‘Stripped to our bare bones’: three years on from the floods, Lismore’s housing crisis is worse than ever

‘I think I’m more emotional right now than I have been for a long time because of what’s going to come.’ Chris Gurr and his son have been told to vacate the flood-affected home they have been living in despite there being no plans to move or demolish it. Photograph: Elise Derwin/The Guardian

On the edge of Lismore is the home of Chris Gurr and his son, nestled among a forest of fruit and nut trees. The flecked paint on the house, which is more than 100 years old, is one of the few reminders of the flood waters that three years ago had lapped just centimetres from the loft.

They don’t own the home, a friend does. Eighteen months ago the friend said Gurr and his 11-year-old son could live there after they lost everything they owned when their rental was hit by the worst flood in Australia’s modern history. This new home is nothing fancy, Gurr says, but it has character and is peaceful.