Brisbane mum-of-four Jaki works as a chef in a brewery but Australia's dire rental crisis means she has been sleeping in her car for 18 months

A mum-of-four who works as a chef has nevertheless been homeless and sleeping in her car for 18 months in yet another example of Australia's desperate rental crisis. 

Jaki Rose, 58, was a stay-at-home mum, but in 2019 her relationship broke down and for the past year-and-a-half she has been living out of her station wagon. 

The reason is simple. 'I couldn't afford the rent,' she told ABC Queensland's Statewide program.

She moves from car park to car park in Redcliffe, 42km north of Brisbane's CBD, and has most recently been parking at a boat ramp.

Though Ms Rose works 25 hours a week in the kitchen at a brewery, she is one of 20,000 people in Queensland who are homeless.

Ms Rose accesses shower and laundry facilities provided by charities.

She had been denied social housing as she earns more than $609 a week, which is the state government's maximum earning threshold to be eligible. 

The threshold is higher in other states such as NSW, where single adults can earn up to $780 a week and still be eligible for social housing. 

'They really are geared toward unemployed people (in Queensland),' Ms Rose said. 

'If the means testing stayed with CPI, inflation and pay increases, I would've been bound to have qualified.'

She was shocked to find herself homeless at the start of 2023. 'I expected that there would be low income flats available. 

'I expected to be able to still rent a flat in this area for $200-$250 a week. I didn't know. I didn't expect this.'

The Queensland Council of Social Service (QCOSS) said her case is far from rare. 

'The housing crisis we are currently experiencing is the result of decades of policy neglect by successive governments,' QCOSS chief executive Aimee McVeigh said.

Even when Queenslanders get on the social housing list, they still have to wait almost two-and-a-half years to get into a property, Queensland government data shows.

A state government review into the earnings threshold has been going for almost a year but still hasn't reported its findings and may not do so before the Queensland election on October 26.

The Labor government and LNP opposition have both made social housing promises in the election campaign.

If reelected, Labor said it will build 53,500 new homes for social housing and will also buy existing rental properties to provide affordable homes.

The Opposition has the same construction target and said it will also partner with not-for-profit organisations and churches with vacant land for the construction of affordable housing.

The LNP claim this could lead to 10,000 new homes being built.

But Ms Rose does not believe either party's plans would help her out.

'I don't think anyone is offering anything,' she said. 'I just want to see the means testing change.'