As the housing crisis tightens its grip on the nation, the reality for some is just trying to keep warm in a tent.
Homeless man Matt Costello has been doing just that for the past 10 months.
"There were a lot of bad decisions before I ended up homeless — I got kicked out of my flat, I went to a refuge [and] basically it was no good in there, so I bought a tent and come here," he said.
His days are all about endurance.
Mr Costello has applied for Centrelink payments and is waiting for a response, but not having a fixed address can make finding a house difficult.
"At the moment too, the times — with corona[virus], the shortage of housing with the low job vacancies — like these are all contributing factors to it all," he said.
A lack of affordable housing stock and rental availability often at one per cent or lower nationwide has been driving a major housing crisis for some time now.
Apart from pleas to free up holiday and short-stay housing, governments at all levels are struggling to keep up with demand for public housing, while the market pushes private housing even higher.
Eviction notice
Mr Costello is one of around 30 residents living at Wagga Wagga's Wilks Park in southern New South Wales, including a family who need housing to get their son back.
He said Wagga Wagga City Council visited the park a few days ago with a police escort and eviction notices.
They have less than a month to vacate.
"From what the council claims were people were scared to walk the footpath," Mr Costello said.
"You come and talk to any of the people here and the picture they're painting is far from what's real.
Mr Costello said the council should work with the residents to find solutions.
"Come and speak to the people here, listen to their stories, have a bit of compassion, a bit of humility," he said.
"Fix these boarded-up houses. We've had people come over and say they've spotted 12 just in one suburb."
Councillor Dan Hayes said the state government had not dealt with the situation so it had been left to the council.
Until now, the policy stating there is a three-day limit for visitors had not been enforced.
"I understand the anger with the eviction notice, I share that, but we can't just be angry at them," Mr Hayes said.
"We're really calling upon the state government to step up here and help out. The question is 'once they've done that, and then people refuse that help, what do we do then?'"
He said he hoped services were provided to people who were homeless and that the eviction date was extended.
Camping for a cause
Meanwhile, community advocate Karen Prouse is organising a camp-out in the middle of July at the park.
Having experienced homelessness herself many years ago, she has become a friend of those at Wilks Park, frequently dropping off warm meals.
"I'd like to see the council either leave them alone or work with them to resolve this and find a solution," she said.
"What are these houses doing vacant when there's so many homeless people out there that need homes?"
'No alternative'
Wagga Wagga City Council says the NSW government is responsible for providing genuine solutions for people who have no alternative but to sleep in Wilks Park.
It said the step of issuing notices to people staying in Wilks Park requiring them move on over the next 28 days was an action undertaken by the council in close consultation with the state government.
Council said the Department of Communities and Justice failed to attend a workshop the council held in regards to the issue.
It also said if the silence and inaction from the state government continues, it is unlikely to take action to move people on from Wilks Park, which is also a floodway.
In a statement, a Department of Communities and Justice (DJC) spokesperson said the council did not give the department prior notice of the eviction notices.
"DCJ and St Vincent de Paul staff have on multiple occasions engaged with rough sleepers in Wilks Park, offering temporary accommodation," the statement said.
"All offers have been declined."
