In short:
Several public housing tenants in one Victorian country town are facing steep rent rises.
Homes Victoria says the rent increases have been calculated based on market values, but tenants won't pay more than 25 per cent of their household income in rent.
What's next?
Affected tenants say they will have to cut back significantly on basic expenses to cope, with one 75-year-old considering moving back into a caravan.
Public housing tenants in regional Victoria fear they will be forced out of their properties or have to go without basic needs as some face rent increases of up to 70 per cent.
Donald resident Robert Christopher's rent will rise from $84 per week to $150 per week in August.
In a letter seen by the ABC, Homes Victoria advised the 77-year-old the increase was calculated using market rent indices, including the median rent value based on area and property type.
Mr Christopher receives a subsidy that will lower his rent slightly, to $288.70 per fortnight, but said he would still not be able to live comfortably on his pension of about $1,000 per fortnight.
"I am going to have to cut back on everything," Mr Christopher said.
"[I'll live on] peanuts and noodles.
"I need new glasses and a new pair of shoes, I have Buckley's and none chance of getting them."
Mr Christopher is one of several social housing residents in the small town who have received letters from the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing informing them their rents are going up, as the issue affects tenants across the state.
A Homes Victoria spokesperson said rent reviews happened every year and no tenant in public housing would pay more than 25 per cent of their household income in rent.
"This process ... provides tenants an opportunity to update their declared income with Homes Victoria to ensure they only pay what they can afford," the spokesperson said.
"This means for some tenants, their rent will go down."
However, tenants and advocates say the rising cost of living makes some of the rents untenable.
Cancer survivor 'might go back to caravan'
Neighbour Geoffrey Stopps, 75, is facing a similar rent increase.
A retired pensioner and cancer survivor, Mr Stopps lived in a caravan park before moving into social housing in Donald in 2018.
Having lost his wife in 2015 to cancer, he beats loneliness by keeping fit, enjoying a round of golf and helping his neighbours with household chores.
However, he is worried he will not be able to maintain this life when his rent rises.
"My car will probably have to be sold," Mr Stopps said.
"I'll have to cut right back … might even consider going back to the caravan."
Earlier this year, he received a $27 per fortnight raise in his pension but he said it was not enough to manage the increasing cost of living.
His biggest concern was that he would no longer be able to afford to attend his grandson's football games.
"It's $10 to get in the gate but I can't afford $10 to watch my grandson play under 14s football," he said.
"It's a tight situation to be in."
Tenants face tough decisions
Sharon Morgan used to live in a tent before moving into a public housing unit in Donald to be close to her son, who lives in Swan Hill.
The 53-year-old disability pensioner is facing a rental increase of $100 a fortnight.
She said she was already struggling to pay her bills and the rent rise was another blow.
"I swap and change … rob Peter to pay Paul," she said.
Ms Morgan said the increase in rent and cost of living was costing her time with her son.
"I won't be able to make many trips to see him," she said.
Mr Christopher said he contacted Consumer Affairs to put in a complaint about his rent increase, but was told they could not do anything because the price was based on market evaluation.
"How is the federal government and the current state government going to handle 70, 80 and maybe 90-year-olds having to live in their cars because they can't afford to live anywhere else?" he asked.
"I hope they have plenty of room in the graveyard."
Public housing 'meant to be the safety net'
The Victorian Public Tenants Association (VPTA), a not-for-profit body representing public housing tenants in Victoria, said some renters were facing extraordinary rent increases.
VPTA CEO Katelyn Butterss said the public housing system was not meeting demand.
"[Rent] increases at this scale are a symptom of a housing system that is failing to meet the needs of everyday Australians and cost of living pressures which are spiralling out of control," she said.
Victorian Council of Social Service CEO Janita Pope said rent increases were hard for all tenants, but especially for public housing tenants on low or fixed incomes.
"Public housing is meant to be the safety net," she said.
"We don't want a situation where people can't afford to live in public housing."
