Bega's Robert Fabbro has been commuting three hours to and from work each day because the housing crisis in his area is preventing him from finding a home closer to work.
The 30-year-old took up a new job in tech support in the town of Moruya after his hours in a hospitality role got cut back due to the pandemic.
Mr Fabbro said he had been trying to find a new place to live for the past six months.
"It's becoming a nightmare," he said.
Mr Fabbro has been living in a share house in Bega for the past three years and enjoys the area, but his finances and social life have taken a hit.
An exhausting three-hour daily round trip is costing him $250 per week in fuel and he struggles to have enough time to see people.
There are few options available in his $240 per week budget, with available properties currently ranging between $300 to $1,000.
"I spend most of my time either at work or driving. When I do have days off, I'm just sleeping," he said.
"I've become a bit of a hermit."
The housing shortage also meant Mr Fabbro could not be picky, even though he would ideally like a home to himself that also accepted pets.
He said he would consider share housing and leaving his dog behind to secure a rental anywhere between Bermagui and Batemans Bay in a bid to shorten his commute.
"I just need to find somewhere that's a little bit closer," he said.
Taskforce assigned
Situations like Mr Fabbro's have prompted the NSW government to launch a Regional Housing Taskforce to combat housing shortages across the state.
The taskforce, made up of senior experts from the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) and Department of Regional NSW, is expected to conduct public and online workshops to identify constraints to housing supply, diversity, and affordability.
Newcastle-based independent planning expert Garry Fielding has been assigned taskforce chair and said he would begin work immediately in order to report findings to the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Rob Stokes, by September.
"Between now and then, there will be considerable consultation with local councils, industry groups and importantly community groups in regional NSW," Mr Fielding said.
On top of conducting workshops, the taskforce encouraged submissions online via the DPIE's planning portal.
"We really had to hit the road running with this," Mr Fielding said.
