Unhiding hidden homelessness
Homelessness…you may be thinking of people sleeping in doorways or maybe a sleeping bag or tent in a local park comes to mind, right? You’re not wrong, but you’re also not seeing the whole picture. The hidden homelessness crisis gripping Australia is real and increasing, with the majority of people without a safe place to call home often going unseen.
Young children in domestic and family violence shelters, older women sleeping in their cars, young people couch surfing through high school or keeping their homelife in a tent secret, people staying in boarding houses or overcrowded houses.
These circumstances are kept from us, their colleagues, friends and family, often feeling shame and fear, they face the increasingly harsh reality alone. People facing hidden homelessness may not be who we think they are, but this is the reality for too many Australians who are reaching out for help for the first time in their lives.
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For people on low incomes there are few affordable rentals available across Australia. This is driving our current cost-of-living and hidden homelessness crisis. The past 12 months have seen rising numbers of people seeking assistance from the grassroots community organisations we support. Alarmingly, many organisations report seeing close to double the number of people of last year, at a time when their donation support is falling.
As part of our Winter Appeal, we’re telling the stories of people who often go Unseen, grappling with homelessness that is often hidden. The below names have been changed and the story details are a general representation of those who we have supported.
Unseen Stories
Ricky is experiencing hidden homelessness at 52 years old, staying in unsafe boarding houses.
Sudden unemployment left Ricky, aged 52, facing homelessness. Struggling with his mental health, Ricky found it nearly impossible to find suitable employment again and started to get behind on bills and rent.
Without an adequate income, Ricky had no choice but to leave his home and for a while, found shelter at various boarding houses. These are usually dangerous and poorly run so Ricky often finds himself going from one to another.
Homelessness has had a traumatic effect on Ricky’s health. The loneliness, fear, uncertainty, and stress has exacerbated his mental health challenges. Ricky finds bouncing between boarding houses to be both incredibly isolating and exhausting.
With safety, shelter, food, and water on the priority list, Ricky has little capacity to navigate the complex housing or health systems to find the support he needs.
A local Drop-in Centre provides a community meal where Ricky can feel less lonely, be referred to long term housing pathways and get a nutritious hot meal and other support.
Jordan is 17 and experiencing hidden homelessness, sleeping rough and couchsurfing.
Jordan is in year 11 and wants to become an engineer. When they’re walking down the street or hanging out at the skatepark with their mates, Jordan feels like any other young person.
But when their friends go home, they walk down the river and get set up next to the overpass for the night.
Jordan doesn’t want their friends or teachers to know, they feel it’s easier if they just try to deal with it themself. Jordan has been managing but coming into winter, things are a lot harder with the nights cold and damp.
They had a tent for a while but they came back one evening and it was gone.
Sometimes ,Jordan stays with a friend which means they can get a hot shower, but makes sure it’s never long enough to be suspicious.
A local neighbourhood house is where Jordan can use a shower and toilet, get warmer clothes and a waterproof swag so they can manage the colder nights while they work towards a more permanent housing solution.
6 year old Ali is experiencing hidden homelessness, staying in a refuge with his mum.
Ali doesn’t mind the motel, but it’s not really home. It doesn’t have any of his toys or books and there’s other people that live there too. There used to be a lot of shouting and crying at his old home and eventually mum and Ali left suddenly one day. They had to keep moving around, staying in other peoples homes and sleeping on couches or the floor.
Ali had to stop going to school for a while and he helped Mum talk to the caseworker in English so that she could help them find a new home. This room at the motel was all there was, but it was a relief to stay in one spot for a while. Mum keeps saying this won’t be forever which makes Ali nervous.
Ali has started at a new school but he’s really struggled to make new friends and catch up on the work he’s missed. He feels left out and lonely as he can’t invite other kids back to his place. It feels like he’s hiding a big secret or pretending to be someone else.
Ali and his mum need support to move towards accessing and maintaining long term housing. Moving costs, bond, and kitting out a new house from scratch are all expenses that they can’t afford.
Susan is experiencing hidden homelessness at 60 years old, sleeping in her car.
Susan spends a lot of time alone. A marriage breakdown left her scrambling for a safe place to call home, and 3 years on she is still sleeping in her cramped car.
Susan tries to find spots near public toilets and beach shower blocks, but these are often patrolled by council workers who will wake her with a knock on the window. She doesn’t know where she is supposed to “move on” to, but just to avoid a fine she cannot afford, she needs to move somewhere.
Each day is a complex challenge of meeting basic needs; where can I shower, what charity is open today for a community meal, how much fuel do I have left, do I have enough change to use a laundromat, and so on.
It’s increasingly difficult for Susan to manage her diabetes and worsening arthritis. Needing to be always on the move, Susan has become increasingly disconnected from friends and family. She’s emotionally burnt out, mentally exhausted and her physical health is suffering from the cold nights in a cramped car.
Through assertive outreach, Susan can get the medical care she needs and at a neighbourhood centre, she can find friendly faces to talk to and free laundry and shower facilities
Your donation, your choice of impact
As always, our focus will be on seeking out and supporting smaller, grassroots organisations to better respond to the needs of their communities. But we’re also empowering our donor community to choose how they take action on hidden homelessness this Winter. Funds raised will be directed to 3 key areas:
Outreach and Drop In Services: donations will help provide critical assertive outreach support, healthcare or drop-in services to those who are ‘unseen’.
Immediate Care and Support: donation will help provide free showers and laundry facilities, hygiene products, hot nutritious meals, and warm clothing.
Shelter and Housing: donations will help provide access to temporary housing, or get set up in new homes with household essentials.
We work collaboratively, and encourage businesses, philanthropic Trusts and Foundations and individuals to work together for collective action and impact. Please reach out at partners@streetsmartaustralia.org if this sounds like you and you’d like to know more.
