'An absolutely pleasant surprise': Why single mums are moving in together

Hayley Grimmond (left), Anja Homburg and their daughters have become housemates. (ABC News: James Oaten) Link copiedShareShare articleFor 18 months after her break-up, single mother Hayley Grimmond was finding it impossible to find a secure, long-term rental for her and her young daughter, Blair. Every week she would send out about three rental applications. She never heard back. "All I've ever wanted is for my daughter to have the best life I can possibly give her," she explained. Hayley and her daughter Blair have found a practical and affordable housing situation. (ABC News: James Oaten) It's an issue many single mothers say they endure: rental discrimination. Hayley slept on friend's couches and stayed in crisis accommodation. Her sister helped her with a spare room, but the home was too crowded to be a viable long-term solution. Hayley's only reprieve was a six-month lease in a one-bedroom apartment. "I've worked for homeless organisations myself in the past," she said. "And then when it happened to me, it was a shock, an absolute shock to the system." Hayley says the shared rental has been "an absolutely pleasant surprise". (ABC News: James Oaten) It was then her mother suggested she could rent a house with another single mum. She joined a private Facebook group, run by the Council of Single Mothers and Their Children (CSMC), where she met Anja Homburg. Anja owned a home in Riddles Creek, on the outskirts of Melbourne, but managing the mortgage on a single income, even with her parents' support, was a financial strain. "The stress was enormous," Anja recalled. The pair struck up an immediate friendship and soon became housemates. "We just really enjoy each other's company," Anja says. (ABC News: James Oaten) Their daughters, Blair and Raelia, became close, playing together on the trampoline, exploring the expansive garden, and sharing toys, books and bathtime. "She is the reason that I'm not counting every single dollar I have," Anja said. Anja says sharing housing has relieved budget stress. (ABC News: James Oaten) Importantly, the mental load of motherhood was no longer a solo journey, with cleaning, shopping, and even child duties split between them. "It's going even better than I could have hoped," Anja smiles. "We just really enjoy each other's company." The cost of housing and living has received much media attention in recent years, with the prices for home ownership and rentals surging. But single mothers are acutely affected. Nearly one in three single parents live in poverty, almost three times likely than two-parent households, according to the 2023 Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) report from Melbourne University and Department of Social Services. Homeless services are seeing more employed people accessing their services and say single mothers fleeing domestic violence are particularly vulnerable. Women are overwhelmingly represented, making up 85 per cent of single parent families, the report notes. Single mothers are four times more likely to experience homelessness, a 2023 CSMC national survey found. That report noted the high prevalence of family violence against single mums, which impacts financial security, and that single mums still do overwhelmingly most unpaid child duties, which impacts employment opportunities. The organisation's chief executive Jenny Davidson said welfare support falls far below the mark. "The costs of rents have gone up to the point at which the rent is now 50 per cent, 60 per cent, even 70 per cent of their income," she said. "It means that mothers are having to make choices like, do you put on the heat in winter, or do you put on the cooling in summer, or do you have enough groceries? "They're skipping medical appointments." Jenny Davidson is the chief executive of the Council of Single Mothers and their Children. ( ABC News: Cameron Parke) In recent years, the organisation's "Single Mothers Share House Register" social media page has surged in popularity. From just a few hundred to currently thousands of active users, it links mums seeking other mums to share a house with. "Single mothers are at the forefront of policy failures around housing," Ms Davidson said. "And that's the reason why we see them turning to innovative solutions." It's a resource that linked single mums Priscilla Jones with Jenna Wilson, and their kids Leo and Maia. "The evenings before Cil moved in were quiet and lonely." Jenna Wilson (left) and Priscilla Jones and their kids Leo and Maya found a "soft landing" under one roof. (ABC News: Daryl Torpy) For three years, they've shared the mental load of parenting as well as the financial. Priscilla described it as a "soft landing", ensuring she did not suffer financial stress that burdens many single mums. "Splitting the cost of rent, splitting the cost of food, the cost of bills means that I had that breathing space to build up my business," Priscilla said. She's now r

'An absolutely pleasant surprise': Why single mums are moving in together

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