James Cain was told he may need to wait more than a year to get a public housing unit.
But he may not even have that long left to live.
At only 54 years old he has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. His final wish? To get back home to Sydney to be closer to his family.
"It would mean everything to me to get back to them, it's all I think about... I don't want to die here," Mr Cain told ACM's Daily Liberal.
"When it comes down to it, all you've got is family. If I could be with them I would be happy, I would be settled."
Mr Cain used to live in a home in Windsor on the Hawkesbury river in Sydney's north west. But, in July 2022, his home was totally destroyed by the region's worst flood in a decade.
Rendered homeless, Mr Cain was given emergency accommodation in a hotel and things only went downhill from there. Just a month later, he was diagnosed with stage four esophageal cancer and was told there is no cure.
On a pension and unable to afford to rent a home on the private market, Mr Cain turned to public housing in the only place there was one available for him - Dubbo.
But being so far from his family, friends and cultural links has taken its toll on Mr Cain. He has recently been diagnosed with depression.
"My son and grandsons are all in Sydney... I've got no-one here," he said.
Hoping to move back closer to his family, he applied for a transfer to a public housing unit in Sydney in August 2023. He was approved and added to the priority list in December but was told it could take more than a year to find a suitable property.
Months later, Mr Cain still had no idea when, or if, he would be able to get a property.
'How long is he going to have to wait?'
Mr Cain's carer Joanne Rudd has been his biggest advocate through his quest to get home.
She said she has reached out to a number of people in government and been told the same thing: "he's on the priority list, we can't do anything else".
In inner-city Sydney, where Mr Cain is on the waitlist, there are 182 people on the priority list. Further afield, in Parramatta, there are 154 people on the priority list.
But Ms Rudd isn't a quitter.
"I will never give up hope and will continue to do whatever it takes to get him back to Sydney," she said.
"James has tried to stay positive but he has become very heartbroken and thinks he should just give up which is disgraceful for him to have to comprehend, feeling that all hope is lost.
"I acknowledge he's on the priority list, but how long is he going to have to wait before he runs out of time? I just get so frustrated."
She said Mr Cain's condition makes it difficult for him to travel the five hours from Dubbo to Sydney to see his grandsons who are 11 months, three and 12.
Mr Cain has not even had a chance to meet his youngest grandson.
"James has been receiving chemotherapy every fortnight since being diagnosed and as you can appreciate the toll this takes on his body both physically and mentally," she said.
"He walks with a walking stick, has limited strength to do basic chores like housework, cleaning... that is why he requires my support.
"We just can't believe there's not one place in Sydney for someone who's dying of cancer... this is basically his final wish."
The phone call that could change everything
On Monday, February 12, Mr Cain received a phone call from the Homes NSW. It was good news.
Homes NSW in Dubbo would be working directly with representatives in Sydney to help Mr Cain identify areas where a home might be available for him, outside the inner-city.
Just days earlier, after hearing Mr Cain's story, the Daily Liberal had reached out to NSW housing minister Rose Jackson and minister for Indigenous affairs David Harris.
"I am terribly saddened to hear stories of people who desperately need housing struggling to access suitable support," Ms Jackson said.
"I am advised that Mr Cain's request has been prioritised and the Homes NSW team are working as swiftly as possible to identify a suitable home.
"During significantly distressing times we know how important it is to be closer to family and we will do everything we can to finalise this transfer."
While a happy ending could be on the horizon for Mr Cain, others across the state are still languishing in wait.
In December 2023, there were 57,367 applicants on the waitlist for social housing in NSW. There were 8,347 on the priority list. The median wait time for a dwelling was 25.2 months and 3.2 months for those on the priority list.
Ms Jackson said the priority list includes women and children escaping domestic violence, those impacted by natural disasters and people currently experiencing homelessness.
"It is sometimes difficult to prioritise between applicants who all have compelling cases for stable housing, but we are aware of Mr Cain's pressing health concerns and are working directly with him to resolve as soon as we can," she said.
"Unfortunately, after decades of under-investment there simply is not enough social housing in key areas like the inner-city suburbs requested by Mr Cain.
"This means it takes longer than it should to find a suitable property."
'A mountain of work ahead of us'
Increasing social housing stock across the state is currently on the government's radar. But Ms Jackson said there is no silver bullet solution.
"We know we need to do more to deliver safe and secure housing across the state," she said.
The NSW government is working with the federal government and community housing sector to boost the supply of social and affordable housing across the state.
On Monday, January 15, the federal government opened the first round of tender applications under the new $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund and National Housing Accord.
The investment is expected to fund 40,000 social and affordable rental homes.
"Over time, as these new homes become available, we are hopeful that the waiting time for social housing will decrease," Ms Jackson said.
"Unfortunately, there is no quick fix. We know there is a mountain of work ahead of us, but we're only just getting started."
