HOMELESSNESS AND ACCOUNTABILITY

ONE BY ONE THIS WEEK OUR SELF NOMINATED REPRESENTATIVES COULD

INDEED SHOULD TELL THOSE WHO THEY CLAIM TO REPRESENT WHAT THEY

ARE PREPARED TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR  AND WHAT THEY ARE NOT

PREPARED TO DO ABOUT HOUSING PEOPLE NOW OR IN THE FUTURE

Number of Launceston rough sleepers

in the hundreds, Salvation Army says

By Hugh Bohane August 5 2024 - 4:00pm

IMAGE: Salvation Army Launceston Corps officer Roderick Brown. Picture: Phillip Biggs

The statistics are unfathomable - on any given night, 45,850 children and young people will be homeless in Australia, and as many as 300 people have been estimated to be sleeping rough in Launceston alone.

Salvation Army corps officer Roderick Brown said the problem was becoming more and more noticeable, with the charity aware of between 250 and 300 rough sleepers in the city.

"I would say it's more visible," Auxiliary Lieutenant Brown said.

"We see tents in the Brickfields, tents at various other locations, and people sleeping rough around our CBD."

The number of people experiencing homelessness in Australia has grown 5.2% in the past five years with women and children, as well as Indigenous Australians, bearing the brunt of the housing crisis.

One of the Salvation Army's main community service programs is Street to Home (S2H), an outreach program for people experiencing homelessness.

"We advocate for the homeless, help them with applications at Homes Tasmania, and keep applications moving forward," Auxiliary Lieutenant Brown said.

Street to Home
Through the Street to Home program people experiencing homelessness are supported in practical ways, like transport to medical appointments or giving out mobile phones so Homes Tasmania can contact them.

"We distribute sleeping bags appropriately rated for the Tasmanian winter, camping gear, and dome tents, and we also provide appropriate support for people in the interim period," Auxiliary Lieutenant Brown said.

On August 1, the charity held the annual Salvos Sleep Out, raising much-needed funds to keep the Street to Home community outreach program running.

For 15 years, the Salvos Sleep Out has kept the vital Street to Home assertive outreach program running in Tasmania. Pictured are Sarah McCormack of the City of Launceston, Chris Lee of Penny Royal, Salvation Army Corps officer Roderick Brown, Tracy Briggs of Salvation Army, Anthony Kwong of Tsing Wah Asian Grocers. Picture by Phillip Biggs
For 15 years, the Salvos Sleep Out has kept the vital Street to Home assertive outreach program running in Tasmania. Pictured are Sarah McCormack of the City of Launceston, Chris Lee of Penny Royal, Salvation Army Corps officer Roderick Brown, Tracy Briggs of Salvation Army, Anthony Kwong of Tsing Wah Asian Grocers. Picture by Phillip Biggs

Care Finder Program
Another key program the charity runs is the Care Finder Program.

This supports people over 55 years old - over 47 years old for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people - who might be at risk of homelessness.

"They might be in a rental that's being sold, they might have no family support, and they need to navigate the process of moving into a nursing home or residential care," Auxiliary Lieutenant Brown said.

"So our workers help them locate alternative housing solutions."

The Salvation Army runs youth services with 10 crisis refuges across Australia and supports more than 4500 young people annually.

The charity says it helped more than 19,000 Australians at risk of homelessness - nearly 2500 of them youth - between January and April 2024.

This represented a 5 per cent overall increase compared to the same time last year, and an 11 per cent increase in demand for youth services.

Almost half of the sessions (47 per cent) were related to accommodation issues, and more than one in six (16 per cent) people accessing homelessness services were with children under the age of 14.

According to Auxiliary Lieutenant Brown, the rising cost of groceries has also directly impacted people's food security.

"We've also averaged about 10,000 meals a year, going out from our site to support the community, particularly those experiencing primary homelessness," he said.

