<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Thousands of South Australians are languishing on the public housing waitlist while hundreds of homes remain empty across the state.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The damning data, revealed exclusively to 9News, exposes just how many residents are holding out hope of one day having their own roof to sleep under.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The figures show that almost 1500 public housing dwellings are currently vacant across the state, while 16,000 people remain on the waitlist.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/toolooa-fatal-house-fire-charges-murder-gladstone-queensland-news/bb389c85-26aa-4156-a6f4-e604d7be8634" target="_blank"><strong><span>Woman charged with murder after mother, boys die in house fire</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The situation is particularly acute for those classified as category one – the highest-priority applicants in urgent need of accommodation. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Thomas Ray, a South Australian working two jobs, has been living in a friend's garage for years while waiting for a property. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I'm just waiting for that day you get a phone call saying 'congratulations, you've got a house'," he said. </span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/south-australia-vacant-social-housing/02f4ad6a-5c3b-415d-91fc-4ed8fd39f759" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Sometimes, I'm not proud to say it, but I go a day or two without eating, just to make sure I have money for fuel and all that stuff.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It's just ridiculous."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/dezi-freeman-search-taskforce-to-take-over-manhunt-porepunkah-mount-buffalo-victoria-crime-news/0aaecc4d-293a-4d1a-809d-0af5759dc0af" target="_blank"><strong><span>Specialist taskforce to take over search for Dezi Freeman</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Kimmet Cufi, who is also the waitlist, lives near several vacant trust homes in Maylands. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"There's three of them here, all empty, and they've been empty for months and months and months," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The majority of vacant properties are located in the northern and western suburbs of Adelaide. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"What we're doing in these homes is completely renovating them, making them fit for purpose," Housing Minister Nick Champion said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The government argues vacancies have actually gone down since it came to power, but that the speed of renovations remains a challenge.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I'm going to be honest, if I had a house with maybe a faulty kitchen and all that stuff, I would pay my own money just to live in that house," Ray said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><span>This article was produced with the assistance of </span></em><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/technology/9express/16480c33-636a-461f-9c4f-d0e2522c722a"><em><span>9ExPress</span></em></a><em><span>.</span></em></div></div>