by Bonnie Collings
When Hugh and Cass learnt the unit they were renting in Warragul was going to be sold, they joined hundreds of Gippslanders in the search for a new rental.
Gippsland Homelessness Network data shows the number of new lettings in Gippsland decreased 8.4 per cent in the 2024-25 financial year, and with a private rental vacancy rate of 1.8 per cent as of June this year, rental availability is limited.

For Hugh and Cass, it meant they found themselves of the brink of homelessness.
As soon as they were told their unit would be sold, Hugh and Cass began looking for a new place to rent. They expanded their search area beyond Warragul and Drouin, looking for anything between Morwell and Longwarry.
"I think in the end we applied for over 50 places," Cass said.
"But then you've got other people too who you're up against," Hugh added. "You've got another 20 applicants going for the same place."

"One place we went to, there were over 100 applicants for the one house," Cass said. "It wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst of places. Having over 100 applicants, people were literally that desperate to find a place to live."

After competing against hundreds of others to find a home, Hugh, Cass and their young son eventually turned to a family member, asking if she could take them in while they continued their search.
"In the end we just had to bite the bullet and I had to reach out to my sister and (ask) would you be able to take us in short term until we find something more stable," Hugh said.
"And that short term has been over a year now," Cass said.
"If we didn't have Hugh's sister, we literally would have had nothing," Cass said. "We'd probably be living in a tent honestly, or living in a car.
"I know that it's not just us, there's a lot of people out there that are feeling the same way."
Hugh and Cass' story is all too familiar for residents in Baw Baw Shire.
Data released in Anglicare Victoria's Rental Affordability Snapshot earlier this year highlighted the bleak reality for renters in Baw Baw Shire.
According to the snapshot, there was just nine affordable and appropriate rental listings for households on income support in Baw Baw Shire this year, compared to 14 last year.
For households on the minimum wage, there were 50 available and affordable listings.
"I look on the real estate apps every couple of weeks just to see what's out there," Hugh said. "The prices are okay, but they're not really affordable."
"You've got to pay above the $350, $400 mark just for a two-bedroom house these days to be even able to live, and then you've still got everything, the utilities on top of that. The places don't always look that great either, you've got broken fences, a run down shed."
Cass said if rental prices continued to increase, the young family would have to re-evaluate what came next.
"If this is the new reality, that (rents) are not going to drop, we're going to have to seriously consider what our next move is because we can't live at (Hugh's sister's) house forever," Cass said. "Our four-year-old son is getting bigger every day, he wants his own space, he wants his own room, his own backyard."
Acknowledging growth in the Warragul and Drouin area, Cass called on local politicians to address the lack of affordable housing.
"If it doesn't change, more people are going to be homeless, more people are going to struggle," Cass said.
"We want to be able to see a change. We want more housing to become available, we want better housing affordability."
Hugh and Cass' advice for people struggling with the cost of living and housing insecurity was to "keep going."
"Keep going, it will get better," Cass said. "There's always light, there's always hope," Hugh added.