In Exmouth in Western Australia, hundreds of workers who keep the town ticking have no choice but to sleep in their cars.
Christian Vogl, who is working at Exmouth's bakery, said he could not find share-house accommodation or an affordable place to stay.
"No local wants to do the job so other people like me come and do the jobs but there's no accommodation available for us," he said.
Josh Mason and Broc Leyr have recently arrived in town to work in construction and said they were two of many also sleeping in their cars.
"If you've got to get up early and avoid those rangers then that's what you've got to do."
With a population of 2,500 people, Exmouth relies predominantly on seasonal workers.
It is the service town to the Ningaloo Coast, which had half a million visitors through the nearby Cape Range National Park last year.
But it's a workforce the town is struggling to accommodate.
Exmouth Shire President Darlene Alston said the council had been working with the state government to secure more workers' accommodation.
"The demand on accommodation and workers' accommodation, so that we can service the tourists that are coming through have also been put under pressure, but it's key to know that we're actively speaking with the ministers to try and get this resolved," Mrs Alston said.
Unlike many regional towns with similar problems, Exmouth does have workers' accommodation in the pipeline, recently closing the period for expressions of interest to build a 200-bed development for worker accommodation on a 5.9-hectare site on Murat Road, near Exmouth's main precinct.
A building contract is yet to be confirmed.
Exmouth Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Sarah Booth said members wanted the town's worker housing shortage addressed as a priority.
"More than 18,000 people are on the waiting list for public housing and private rentals are in high demand."
Anglicare's 2022 Rental Affordability Snapshot found rental prices had jumped by $50 a week across WA since last year.
In Karratha, Tony Simpson discovered it was cheaper to build a house than rent one after his rent jumped from $1,200 to $1,320 a week last year, and rent prices likely to increase again.
However, he said building a home came with its own challenges.
"We have the same building constraints right across Western Australia at the moment. Steel is hard to get. We've had delays and that sort of stuff. But no different to anyone else per square metre in build," Mr Simpson said.
Real Estate Institute WA's Richard Naulls said Karratha had experienced the brunt of a boom-and-bust economy, with house prices skyrocketing and plummeting in the past decade.
REIWA's half-yearly summary released in December 2021 said both rental and house prices were on the way back up, jumping more than 20 per cent in the past year and the highest prices since 2015, with the average house price in Karratha at $454,000 and median weekly rental at $633.
He said the price increases were putting a strain on many residents.
"Families, mums and dads, grandparents who don't earn over $100,000 a year and have what we call normal jobs. They work in cafes, restaurants, real estate offices, admin roles," Mr Naulls said.
"There's a lot of people like that in town and it's hard for them to get houses and to afford it compete with big companies," he said.
The WA government announced $408 million in housing and homelessness measures as part of the state budget.
For regional WA, $350 million will be spent on more housing and improved essential services in remote communities.
There will be changes to land tax for "build-to-rent", where apartments are developed for the purposes of renting.
Another $19.1 million will also be invested to develop new residential land in Karratha and Kalgoorlie.
As for social housing, Louise Giolotto from the WA Centre for Social Services said there was no relief yet.
"This government gave a huge commitment last year in relation to social housing but we're still waiting for that to be built," Ms Giolotto said.
"Our major levers in this space are actually with the Commonwealth government, with income support and rent assistance. They need to come to the party now."
As for building delays, the state budget also included $30 million to assist contractors hit with supply chain issues, and an extension on Building Bonus grant applicants from 18 to 30 months.
Housing Industry Association of WA deputy regional executive director Michael McGowan said the group had been working with the state government on a campaign to educate the public about the housing supply shortage, as there was no end to the supply shortage in sight.
"This will help HIA, our members, the industry, educate clients and consumers as to what challenges the industry is facing at the moment," he said.
But with no short-term solution to Western Australia's rental housing shortage in sight, all eyes have turned to the federal government to see what they can offer.
According to Richard Naulls from REIWA, the masks may be off but the effects of the pandemic are expected to be felt for years to come on WA's housing sector.
"[It will be] probably three to five years before we see any real, normal life again because we're all struggling to get staff, skilled workforces, materials all that sort of stuff," he said.
