Emma-Jean Evans says she has been rejected from rentals for being "too young", single, and even for being Indigenous.
The 27-year-old is just one of the many people struggling to find a house in West Australia's Pilbara.
"I try not to get angry about it," Ms Evans said.
"It is difficult, especially when someone, who is hard-working [and] dedicated to pay for their own home, [doesn't] really get a chance at doing that."
For the past 11 years, Ms Evans has been living with her sister, her partner and their four kids — and it is getting crowded.
Ms Evans, who works for a mining company 80 kilometres outside Karratha, has been knocked back from even government housing.
"Either I earn too much or I earn too little," she said.
Ms Evans's cousin Dan Evans said rent in Karratha was increasing "way too high, way too quick".
He said his rent had increased three times in the last year, from $500 to $700 a week.
Mr Evans said he saved $20,000 for a home deposit but was told by friends and family he would never be able to own a home.
Pathways to home ownership
In July, the WA government invested $794,000 from the $200 million North-West Aboriginal Housing Fund into Robe River Kuruma Aboriginal Corporation.
The money is for the delivery of a housing pathway support program designed to give Indigenous families the knowledge and skills for home ownership.
Program lead Cassandra Doyle says 50 Aboriginal families have applied.
Census data shows this represents more than 10 per cent of Aboriginal families in Karratha.
"It's been a phenomenal response to the program," she said.
"There are a lot of people that want to own their own home that don't know how."
The fund has identified five objectives for program participants; wellbeing, financial literacy, household management, employment and training, and school engagement.
"What the program looks like will be different for every single person," Ms Doyle said
"Unless someone is sitting there with their deposit already, most people are going to need a bare minimum of six months to save enough money for a deposit."
She says the program, which will be individually tailored, has partnered with home loan company Keystart for those unable to receive funding from traditional banks.
Keystart's Aboriginal Home Ownership Scheme allows participants to buy a home under $480,000 with just a 2 per cent deposit.
"This removes a huge barrier for most people because, in the Pilbara, we know you look at [needing] around $100,000 to get into a home if you're going through a major lender," Ms Doyle said.
Goal of home ownership
Census data shows more than a fifth of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in WA live in overcrowded households.
"There might be 10 to 15 people living in a three-bedroom home, which obviously has the same social outcomes and same social issues that homelessness does," Ms Doyle said.
Ms Doyle said she was passionate about giving people the freedom that comes with buying a home.
"No amount of help builds the sort of independent wealth that owning a home does," she said.
Ms Evans said having a home was one of her "biggest goals", and she would "never give up".
"It's really nice to have someone who can help you along the way," she said, crediting the program.
Mr Evans said the program would allow him to one day buy his "dream home".
"Something that's got plenty of space for all my cars," he joked.
"If you are planning on getting a house, just make sure you get the right information and don't stop asking people questions.
"There is a lot of support out there, and it's very much possible to get a house."
