But after being booted from his Warilla rental two months in - cold showers, constantly moving campsites and replacing weather-damaged tents have become his new norm.

"You get a fair bit of anxiety out here, especially when it's raining," he said.

Read more: Nowra homeless shelter's frantic bid to reopen doors after shock closure

The 43-year-old former miner, who lives in a tent with his beloved dog Shep, never thought he would experience homelessness.

"There's always been a stigma around homelessness ... but probably not so much now that there's so many people in this position," he said.

Ben is among the growing number of Illawarra residents hopping from caravan parks to car parks after being left with nowhere else to go.

He pays $220 per week at his current campsite in Corrimal, which he just returned back to this week after those living in tents were kicked out to make way for school holiday visitors.

Ben has also spent time at caravan parks in Gerroa, and in various car parks, and has met many people who have been evicted from rentals along the way.

The human cost of homelessness is getting hard to bear, he said, as he waits for exorbitant rental prices to ease to have a chance at entering the market.

"It's been impossible to get somewhere, the price of rentals is ridiculous," he said.

But with Shep by his side, he fears he won't have a chance to compete, especially since families on two incomes are also being pushed out of the market.

According to new Census data, Illawarra workers on low incomes can't afford to rent a one-bedroom unit anywhere in the Illawarra or South Coast.

Only those households on a moderate income, between $1188 and $1781 a week, can afford a one-bedroom flat in Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama and the Shoalhaven.

Housing Trust CEO Michele Adair said those on lower incomes were either living in their cars, couch surfing, living in tents or sleeping rough on park benches.

"Every week, people are being squeezed out of their homes because landlords are putting rents up, or people are unable to find a home in the first place because there's not enough stock," Ms Adair said.

"We know that women, often with children, are staying in violent and abusive relationships simply because they have nowhere to go," Ms Adair said.

"What is continuing to happen is that the face of homelessness is changing. It is now working professionals and people on otherwise moderate and productive full-time salaries that are also now unable to afford to rent a home."

This crisis isn't new, but Housing Trust CEO Michele Adair fears it will continue to grip the Illawarra without urgent government action.

"What's compounding the concern and pain of people being forced out of their homes ... is there is simply no spirit of urgency or particular care of concern from local or state government," she said.

"We continue to hear optimistic comments from the federal minister (for Housing and Homelessness, Julie Collins) who expects the new legislation necessary for the federal government's big new initiatives to come into place at the end of next year.

"But I cannot find words for the suffering the thousands are going to be experiencing while we wait for governments to show leadership and get serious about doing something about the housing crisis."

With a state election on the way, Ms Adair said residents simply can't afford to wait five months for potential election promises that may take years to come into effect.

Instead, she listed immediate actions the state government could take to ease the growing crisis.

"The state government can change tenancy laws and provisions on an emergency basis. They could immediately introduce protections with regards to rent increases by putting caps on those," Ms Adair said.

"We should have no fault eviction legislation. We were one of the last states in Australia to provide that protection during COVID.

"This comes back to the fundamental problem that as a society, we have never properly valued the rental housing market and rights of tenants as being fundamental human rights to have a safe, affordable home."

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