When Kay (not her real name) was diagnosed with cancer for a second time, paying her rent was the last thing on her mind.
Her days quickly became filled with doctor's appointments and within a week she was in surgery.
Being unable to work meant Kay quickly fell behind on her rent.
"It was really difficult for me to even make sense of my bills and my rent," she says.
"I was feeling so unwell that I put it to the side for two or three weeks because I couldn't cope with it."
The stress was building up, so Kay sought support from housing and homelessness service Uniting.
She says that assistance saved her from homelessness.
"I think I would have quite possibly been evicted," she says.
"Being unwell with cancer and then not having anywhere to live, I can't bear to think about it really."
Uniting Ballarat staff assessed Kay's situation and decided to pay one month of her rent and 50 per cent of the second month's rent through the Private Rental Assistance Program (PRAP).
Kay says the support is a gift of a home and peace of mind.
"Since I have had the news Uniting is going to pay the rent for me … I have been able to get some good quality sleep," she says.
"Somebody understood what I was going through and the worry and stress I was under."
Rising need
Uniting's senior manager, homelessness Adam Liversage says he is seeing an increasing number of people like Kay ask for help and he wants the Victorian government to boost funding to meet the rising need.
"We are getting people from all walks of life now requesting assistance with rental arrears because they just can't afford it," he says.
Ballarat is one of the five worst local government areas for housing stress in Victoria, a new report reveals.
More than 6 per cent of Ballarat households are experiencing homelessness or spending more than 30 per cent of their income on rent, according to a Community Housing Industry Association analysis.
This equates to 4,600 households in housing stress.
Uniting Ballarat data shows demand for rent arrears support through the Private Rental Assistance Program in Ballarat has increased from pre-coronavirus pandemic levels.
Program staff are already close to reaching their yearly target, but there's still five months left of the financial year.
It means money is running low and many people asking for help might have to miss out.
Households under stress
Uniting Ballarat has helped 102 households with rent arrears in the past seven months.
Another 50 households sought help but missed out on financial support.
Mr Liversage says there are 25 to 30 people waiting at any given time to access rent assistance.
"Without the Private Rental Assistance Program we would see a sharp increase in those people entering the homelessness system," he says.
A state government spokesperson said, in a statement, PRAP expenditure was reviewed regularly to ensure agencies were adequately supported.
"The Labor government has invested more than $25 million every year into the Private Rental Assistance Program across Victoria," the spokesperson said.
"Commonwealth Rent Assistance is the main source of support for those on Centrelink incomes to cover the costs of private rental."
