Ms Maureen, a single mother with two young children, said her family was quickly outgrowing the two-bedroom unit they were currently renting.

"It's just not big enough," she said.

"The kids can't keep sharing a bedroom with each other - they have trouble sleeping because they keep each other awake."

But Ms Maureen said finding a new place had proved an exceptionally difficult process.

"Every place I apply for, I keep getting knocked back, or they don't get back to me," she said.

"There seems to be very minimal available with real estate at the moment."

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Renting in Horsham has rarely been more competitive.

Recent figures showed the rental vacancy rate at a nine-year low of 0.6 per cent in the postcode 3400.

Ms Maureen said she was not the only one having trouble finding a new home.

"I know heaps of people that have been looking for a couple of months and haven't found anything," she said.

"I think the other part is, they look at me as a single mother and think I won't be able to afford the rent and things like that.

"So it has been quite difficult."

Wimmera Development Agency project manager Mark Fletcher has been working on a report into the Wimmera's housing situation.

He said the rental shortage was widespread across the region and had been an issue for "a considerable amount of time".

He said the financial impact of COVID-19 had also worsened the situation.

READ MORE ON HORSHAM'S RENTAL VACANCY RATE

Ms Maureen recently applied for help with Uniting Wimmera for her situation - and she's not the only one.

"One of the things we've noted during this time is that a number of support agencies are also seeing increased calls for assistance, especially in housing support areas," Mr Fletcher said.

"So there's a little bit more pressure on looking for emergency housing and accommodation as well.

"But certainly through the COVID period, we have seen that rental vacancy rate going down."

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