Father of two Quade Carbine has finally found some relief having spent the past year couch surfing with his three-year-old son and one-year-old daughter in tow.
But his elation at finding a rental has come at the expense of easy access to the support of family and friends after he left Port Lincoln to move to Lock, 150 kilometres away.
The single father, who has sole custody of his children, said they were his life's priority.
"I was definitely relieved to find a home," Mr Carbine, 30, said.
"It was a very big moment. I couldn't wait really. It's such a better feeling waking up."
It had given his children a safe place to live and plenty of room to play.
"There's more room for the kids to run around and do what they want, and there's a park 100m across the road," he said.
However, it was not an easy journey to get there, and he struggled during the year he was homeless.
He described it as "panic mode", even with the support of friends.
"It definitely made things harder not being able to be in your own place to relax and feel comfortable," Mr Carbine said.
"In some places there weren't much room at all, but it was better than nothing."
Mr Carbine said people from the Port Lincoln community reached out to help him after he resorted to posting his plight in a local Facebook group.
"There were other people who knew about my situation and did a fair bit to help me out, sometimes they'd bring me food or spare some baby clothes," he said.
"I don't usually reach out for help, but I'm glad I did."
As a Wirangu man, he was sad to leave the Gallinyala Port Lincoln community of more than 16,000 people to a small town of 276 where he did not know anyone.
But he said being set up with his children meant he had been better able to cope.
"Everything has gotten a lot better for them," he said.
"I couldn't be more thankful to everyone who has helped even if they didn't physically do anything to help, just the fact that they were willing.
"The only advice I can give others is to stay positive and hopefully it all works out in the end; there's definitely some support with the locals."
Hundreds waiting
Mr Carbine was one of more than 200 people registered with Housing SA in desperate need of a home in Port Lincoln.
More than half of them have been identified as at-risk.
Port Lincoln City Councillor Shania Richards is another face to that figure.
Ms Richards said she was homeless and couch surfing in desperate need of a home.
She said as a local councillor she did not have the option of moving far away.
"I was feeling really suicidal and really down, I came back from sorry business, someone who was instrumental in bringing me up, to come home to find out I don't have a home," Ms Richards said.
"It's disappointing.
"As young people, you get told to leave home and to make your own life and we can't even get a house."
She said she was evicted without the lease running out and her landlord did not give a reason.
"It would be great to get parents, families, and even teachers to acknowledge that we need to work together now to create solutions," she said.
Significant increase
West Coast Youth and Community Support chief executive Narelle Bidell said there had been an influx of people reaching out to their services since the beginning of the year.
"Approximately 40 people have reached out to us since the beginning of January, which is a significant increase," Ms Bidell said.
Ms Bidell said there were a range of reasons why people were homeless in Port Lincoln, including leases ending.
She said it took three to five years for the most needy to find a permanent home.
"We just don't have enough housing," Ms Bidell said.
She said too many had come off the market to become short stay accommodation.
Government intervention
Human Services Minister Nat Cook said at least 150 new homes would be built across regional South Australia, including in Port Lincoln.
"We are currently working to identify land in Port Lincoln on which to build homes under the Public Housing Improvement Program, with planning and designing of these homes underway," she said.
Meanwhile, the City of Port Lincoln has recently launched a campaign "We Choose You" to attract more people to the city.
It has angered some residents who said there was no housing for people.
Port Lincoln City Council chief executive Matt Morgan said businesses, including the council, needed workers.
"So organisations like the Regional Development Australia Eyre Peninsula and council need to promote the livability of the region to attract workforce, but at the same time, housing affordability and availability is also a challenge," he said.
