“The place  is full of mould, with an intermittently working septic system. There’s a fireplace but we can’t afford wood… so we rug up with Oodies," the Adelaide mum reveals.

Being able to eat regular meals has become a luxury for Adelaide mum, Wynona and her partner, David.

The couple regularly go without breakfast and lunch to ensure they can afford to buy the few foods their severely autistic six-year-old daughter, Savannah, will eat.

“When we go to the shops, I have to budget in what my daughter will eat first as she only likes a limited number of things. We will eat less to ensure she gets what she needs,” the young mum tells Kidspot.

“David and I can have a coffee for lunch or breakfast, I’ll make sure everyone gets dinner because we won’t have eaten through the day.”

Since becoming homeless in March, when their rental property was sold, their financial situation has become dire and each day they stand in long rental lines, while trying to placate Savannah, hoping to find somewhere to live.

Despite losing their home of two years they feel they are lucky to be able to stay, albeit as visitors, in an old rundown, previously abandoned farmhouse rented by Wynona’s mum.

“All I want in this world is to have a home for Savannah,” the 28-year-old cries.

“I’ve got a lump in my throat thinking about it, but I have to smile at my daughter. I don’t want her to know that Mummy’s feeling bad. I have to keep going because of her.”

There have been many weeks when they’ve not been able to afford the petrol for the hour-round trip from the farmhouse at Kangarilla to Savannah’s school at Aldinga Beach.

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“It’s so hard to keep Savannah warm because she won’t keep socks on her feet. It’s concerning; I

However, after weeks of saving Wynona says proudly, she can finally afford to buy Savannah a uniform.

The family rely on Centrelink benefits as Wynona is Savannah’s primary carer and David, 36, is unemployed due to a workplace injury.

Wynona says trying to budget for Savannah’s needs is difficult as her non-verbal daughter is still in nappies day and night, drinks from bottles, which she frequently chews through, eats with her hands and has even thrown her iPad out of the car which was then run over by a truck.

“When it comes to budgeting through the week, we have no idea what’s coming with Savannah,” she explains.

“She needs proloquo2Go on the iPad to communicate, but we can’t afford it.”

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Living on such tight a budget and with no washing machine means Wynona and David only change their clothes when they are dirty or smelly, reserving trips to the laundromat for times when Savannah might have soiled the bed.

“I used to wash in a bucket, but we found a hand crank camp washing machine left at a caravan park we can use,” Wynona says.

“The place we are staying at isn’t great. It’s full of mould, with an intermittently working septic system. It’s been freezing with ice on the ground, but there’s no heating, apart from a fireplace and we can’t afford the wood… so we rug up with Oodies.

“It’s so hard to keep Savannah warm because she won’t keep socks on her feet. It’s concerning; I don’t want her to get sick.”

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The distressed mum is at her wit’s end…

“Our autistic daughter needs a warm house and stability. I feel I’m not doing enough for her. She shouldn’t be homeless,” Wynona says fighting back the tears.

She never dreamed they’d be in the situation they’re in.

“There are houses upon houses and we have nowhere to go. It feels like the world doesn’t care; that we are here, and no one wants you here because there is no place for us,” Wynona cries.

“Knowing there are other mothers out there like me, makes me want to fight for them. I don’t want them to worry what Christmas will look like or what they will do for their child’s birthday.”

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Realising they are not alone, the incredible couple have created The One Dollar Dream project to help others suffering due to the rental crisis.

Their aim is to raise enough money to buy land and build tiny shipping container houses on it.

David says a two-bedroom one will cost just $35,000 to erect and residents would have free solar power and, with all their vegetables grown on the land.

His plan is to keep people’s living costs at 30 per cent of their income while they stay, which would enable them to save money for bond and rent.

“People need a break,” David says. “We keep tightening our belt, but there are only so many holes you can put in it.”

In July, South Australian Premier, Peter Malinauskas wrote to David acknowledging their dire situation affecting many people in the state.

He said the government is investing nearly $180 million in delivering 400 new public housing and bringing another 350 up to standard so they can provide shelter to families in need.

It also includes a maintenance blitz on a further 3,000 homes to provide safer and suitable accommodation, and also introducing low deposit home loans for first homeowners on top of the existing First Home Buyer grant.