With one of her seven children due to have brain surgery next week, the last thing Natasha Williams needs to worry about this week is finding somewhere to live.
After last week's deluge in Dunedin, Miss Williams (26), partner Joseph Cumming (27) and their family had to abandon their flooded Bay View Rd rental property and move in with Mr Cumming's mother at her one-bedroom flat in Macandrew Bay.
Half a metre of water came up through their South Dunedin floorboards, leaving the property ''uninhabitable'', Miss Williams said.
''There's 10 of us all crammed into a one-bedroom house at the moment.
''The kids love it. It's like an all-day slumber party for them.
''But for me, it's very stressful - very overwhelming.
''I sometimes don't know where I am at the end of the day. I sit there thinking, Did this really just happen? Am I really in this position?''
Family members were all sleeping in the lounge on mattresses and everyone had to queue for the toilet and the bath, both of which were in the bathroom.
While she was grateful for her mother-in-law's support, the situation was not ideal, she said.
''The kids need their space, we need our space. It's all too close for comfort.''
As if that was not stressful enough, one of the couple's 1-year-old triplets, Teina, was born with a brain bleed and has ongoing complications caused by hydrocephalus - excessive accumulation of fluid on the brain - and is to undergo her 28th surgery next week.
''This [being forced from their home] is the last thing we need.''
Miss Williams said she was at her wit's end trying to find another flat that met all the family's requirements.
''There are no four-bedroom rental properties available in our price range.
''Even if we can get a three-bedroom house in the short term, we [my partner and I] can sleep in the lounge, because the children come first.''
The house also had to be single-storeyed and on a flat section because Teina would probably be in a wheelchair in the coming years.
''A fire would also be nice to keep warm, but I can't be too picky.''
Miss Williams said the family was struggling financially, and could only afford to pay about $330 a week in rent.
''My partner and I are on the unemployment benefit because of Teina. She's in and out of hospital. She's been in Starship, she's been in Christchurch, she's been all over the place - and while one of us is with her, someone else needs to stay home and look after the other kids."
Three of the children attend Bathgate Park School. Principal Whetu Cormick said the family was one of about a dozen in his school community affected by last week's floods.
''We've got families in our school community in dire need of help. The big problem is not food or money. It's housing. There's no housing available.''
Two families had lost everything and had nowhere to go, and some families had moved into hotels because of the lack of housing.
Mr Cormick was also concerned some families were living in wet houses.
