Homelessness not a choice’: Hard life on Perth streets
  The West Australian
Friday, 6 April 2018


It took only a short walk from one side of the CBD to the other to get a sense of how deep Perth’s homeless problem might go.   :(

Even mid-morning on a weekday The West Australian stumbled within minutes on telltale, human-shaped bundles wrapped in doonas or sleeping bags and tucked into the alcoves between buildings or down alleys.

In a nook beside His Majesty’s Theatre carpark a blanket-shrouded figure slumbered beside a shopping trolley holding their meagre possessions.


A sheltered corner by the entrance to a Murray Street bank provided a similarly suitable spot for another rough sleeper, so well-concealed that they scarcely merited a second glance from people walking by just a metre away.


Begging, in contrast, requires visibility.

Squatting beside the revamped Treasury buildings, a man with shaking hands and sun-bronzed skin politely asked passers-by if they could spare a dollar. None could.


On Hay Street, another man sat cross-legged on the dirty footpath, reading a magazine while passers-by ignored the upturned cap in front of him.




By the entrance to the train station, a young man, his possessions strapped to a battered suitcase on wheels, investigated the contents of a bin.

If any of these apparently itinerant people had homes to go to, they did not appear inclined to use them.

For the most part, the steady stream of shoppers and city workers passed by these people on the street without a second glance, eyes fixed firmly to the footpath or their smartphone, unable or unwilling to engage.

Those who wind up on the streets of Perth are the public faces of homelessness.

But they are indicative of a much wider problem. Far more common, according to Shelter WA chief executive Michelle Mackenzie, are the “hidden homeless”, who sleep in their cars at night or “couch surf” between the homes of friends and family.

Most homeless people were “not the stereotype that you might see in the City of Perth”.

“People don’t choose to be homeless,” Ms Mackenzie said. 

“Homelessness is a symptom of a broken social and affordable housing system.

“You see people who are homeless in the City of Perth or the City of Fremantle, but it’s the hidden homeless who are sleeping with friends or sleeping in cars.”

Not enough affordable housing is one of the main drivers of homelessness. 

Since 2000, rents in Perth had increased 135 per cent, while the minimum wage had risen only 80 per cent, Ms Mackenzie said.   :(

Many homeless people were also fleeing domestic violence.

Ms Mackenzie said it was important to build community awareness that homelessness “can be stopped”.

“It’s not an acceptable thing in Perth,” she said.

April 5 2018 illawara Mercury
Call for council to act over city's growing 'homelessness crisis'



With homelessness on the rise in NSW and Wollongong continuing to feel the squeeze from Sydney’s house price boom, Wollongong councillors have agreed to investigate what they can do to address the growing problem of housing affordability.

At this week’s meeting, Greens councillor Mithra Cox asked other councillors if they were “okay with people sleeping in the sand dunes at City Beach because there are literally no other options for them”.   :(

“Something has gone terribly wrong with housing in this country,” she said, asking councillors to seek out more information on what they could do to fix the problem.

“We are now in a situation in Wollongong where, if you are earning the minimum wage – you could be a household with both people employed – you can not buy a house in Wollongong anymore.”

“The means there is going to be a generation of people who are renting for their entire lives.”

She also noted that for anyone living on the government’s Newstart allowance, there was not a single house deemed to be affordable to rent within the Wollongong LGA.   

This meant 16 per cent of young people on income support could not afford anywhere to live, she said.

Other councillors agreed to ask staff to supply a face-to-face briefing or written information of ways the council can intervene.

Among the measures they will consider is lobbying for Wollongong to be included on a state planning policy that allows councils to mandate a certain number of affordable homes within large developments.



They will also look at whether developers could be encouraged to build affordable homes in exchange for the council waiving development fees or certain restrictions, and see if it would be possible for the council to build its own social housing on surplus council-owned land.

Recently released Census figures showed homelessness in NSW jumped by more than 30 per cent between the 2011 and 2016 surveys.   :(

While the increase in the Illawarra was much lower (up by four per cent), the council last year revealed homelessness had increased by 85 per cent in the Wollongong LGA over the past decade.

As well, it said that more than 9000 Wollongong households were experiencing housing stress and struggling to pay their rent or mortgages.   :(

“This has been backed up by a number of letters we have received as councillors complaining about people sleeping rough in the sand dunes at South Beach and other places in the city, so these stats are not just stats,” Cr Cox said.

“So I want to get a sense about what levers are available to us to help improve this situation.”

Her notice of motion was supported unanimously by other councillors.

Additionally, later this year, the council will be publishing the next stage of its future housing strategy for the city, releasing an options paper which will provide more detail on some of the above measures

People always have a choice.

