Elders Real Estate has joined The SE Voice winter warmth community campaign, donating six swags to ac.care to help those facing homeless in the region.

Elders Real Estate office manager Naomi Kielsbach said the business decided to get involved after being contacted by The SE Voice sales manager Melissa Prior.

“We have been looking at giving back to the community and we know how hard the rental price is and the amount of people who are unable to buy homes,” she said.

“We are still getting 50-60 applications on all rental properties, and we can obviously only give each property to one person.

“Working in the property market we have seen a huge increase in the levels of homelessness in the region and the amount of people coming in and telling us their stories.

“We are finding people that want to sell their house and rent instead do not realise the extent of the rental crisis even if you try to explain it to them.”

Miss Kielsbach said the desperation for properties had been steadily growing for the last two years.

“Interest rates are increasing, rental prices are rising and house prices are starting to get unreachable for people who are wanting to buy into the market for the first time or who are homeless and looking for a house,” she said.

“The population is growing quicker than houses are being built and I do not see it getting better any time soon.

“We just wanted to help out and give those who are struggling a place to stay warm and dry in the short term.”