Tammy Smith has been in her public housing home at Stockton for the past 25 years. She has raised a five children in the house and embedded herself in the community.
But all that is set to be ripped away with her home being sold off and Ms Smith forced to relocate.
Ms Smith requested repairs to issues such as mould, peeling paint and waterproofing, which she said were approved in April.
But she arrived home recently to a note saying the NSW Department of Family and Community Services needed to speak with her about relocating. She has an appointment on Friday to discuss where she will go.
Ms Smith lives with her son, who has autism, and became emotional when talking about having to move.
"He needs stability and routine and our community is very good with him," she said. "It's very hard to not know where you're going to go.
"Especially when I've been told the home was going to be fixed.
"I pay my rent every week and I've never been late."
"The way this government treats its housing and its tenants is an absolute disgrace."
The matter has been stressful for Ms Smith, who suffers from chronic asthma. She said she had suffered domestic violence and lived on her parents' floor before, so having a stable home was "huge".
"I haven't slept very well," she said. "My son is very devastated."
Elizabeth Turnbull lives near Ms Smith and is in a similar position. She was told repairs to her home would not be done and since found out she too needs to move.
A NSW Land and Housing Corporation spokesperson said Ms Smith was being relocated because the 75-year-old home she is living in is affected by structural damage, while Ms Turnbull is being moved because her home is affected by "significant wear and tear due to the age of the 75-year-old property".
"When a tenant is being relocated, they are assigned a dedicated specialist relocations officer to discuss where they would like to move to, as well as any schooling, health and other support needs," they said.
After the tenants move, the homes will be sold at auction. The spokesperson said most sold properties were "run down and the ongoing cost to maintain them is simply not sustainable".
Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp said the NSW Government had allowed its housing to deteriorate so they could sell it off.
"Run it down then flog it off when the value's the highest, that's the modus operandi of this government," he said.
The spokesperson said sale proceeds from old homes were invested into building new homes that are "modern, well-designed and built specifically" for the tenants. "New homes are built in areas of demand across NSW, so that the state-wide social housing portfolio grows over time," they said.
But Mr Crakanthorp questioned where these homes were being built. The Heraldreported last month there were 150 less public houses in Newcastle last year than there were a decade before.