For some the "choice" is whether to sleep on the beach or in the park

Spot

people need to understand the implications of NOT climbing the "narrow road to success".

if you mess up your life and start to go down, it isnt linear.
you start to fall over the cliff.

one bad decision can lead to 4 bad events can lead to dozens of things going wrong.

if yo are lazy at work and lose your job, then you are at home bored , then you start to drink , then you dont eat properly, then you get sick, then you get depressed, then your partner leaves you because they are sick of your mediocre life, then you get angry, then you do something criminal and get a criminal record and cant pass a police check, good luck getting a job now, then you get all butt hurt and play the victim, now you lose all your friends because they are sick of your whining, now when you cant pay the rent , you literally are homeless bacause you have driven everyone away.


contrast that with a guy who works hard and is a great father, who contributes to his kids, his workplace, his community.

now he gets old and frail .

people , his kids, his mates are LINING UP to help him.

when you go up its isnt linear either.its a parabola.

"from those who have nothing, even what little they have will be taken"
"to those who have much, even more will be given".

old jesus (whether he existed or not) sure was a pretty wise philosopher

whiteknight wrote on Apr 6^th, 2018 at 7:15am:

Homelessness not a choice’: Hard life on Perth streets   The West Australian Friday, 6 April 2018 It took only a short walk from one side of the CBD to the other to get a sense of how deep Perth’s homeless problem might go.   :( Even mid-morning on a weekday The West Australian stumbled within minutes on telltale, human-shaped bundles wrapped in doonas or sleeping bags and tucked into the alcoves between buildings or down alleys. In a nook beside His Majesty’s Theatre carpark a blanket-shrouded figure slumbered beside a shopping trolley holding their meagre possessions. A sheltered corner by the entrance to a Murray Street bank provided a similarly suitable spot for another rough sleeper, so well-concealed that they scarcely merited a second glance from people walking by just a metre away. Begging, in contrast, requires visibility. Squatting beside the revamped Treasury buildings, a man with shaking hands and sun-bronzed skin politely asked passers-by if they could spare a dollar. None could. On Hay Street, another man sat cross-legged on the dirty footpath, reading a magazine while passers-by ignored the upturned cap in front of him. By the entrance to the train station, a young man, his possessions strapped to a battered suitcase on wheels, investigated the contents of a bin. If any of these apparently itinerant people had homes to go to, they did not appear inclined to use them. For the most part, the steady stream of shoppers and city workers passed by these people on the street without a second glance, eyes fixed firmly to the footpath or their smartphone, unable or unwilling to engage. Those who wind up on the streets of Perth are the public faces of homelessness. But they are indicative of a much wider problem. Far more common, according to Shelter WA chief executive Michelle Mackenzie, are the “hidden homeless”, who sleep in their cars at night or “couch surf” between the homes of friends and family. Most homeless people were “not the stereotype that you might see in the City of Perth”. “People don’t choose to be homeless,” Ms Mackenzie said.  “Homelessness is a symptom of a broken social and affordable housing system. “You see people who are homeless in the City of Perth or the City of Fremantle, but it’s the hidden homeless who are sleeping with friends or sleeping in cars.” Not enough affordable housing is one of the main drivers of homelessness.  Since 2000, rents in Perth had increased 135 per cent, while the minimum wage had risen only 80 per cent, Ms Mackenzie said.   :( Many homeless people were also fleeing domestic violence. Ms Mackenzie said it was important to build community awareness that homelessness “can be stopped”. “It’s not an acceptable thing in Perth,” she said.

Did you meet peccamitty on your walk or was he at home in his mother's basement?

Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Apr 6^th, 2018 at 7:36am:

For some the "choice" is whether to sleep on the beach or in the park Spot

Either that, or give up the drugs.

A lot of ex-service personnel are finding themselves on the streets, with serious mental health issues, abandoned by Vet Affairs and all governments.

An appalling situation and one we all should be ashamed of.

BigOl64 wrote on Apr 6^th, 2018 at 5:34pm:

A lot of ex-service personnel are finding themselves on the streets, with serious mental health issues, abandoned by Vet Affairs and all governments. An appalling situation and one we all should be ashamed of.

No man or woman who has pledged their lives for this country should be treated with disrespect.
Politicians should be open slather
But these people, regardless of being called into action or not, have willingly pledged their lives when they sign up.

We should be far more concerned about their health and wellbeing than some bloody reffo, abbo, pooftah or deadbeat dole bludger.

Perhaps if a couple of them used their skills to take out a few lollies, they might get a bit more respect.

freediver wrote on Apr 6^th, 2018 at 4:53pm:

Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Apr 6th, 2018 at 7:36am: For some the "choice" is whether to sleep on the beach or in the park Spot Either that, or give up the drugs.

What makes you think they are on drugs? I saw some homeless last night in sydney and they didnt seem like junkies to me.

Spot

Free trade and globalization, in the end we're all headed to this ending some slower than others.

Communism and Free trade/globalisation two sides of the same coin.

We need a new coin.

Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Apr 8^th, 2018 at 6:54am:

freediver wrote on Apr 6th, 2018 at 4:53pm: Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Apr 6th, 2018 at 7:36am: For some the "choice" is whether to sleep on the beach or in the park Spot Either that, or give up the drugs. What makes you think they are on drugs? I saw some homeless last night in sydney and they didnt seem like junkies to me. Spot

How close did you get?