A dedicated and proud father
Johnny is a thoughtful, caring single dad of two growing young lads. When the owner of their rental property passed away, the owner’s family asked Johnny and his boys to move out of their home of 11 years. Unable to find affordable rental, his only option was to quickly move his boys and himself into a motel and put his belongings in storage.
“The money I had in savings was quickly eaten up with storage, removalist fees and motel costs,” said Johnny as he explained how quickly they found themselves homeless and in housing and financial crisis.
“The kids stopped going to school, and we struggled to buy food. It was really stressful. I am very lucky I had support from friends to help us with food.”
As Johnny tried to navigate crisis, he found information about Unison’s homelessness services online and got in touch. Johnny was referred on to our Private Rental Access Program (PRAP). Unison’s PRAP supports low-income households to secure and maintain private rental housing through brokerage, advocacy and outreach support.
The PRAP team spoke with a local real estate agent on his behalf and helped Johnny with his private rental application. His application was approved in less than 24 hours, and he moved in three days later! The family are now settling in their perfectly located new home, close to a retail precinct, public transport and the boys’ school.
“It’s good now we have a roof over our heads, and I feel a lot of weight has lifted. I’m proud of my kids. They have been great throughout,” said Johnny.
“I am so thankful. The whole process with Unison has gone well, I felt at ease with the team and their communication was very clear."
In the past, Johnny’s work has mostly been around transport. He is an experienced truck delivery driver, loader, and tyre fitter, however he hasn’t worked in a while due to a driving licence and ID complication and of course, his focus on taking care of his boys.
The family’s new home means Johnny can reestablish a rental history, and the Unison PRAP team are busily assisting Johnny to get back on his feet, including providing tenancy support, linking the family with support services, working through his ID situation, and connecting him with retraining and job opportunities.
“When I get my licence, I can look for work. My boys are growing up, and I will be able to drive them around. It will open up their world a bit more.”
Johnny has worked hard to get his family to where they are now. He has been determined and genuine and remains focused on getting to a good place.
“It is now time for me to find my feet again.” He draws a deep breath, “It’s been big.”
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