As the housing crisis continues in Australia, many people are being forced to go to new lengths just to keep a roof over their heads.
Data released by advocacy group Everybody's Home showed regional Western Australia experienced some of the largest rental spikes in the country over the past year.
Western Australia's Goldfields (21 per cent), Central Coast (20 per cent), North (18 per cent) and South West (16 per cent) were amongst the most heavily impacted locations.
In Geraldton, about four hours north of Perth, renters are paying an average of $74 more a month compared to a year ago.
'Rundown' properties
New residents Katie and Andrew Nguyen recently relocated from Sydney, with their eight-month-old daughter Charlotte, to the portside town.
Ms Nguyen said she was shocked at the price of rentals despite the condition of the properties.
"We couldn't believe the state some of these [rentals] were in," she said.
"Things like damage to the walls, [homes] clearly not looked after at all.
"We've rented houses in the Sunshine Coast in perfect condition for the same price that we'd pay here for a rundown dump."
After experiencing how difficult it was to rent in Geraldton, Ms Nguyen and her husband realised it was easier to buy a home.
"The cost of our mortgage isn't even much more than what we would have paid to rent," she said.
"Why rent a poorly maintained house for a ridiculous price when we could have our own home for not much more?"
Everybody's Home national spokesperson Maiy Azize said this was pricing people out of their communities and forcing them to make sacrifices.
"People will avoid paying bills, some will take out loans and get into credit card debt," she said.
"In the last five years some regions have had a 74 per cent increase in rent.
"But I don't know anyone whose wage has gone up 74 per cent, so we need to find some real solutions."
What's the fix?
Real Estate Institute of WA president Joe White said housing supply was a contributing factor to the crisis.
"To cater to 75,000 people we need to build 25,000 houses and we're finding it difficult to produce more than 14," he said.
"If you picture a game of musical chairs where there aren't enough chairs for people to sit on and the music stops, someone misses out."
Mr White said more social housing was needed to stop vulnerable people being forced out of their communities.
"At the end of the day there's wealth coming out of the regions," he said.
"When someone shovels a load of iron, that benefits the whole economy.
"So if Australia wants that to continue it's going to have to give more resources to these people who need to live in regional areas."
Government bodies and non-for-profit organisations are expected to discuss housing solutions at today's National Regional Housing Summit.