Denine Brierley should not “spend even one more night in the house” due to chronic mould and cockroach infestation, DOCs caseworkers wrote on April 8.

Until early April, Ms Brierley had occupied for about two years a Moruya Women’s Refuge temporary home, which was managed by Southern Cross Community Housing, Batemans Bay.

The Bay Post/Moruya Examiner has a copy of a letter signed by two DOCS caseworkers declaring her “in urgent need of housing” as the Moruya house “was no longer habitable”.

“The situation has reached crisis point,” the letter said.

“It is overgrown with mould, cockroaches are encroaching to the extent that she can’t keep them off her baby and her children are getting sick when they have previously enjoyed good health.

“She cannot spend even one more night in the house. I have seen the extent of the mould growth and cockroach infestation myself and know Denine well enough to realise the level of concern she is experiencing for herself and her children,” the letter continued.

“She has six children living with her ranging in age from a 13-year-old down to a very young baby. Denine and the children require accommodation for tonight as a matter of extreme urgency and somewhere safe and secure to live on a permanent basis. Please give this matter your immediate attention.”

Ms Brierley says Housing NSW subsequently granted emergency accommodation for 20 days but it was withdrawn, she says, after the refuge said she could, in fact, live in the original house.

“Now the Department of Housing is refusing to pay any more temporary accommodation,” she said.

Ms Brierley said she moved into the tent on Monday.

Neither the refuge nor Southern Cross would comment on the record.

Ms Brierley said the refuge had on Monday denied receiving the original DOCS letter but she had since faxed a copy to them.

“They said there was no letter and I found the letter and faxed it to them and nobody has rung me back,” she said.

Ms Brierley says the house remains uninhabitable and repeated attempts to have mould treated throughout her occupation were ignored.

“I have nowhere else to go,” Ms Brierley said.

“The mould has eaten through the cupboards, windows, it has gone through all the children’s clothes. I have two trailer loads of clothes that have been ruined.

“The kids were having asthma attacks.

“I am on a disability payment because of post-traumatic stress disorder and other illnesses and they are just getting worse at the moment.

“I want a home that is liveable and safe. (The children) are upset all the time. They are stressed out because of where they are, and it is cold.”