybe they just think we are too old and don’t have much time left.’
Ms Lockhart claims they have been on the Homes NSW waitlist for almost 10 years and while they were once considered a priority, it no longer applies.
Pensioners Viv and Ted Lockhart have lived in the same modest private rental for 16 years
Ted and Viv claim they were told by Homes NSW that they were not a priority for housing because they could sleep in their car
‘There were three of us to begin with because my mum lived with us for 30 years and I was her carer,’ she said.
‘But Mum died a year ago and around then I asked about housing again and that’s when they said we were no longer a priority.
‘I said we were too old to be sleeping on the streets and they said we had a car so we could sleep in that.’
Ms Lockhart fled Homes NSW in tears and has all but given up getting any help from the department.
‘I understand they hear stories like ours every day but they don’t seem to have any compassion at all,’ her husband said.
Homes NSW says it’s committed to supporting anyone who finds themselves needing emergency housing.
‘Stories of people being forced to the brink of homelessness as a result of the housing crisis is heartbreaking,’ a spokesperson told Daily Mail on Friday night.
‘Homes NSW staff will contact this couple to determine how they can be assisted into stable, safe housing. They are currently on the waitlist for social housing.’
The couple have been married for 40 years
The Lockharts’ current house is riddled with black mould
The couple were given some emergency housing numbers to call, but they didn’t have any luck there either.
‘Most of them were separate places too, like hostels. We wouldn’t be able to stay together,’ Mr Lockhart said.
Their current house is riddled with black mould caused by a leaking roof.
Cupboard doors have fallen off, the same curtains which the Lockharts were asked not to wash are still hanging from when they moved in 16 years ago.
But the couple, who have been married for 40 years, don’t blame the real estate.
‘We are paying $550 a week now and anything I can fix myself, I do,’ Mr Lockhart said
‘And anything else we don’t say anything in case we get blacklisted or the rent goes up.’
Mr Lockhart, who used to work on the wharf in Balmain before moving into hospitality, said they have always worked hard and once had $10,000 saved for an emergency.
But with mounting medical bills and soaring rents, they are down to their last $2,000.
‘We buy everything second hand, our lounge chairs were $25 from Vinnies. We are not asking for anything apart from somewhere safe to sleep,’ Ms Lockhart said.
‘It costs us $800 each time Ted sees his heart specialist and about the same when I have to see a neurosurgeon since I got a tremor in my brain.’
The couple freely admit the three-bedroom villa they currently call home is too big for their needs.
The couple admit that their current three-bedroom house no longer meets their needs
‘I know a family would love this place and I’d be happy to move on if we had anywhere to go,’ Ms Lockhart said.
‘It’s getting to the point I wake up every day and sit down and the tears just roll down my face.’
Neighbour Rebecca Stanford launched a GoFundMe after hearing about the couple’s plight.
‘They have no pets, a perfect rental history, and have done everything ‘right’ their whole lives,’ she wrote.
‘Yet in the current housing crisis, they are at risk of losing their home.
‘They are now skipping food and medical needs to try to cover rent.
‘What broke my heart most is that in their despair, they have quietly said that not waking up sometimes feels like the only solution to their housing situation.
‘That is how overwhelmed and frightened they are. They are proud, kind people who do not want to burden anyone, and asking for help is incredibly hard for them.
Viv wakes up and cries every morning
The couple say they don’t want to make a fuss if anything breaks or needs maintenance
‘This is important to me because no elderly couple who has worked hard, paid their rent faithfully, and contributed to their community should feel that hopeless.
‘No one in their 70s and 80s should be facing homelessness or sleeping in a car.’
Proceeds will go towards covering bond and moving costs along with essential expenses such as rent, food, electricity, and medication.
‘This fundraiser is about stability, dignity, and safety. It is about giving Ted and Viv time, security, and hope,’ Ms Stanford added.
The fundraiser has so far reached just under $4,000.
Ms Stanford has received hundreds of comments from people outraged by the heartbreaking situation.
‘I also read messages from people who had also been told the same, that if they had a car to sleep in they were not considered a priority,’ she said.