//////////////////////////////////////

 

Thor star Chris Hemsworth says we can all be heroes for the homeless 

 By Megan Doherty Updated August 5 2024 - 12:22pm,

In an exclusive interview with the ACM network, the Hollywood star opens up on why he contributes to services for the homeless in his community and wants to see politicians, policymakers and the privileged doing more for families and children living on the brink. ...................... Watch: Chris Hemsworth's gratitude to the workers and volunteers helping the homeless in his home town of Byron Bay ...................... Byron Bay is waking up, the cafes starting to bustle and the streets bathed in a golden morning glow. Chris Hemsworth parks his non-descript four-wheel-drive and walks towards the Fletcher Street Cottage, a one-stop shop for people sleeping rough in the tourist mecca and, increasingly, also a lifeline for the working poor who can no longer make ends meet. ...................... The sun is out but there's a chill in the air. Winter still visits this world-famous surf town that attracts more than 2 million visitors a year but also has the highest rents in the nation, more rough sleepers than any other NSW local government area and house prices so astronomical that long-time locals are being driven out. ...................... With 2024 Homelessness Week beginning on August 5, Hemsworth is using his star power to urge governments and the big end of town to do more to help those living on the brink - not just in Byron, but across the nation. ...................... "I'm completely aware that a lot of people are also doing it hard," he said. "So, I'm not speaking to those individuals. It's more people like myself who are financially stable and can contribute and also to raise awareness to government about the issue." ...................... Hemsworth, Hollywood superstar and Byron local, is a major donor to the Fletcher Street Cottage which on Friday morning is serving up breakfast burgers and coffee to people who might have spent the night in their car, on a couch or on the beach. ...................... Chris Hemsworth says people in a position to help and governments need to back services like the Fletcher Street Cottage. Picture by Karleen Minney ...................... The warm, light-filled cottage in the centre of Byron also provides services to those in need, whether it's a haircut, a phone call to sort out Centrelink or a place to have a shower and wash their clothes. ...................... One of the long-term users of the cottage, who used to sleep on the banks of the Brunswick River but now lives in public housing in the town, says it is a place people can catch their breath and feel like they "belong somewhere". ...................... "The staff are very dedicated in every sense, they really care about people. They care for them as people, not numbers" the man, in his 60s, said. "It's a beautiful place in that way." ...................... And, without Chris Hemsworth and other key local donors, it's likely the cottage would have to close its door. ...................... Alarming new report shows shocking extent of child homelessness Homelessness is everywhere. We can't keep looking away...................... Homelessness in Australia IS solvable and here's how we do it It's run by the local non-profit Byron Bay Community Centre and general manager Louise O'Connell said donations from Hemsworth and others had helped renovate the cottage and engage specialist staff in areas such as mental health. ...................... "Without any any ongoing government support, we rely on philanthropic donations to keep Fletcher Street Cottage open," she said. ...................... Operating hours had to be reduced late last year from five days a week to four even as demand for services, which include meals, laundry and shower facilities plus access to community support workers, more than doubled. ...................... Chris Hemsworth in the kitchen at Byron Bay's Fletcher Street Cottage with Byron Community Centre general manager Louise O'Connell and volunteers Rhonda Whelan and Julie Ross. Picture by Karleen Minney Chris Hemsworth in the kitchen at Byron Bay's Fletcher Street Cottage with Byron Community Centre general manager Louise O'Connell and volunteers Rhonda Whelan and Julie Ross. Picture by Karleen Minney Cottage assistant manager Maddi Powell said the number of people turning up for breakfast each day had increased in the past two years from 30 to around 80 to 100. ...................... "And the need is just growing and growing," she said. ...................... "And we've definitely seen a change in the people. We're seeing a lot of families at the moment. A lot of women. A lot of single mothers escaping domestic violence. And a lot of older women who are sleeping rough or sleeping in their cars." ...................... Hemsworth, down-to-earth but also considered in everything he says, is world-famous for his role as Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. ...................... At Fletcher Street, he is just Chris the Byron local checking in on how things are going, not wanting to draw attention to himself but feeling a responsibility to step up because of his privileged position. ...................... "There are very vulnerable individuals coming through the doors from varied backgrounds and circumstances and they need our support and not our judgement," he said, after greeting the staff with a hug and chatting with the volunteers in the kitchen. ...................... He says the thought of women and children becoming homeless because they are fleeing domestic violence should be enough motivation for real change. ...................... "That should ignite in all of us a deep sense of compassion and empathy and need and want to contribute and be involved and help," he said. ...................... Hemsworth, wife Elsa Pataky