Life turned lean when Geoff lost his home, but he never let hope slide on by

Just months earlier, Geoff had been evicted from the Lavington house he had called his own for close to a decade.

He'd done nothing wrong. It was simply "the owner wants the house back. You've got 90 days".

The abruptness of it all had the now 71-year-old reeling, unsure of what to do.

He knew the rental market was extremely tight, something borne out by the multiple rejections that followed from agents.

With his dog and best mate of 10 years, Wilson, by his side and an old car their only shelter, Geoff found himself parking wherever he could find a quiet spot for the night.

Despite the hardships, he never lost hope.

"I lived in Lavington all of eight years and the house was always in pretty good nick," he said.

"When I received the notice it was upsetting. I was only paying $270 per week, so I felt it had something to do with the real estate wanting to jack up the rent."

Geoff said he was disheartened that he had to go.

"I was able to get a storage shed for most of my gear, but I knew I was going to be all right," he said.

"I would have showers at my friends' houses and get help from food agencies. Everyone I met was in similar situations and were always nice enough."

Geoff was optimistic, yet would go on living in his car for a few more months, "living each day as it comes".

"I got depressed there for a bit, not knowing what was to come. I don't have any friends or family close by and I'd think 'how did my life come to this?'," he said.

"I had a man pull up one day and he passed me a hot burger and Coke and said I looked like I needed this."

Reality struck at that very moment.

"I was in the thick of it. I've always had a positive outlook, but at times there I thought 'I don't care if I die or not'. I just didn't care," he said.

"I'd get questioned by doctors asking if I wanted to commit suicide and I'd always say no because my life is not mine to take; it was a gift for me to have this life and I'm not going to take that away.

"I'd have to get pretty low to do that."

Geoff remembers the first time he asked for help at the Albury branch of the St Vincent De Paul Society, as it resulted in him finding a way forward.

That was because Vinnies put him in a hotel for a couple of months

"Sleeping in a proper bed for the first time was the best thing to happen to me and to have my best mate beside me," he said.

"They were wizards at helping me. If I didn't have their help, I'd still be sleeping in my car."

Geoff is now in social housing, but holds on to some hope he will again have a place of his own, like those settled times in Lavington.

"But I will probably be here forever now," he said.

"I understand the concept of social housing but it's not where I want to live out my days.

"I wouldn't have been able to do it rough without my mate, Wilson."

Daily life can be so meagre in what it has on offer that sometimes Geoff goes a week without a proper meal.

"I could do with some more food. I do get help from different places, but it's not always enough," he said.

Geoff accepts he is poor, knows he is "really poverty-stricken". But with that has come a humble outlook on life that also makes clear "it's not the end of the world".

"You've just got to accept the fact that you're in it."

What has helped ease him into that space has been the little things. There's the Carevan meal he gets once a week, "up there at the centre". It's even better when the end of the month comes around - then it's a barbecue.

"That's really cool."

Vinnies tailored support coordinator Shantelle Lidden said it was "rewarding" to see Geoff reestablish himself and living well.

"That's the best outcome," she said.

According to the peak body Homelessness NSW the current homelessness rate for the Albury catchment is 232 (2021 Census).

Ms Lidden said from first hand experience she didn't believe those figures represented the truth.

"In NSW alone there are over 57,904 applicants waiting for social housing with the average wait time being two-to-five years," she said.

"Homelessness has increased significantly and this is primarily due to a lack of affordable housing. Although the recent announcements in the budget were welcome (10 per cent increase in Commonwealth rent assistance).

"It will do little to alleviate the problem.

"We need the Commonwealth and NSW governments to each commit to invest $1 billion per year over the next 10 years to increase social housing properties by 5000 per year."

Carevan's project officer Leanne Johnson, of Albury, said more older people were becoming homeless due to the increased rent prices.

"We try and do our best to support everyone," she said.

But Geoff doesn't complain. He just tells his story. It's a tale of someone who has steeled himself through misfortunes, ones that sometimes he gets to turn around.

"I take the punches, It's OK, I don't get angry. I can't get angry," he said.

"If someone does me wrong, I can't get angry at them and want to take vengeance. I'm not like that."

Geoff savours his "big life". That he's been married, has got kids. That he's worked as a truck driver, plied his trade as a carpenter, held down a grab-bag of various jobs.

"And now I'm here. But it's not the end of the world."