can a single parent surviving solely on CL, pay $250 rent and survive financially?

[Gigi]

I am after advice
Not judgements (if i could get a job, i would be working already)

I am renting in the public housing system, it's a violent and dangerous neighbourhood, but i can afford the rent.

The base / entry level of rent in the PRIVATE rental market seems to be about $250

I need to hear from single parents in the same situation. Is it possible to rent in the private market and still survive financially? It is not obvious to me, that is why i am asking.

I've only been separated (physically) for two months, so this is early days for me, going to see a financial counsellor tomorrow, to try and work out a budget.

I've been given advice today (IRL) like, "get a job that pays $300, and then you can pay your $250 rent" - but i don't think surviving on $50 a week (for food, petrol etc) would work in the real world.

this area is too violent for my DD to grow up in, and i feel anxious ALL the time. too many drug dealers (and all the incumbent visitors that go with that, day and night) in our street. we are on a corner, with a very short fence, so very vulnerable. there must be a way out.

i think if X knew we lived in this area, he would take bilby off me, and part of me thinks, she would be safer with him really, as he's in a safer neighbourhood. But i don't want to lose my girl.

thanks for reading.

i already judge myself very harshly for this situation, please do not judge me. i don't need any more guilt, i have plenty already.

[Kazbah]

Gigi - you're doing the best you can in a difficult situation. And seriously, $50/week wouldn't cover much at all, who the heck gives that kind of advice???

Far as I am aware, there'd be:
* Centerlink payment
* child allowance
* rent assistance
* child support
* discounted pharmaceuticals / public transport / some bills

Good luck.

[Mum2Romone]

I'm not sure where you are living suburb wise but there are plenty of area s where you can get a lovely housein a nice neighbourhood for that much.

In my area you can..... And it's a nice area

having said that, are you currently receiving a payment off centerlink? I'm not sure what the single rate is but a few years ago now it was about $800 a fortnight plus family tax benefit, so definitely enough to live comfortably with fresh fruit and all that jazz....

It's definitely do able, im sure once you speak to a financial counselor you will feel more confident

[Catastrophic]

It's hard and tough, you'll have to learn to live without the luxuries, but so many people have told me its doable. I am confident that your a smart girl and you'll be able to work it out :-D

[Pretty Butterfly]

Sweets, are you already getting all your entitled too?
If you are, you can add some rent assisitance to that, and that will be your f/n income.
I *think* if your f/n rent is at least $320, you can get $140 in Rent assistance.

So if your going to pay around $500 p/f, $140 is covered.

Make sure your getting PPS, FTB A & B and child support. And apply for RA as soon as you get a place to get the payments asap.

I *think* the department of housing can help with bonds if your on the books?? I know they used to.
Call and ask what assisstance you can get to get private rental.

Its hard, but it can be done......

[Beatrix]

Gigi

you would be entitle to single parent payment of the $611 a fortnight.
you would also be entitled to the FTB A and B of what you recieve now, which im guessing is around $350 per fortnight?
and you would also be entitled to rent assistance which you dont recieve now being in a HT home.

so Im going to go with a ball park figure of 1000 a fortnight so there for 500 a week

if you were paying 250 a week in rent that would leave you with 250 for bills, being it just you and bilby i would put 120 away for bills a week (which would include gas elect rego etc) leaving you to live off for food and petrol 130 per week.. which is doable.

it will be tight but it is doable.

[Footsteps]

no one will judge you huni...i hope you can move soon huni and massive hugs xox

[Lisa]

I'm not sure how it works, but my friends sister is in Dept housing yet it is a private rental. Basically, she pays Dept housing amount of rent and Dept housing put up the bond for her. She is in a BEAUTIFUL 5 bedroom, 3 year old house with distant ocean views! It's hard to not be jealous! lol
From memory, she got such a great house because she was transferring from Sydney to Newcastle to be closer to family (her support network) and there were no 4+ bedroom houses available in the area at the time so she had to go private through Dept housing.

Definitely arrange to speak to someone at Dept housing and tell them of your fears. It can't hurt to speak to a counsellor or even a social worker to help with your case to get you out of a dangerous neighbourhood and in to a safer one.

Big hugs honey.

[CrazyLady]

if you were paying 250 a week in rent that would leave you with 250 for bills, being it just you and bilby i would put 120 away for bills a week (which would include gas elect rego etc) leaving you to live off for food and petrol 130 per week.. which is doable.

it will be tight but it is doable.

Most of those bills you will be able to get a health card discount off. I know for sure rego and pretty sure electricity. With a little money jiggling I am sure you'll work something out. I out away $20 a week for rego and insurance and such so it's there for when the bills come rather then a massive chunk. Little things like that really add up rather then getting the massive chunk taken out of the account.

Why do you judge yourself hun? You are doing the best you can right now! Huge

[StrawberryMumma]

Gigi, you have NOTHING to feel guilty about hun.
You know things will get better sweety..this is just part of the journey. Hang in there xx

[Gigi]

cos i am putting bilby at risk, by living in such a volatile area.
i didn't realise it was this bad, when i signed the lease. i didn't know about the gangs, i had no idea the "customers" would be so obvious, so violent, so aggressive, on both sides of where we live (on a corner, our windows are just a few metres from the footpath) day and night
i felt like i had no choice, it was this place, or be on the waiting list indefinately.
and every time you move, you spend money moving, setting up and in this instance, paying money for security stuff as well (to have side and back gates made lockable, installing three security sensor lights wired in)
so the small nestegg i had, is very diminished, purely from this move - let alone moving AGAIN and setting up AGAIN.

i am scared i will end up, going back to X, purely to get bilby away from the risks associated with living here.

i was crazy to think i could make this work (leaving X). i will end up either losing bilby or losing my mind (living under same roof as X again).

