An elderly couple who could no longer afford their rental home and were told to sleep in their car by a government agency have been saved from homelessness by kind-hearted strangers.

Pensioners Ted Lockhart, 80 and his wife, Liv, had lived in the same rental property in Umina Beach on the NSW Central Coast for 16 years.

But after three annual rent hikes increased their payments by $150 a week, the pensioners used up their life savings and were left fearing the worst.

With nowhere else to go, the devastated couple claim they were told they were not a priority at Homes NSW, as they could sleep in their car while they waited for help.

But in a heart-warming twist, strangers have stepped in to help, offering the elderly couple a new rental and a generous promise that has restored their faith in the community.

‘They have moved into a new home and the guy who owns it told them they can stay as long as they want and the rent will never go up,’ their friend Rebecca Stanford told Daily Mail.

‘They were both lost for words… Viv said it was like the weight of the world had been lifted from their shoulders.’

Mrs Lockhart previously told Daily Mail they had applied for more than 50 private  rentals with no luck, and had been on the Homes NSW waitlist for almost 10 years.

Pensioners Viv and Ted Lockhart lived in the same modest private rental for 16 years (above)

Pensioners Viv and Ted Lockhart lived in the same modest private rental for 16 years (above) 

Ted and Viv claim they were told by Homes NSW that they were not a priority for housing because they could sleep in their car

Ted and Viv claim they were told by Homes NSW that they were not a priority for housing because they could sleep in their car

Their neighbour Rebecca Stanford helped raise money for the couple

Their neighbour Rebecca Stanford helped raise money for the couple

‘There were three of us to begin with because my mum lived with us for 30 years and I was her carer,’ Mrs Lockhart said.

‘But mum died a year ago and around then I asked about housing again and that’s when they said we were no longer a priority.

‘I said we were too old to be sleeping on the streets and they said we had a car so we could sleep in that.’

Mrs Lockhart left the Homes NSW office in tears, and has now all but given up hope of getting any help from the department.

‘I understand they hear stories like ours every day but they don’t seem to have any compassion at all,’ her husband said.

Mr Lockhart, who used to work on the wharf in Balmain before moving into hospitality, said they have always worked hard and once had $10,000 saved for an emergency.

But with mounting medical bills and soaring rents, they are now down to their last $2,000.

‘We buy everything second-hand, our lounge chairs were $25 from Vinnies. We are not asking for anything apart from somewhere safe to sleep,’ Mrs Lockhart said. 

The couple have been told they can stay in their new rental for as long as they need (above)

The couple have been told they can stay in their new rental for as long as they need (above)

Viv and Ted in their new home

Viv and Ted in their new home 

‘It costs us $800 each time Ted sees his heart specialist and about the same when I have to see a neurosurgeon since I got a tremor in my brain.’

After hearing their story, Ms Stanford, who lived next door at the time, launched a GoFundMe in the hope of raising enough money to cover a bond, moving costs and essential expenses.

‘They were skipping food and medical needs to try to cover rent,’ she said.

‘They are proud, kind people who do not want to burden anyone, and asking for help is incredibly hard for them.

‘This is important to me because no elderly couple who has worked hard, paid their rent faithfully, and contributed to their community should feel that hopeless.

‘No one in their 70s and 80s should be facing homelessness or sleeping in a car.’

The couple were blown away when Ms Stanford told them they had raised just over $26,000 and that they had also received an offer of a house.

‘I updated them at $20,000 and they felt bad and wanted to close it,’ Ms Stanford said.

The couple have been married for 40 years

The couple have been married for 40 years 

‘But I convinced them to keep it up until the end of the week and got messages of support from around the world which I showed them. 

‘Then someone saw my post on Facebook and reached out about a place, and the guy who owned it just wanted a couple of weeks to get it ready for them and that was it,’ she said.

The couple did confirm that after their plight hit the media, Homes NSW had reached out to offer help. However, they decided to remain in a private rental situation. 

Ms Stanford said in the beginning, the thought of moving to a new property seemed too overwhelming for the elderly couple.

‘It was really emotional leaving their place after 16 years but ultimately they knew they would have to do it eventually.

‘They started packing and taking some things to the new place but then they tried to get the phone line connected and called me and said they wanted to stay put, but the next day they were ok again. 

‘It’s an adjustment for them but it’s going really well and they are happy there now.’

In a sign of how tough the rental market is, Mr Lockhart said that prior to the move, half of the places that they looked at ‘were not fit for dogs’. 

‘But there was still 20 or more people applying for each one of them,’ he said.

‘I don’t know why we don’t get a look-in, we have always paid on time and have good references, but maybe they just thought we are too old and don’t have much time left.’Â