[Gigi]

Lisa,
there is bilby and me, no way we'd get anything other than a 2 bedroom place. (i don't need more bedrooms, just a safer neighbourhood). the housing trust stocks are so low here. it is like a miracle just to get an offer. and i got an offer - many people here are incredulous that i even got a place, as in "how come you're so lucky when thousands of others stay on the waiting list and have been for many years". Yep, i got this place in Drug Dealer's Avenue. but no-one told me that when it was offered to me. They just said, "no-one wants to live here, how keen are you to be housed? there's no insulation, no heating no cooling, do you want it. or stay on the waiting list indefinately." I chose to be housed so i could leave X.

[Gigi]

Gigi

you would be entitle to single parent payment of the $611 a fortnight.
you would also be entitled to the FTB A and B of what you recieve now, which im guessing is around $350 per fortnight?
and you would also be entitled to rent assistance which you dont recieve now being in a HT home.

so Im going to go with a ball park figure of 1000 a fortnight so there for 500 a week

if you were paying 250 a week in rent that would leave you with 250 for bills, being it just you and bilby i would put 120 away for bills a week (which would include gas elect rego etc) leaving you to live off for food and petrol 130 per week.. which is doable.

it will be tight but it is doable.

i will ask the financial counsellor tomorrow
i'll get two versions of my budget
- one with my current rent ($100 per week)
- one with a projected rent ($250 per week)
so i can compare.

I've just gotten car ins and contents ins, thinking that was the sensible thing to do, as a single mum, i wonder if she will tell me they are luxuries?
I thought luxuries were things like FOXTEL, smokes, alcohol, restaurants, beauty treatments, holidays, - which i go without already.

[Gigi]

It's hard and tough, you'll have to learn to live without the luxuries, but so many people have told me its doable. I am confident that your a smart girl and you'll be able to work it out :-D

if i was so smart, i would not be in this predicament. i feel the very opposite of smart. I feel very foolish and stupid.

[CrazyLady]

i didn't realise it was this bad, when i signed the lease. i didn't know about the gangs, i had no idea the "customers" would be so obvious, so violent, so aggressive, on both sides of where we live (on a corner, our windows are just a few metres from the footpath) day and night
i felt like i had no choice, it was this place, or be on the waiting list indefinately.
and every time you move, you spend money moving, setting up and in this instance, paying money for security stuff as well (to have side and back gates made lockable, installing three security sensor lights wired in)
so the small nestegg i had, is very diminished, purely from this move - let alone moving AGAIN and setting up AGAIN.

i am scared i will end up, going back to X, purely to get bilby away from the risks associated with living here.

i was crazy to think i could make this work (leaving X). i will end up either losing bilby or losing my mind (living under same roof as X again).

Hun, you didn't know how bad it was so basically you were doing the right thing. You have also taken the time (and money) to make it as secure as you can. That alone in my eyes shows you are doing your best so don't be so hard on yourself! You'll find a way!

[~Lashes~]

if it is possible, put in writing all the problems that you are faced with on a daily basis, the risks to your dd, with a drug area there are endless risks and safety concerns. put in an application for a transfer also put in a complaint to the ombudsman(?) for housing, make sure you keep all documentation for your reccords aswell.
dont stress about it to much, as hard as it is, this is your foot in the door, remember everyone starts somewere.
if you put in a transfer, it may take a few months, but would be worth it in the end. when ds1 & ds2 were little, we lived with df's dad, who was a reformed drug addict, the community house we were in, in a good estate of a good suburb, burnt down and we were put in a "drug central" court simmilar to were you have described, they knew his past, and knew of the dramas in that place, yet still placed him there, he put a transfer in after catching on to how it was, they did nothing at first, but after going to the ombudsman(?) they gave him another house. just to be sure if they do offer you somewere, get the address first, go check it out and speak to the neighbours, or local shop keepers, see what its like.

good luck, hang in there we all start somewere.

[Rainbow_Mumma]

Gigi I havent read most of the replys so just butting in my 2 cents, you have firstly nothing to feel guilty about. When me and my ex seperated I had no choice to but rent privately as the office of housing wouldnt move me despite my ex smashing windows daily. I paid 230 a week rent as well as kept up with my bills, fed me and my daughter she was still in nappies then too as well as study costs and travel (i didnt have a car at the time as my ex smashed it when i was leaving him) and we still had a little play money at the end.

Dont get me wrong its not easy but strict budgeting, paying bills fortnightly instead of when they arrive, ebay for kids clothing or even op shops some of them have really good clothes for very little here we have one who does $12 a bag and you stuff as much as you can into a bag and get a whole lot of clothes for $12 and quite often some still have the tags on!

It is do able and I dont regret doing it this way at all, good luck

[*becstar*]

Gigi I want to say Lu would kick your butt for speaking of yourself in such a bad light and considering going back to X just to get out

You CAN do it, you've already done the hardest part, leaving.

PLenty of single mums pay rent (private) and manage, I have a friend who does so and she does fine.

You are clever and smart, if you weren't hun you'd be happy to live there like all the lovely neighbours you have now

Be sure you are getting all you are entitled to and yes you will be eligable for Rent Assistance too. Have you done an estimate on the centrelink website?? that will let you know how much you will get if you are paying $250pw rent.

you are doing brilliantly, I wish I had half your guts.

xxx