and their three children live just south of Byron. It's here he retreats to between making movies and television around the world. His kids go to school locally. He plans to get them and their school mates eventually volunteering in the kitchen at Fletcher Street. ...................... Chris Hemsworth with volunteers Julie Ross and Rhonda Whelan. Picture by Karleen Minney Chris Hemsworth with volunteers Julie Ross and Rhonda Whelan. Picture by Karleen Minney "I moved here about 10 years ago and fell in love with the place and like everyone was shocked to hear about the issue of homelessness and how prominent it is here," he said. ...................... "I heard about the work Fletcher Street Cottage and Louise were doing and was motivated to get involved and contribute." ...................... The NSW government recently provided emergency funding to the cottage. Hemsworth hopes that translates into ongoing support. ...................... " [NSW Minister for Homelessness] Rose Jackson has agreed to give some government support and funding, which is great," he said. ...................... "But it still requires a lot of involvement from the community, including people who are in a position to help, like myself." ...................... Hemsworth says he's learnt a lot from his involvement, including that the homeless, those living on the edge, do not always fit the stereotype - something repeated across the country during a cost of living crisis. ...................... "I've heard stories from the team here about the people who are in the shadows and how there is a certain shame or guilt that comes with it," he said. ...................... "They're living in cars and various places ... still taking kids to school, still trying to seek work or going to work, but living out of the back of a car. And so it's not just the obvious cases." ...................... Click above to learn more about Byron Bay's Fletcher Street Cottage. ...................... An alarming report released on Monday reveals the homelessness crisis is not easing - and children are suffering. ...................... The new Homelessness Australia data shows that more than 76,000 children under the age of 18 sought help from homelessness support services across the nation annually. ...................... Almost 16,000 of them were alone - unaccompanied by a parent or care-giver - and many were fleeing family violence, abuse or neglect. ...................... A further 19,833 children were turned away from support services without being provided any assistance at all, a result of what Homelessness Australia says is the "severe lack of resources and overwhelming demand faced by the sector". ...................... "As a dad, as a human being, for all of us, it pulls on our heartstrings in a very dramatic way," Hemsworth said. ...................... "My parents spent their working career in child protection and I was always inspired by the work they were doing and also found it incredibly heartbreaking. "Those formative years as kids are the foundation of who we are as people, our opinions of ourselves, the world around us. If that period is not spent in a safe environment, with love and support, the ripple effect is catastrophic." ...................... Hemsworth wants more people like him who are in a better financial position to help fix homelessness. Picture by Karleen Minney ...................... That takes him back to his first point: fixing homelessness is a collective responsibility. ...................... "We as human beings have a responsibility to each other, we have a responsibility to take care of one another, to be kind, to be compassionate," he said. "We don't always do the best job at that, but when we do we can have a profound, positive effect." ...................... Not everyone at the cottage knows Chris as the actor. Julie Ross, who lives on a nearby macadamia farm and volunteers once a week in the cottage kitchen, had no idea he was someone famous. She's just happy to lend a hand and give a cheery hello to whoever walks through the door. ...................... Anonymity is something that suits Hemsworth just fine. He wants to be part of the community and, here, he can be just Chris. ...................... "It's why we moved here," he said. "I lived in LA for probably 15 years and had kids and it got very chaotic as far as the paparazzi went. People travel there from all around the world to go and sightsee celebrities. So we moved here to fly under the radar and I've found that we've had a great relationship with the local community here. ...................... "The paparazzi pop up occasionally but it's nothing like the States. And it's just a beautiful place. There's a magnetic pull here that runs deep. It certainly feels like home now and I feel very fortunate and grateful to live here." ...................... Fletcher Street Cottage volunteers Rhonda Whelan and Julie Ross. Picture by Karleen Minney ...................... Retired occupational therapist Rhonda Whelan, 64, has lived in Byron for 40 years and also volunteers at the Fletcher Street Cottage. ...................... She's seen a lot change and things become harder for families. The median house price, for a start, is $2.8 million. ...................... "My own children and my friend's children, who are now grown up, can't afford to live in the town where they grew up," Mrs Whelan said. ...................... "And that's very common among my peers. Their children have no expectation they will be able to buy a house here. ...................... "It's very sad, we can't keep teachers. I'm an OT and when I retired, it was very difficult to fill my position. Those middle-range professionals can't even afford to come here. It's a real problem." ...................... While the image of Byron Bay is of carefree backpackers and Instagram models, Mrs Whelan says it also has a strong bedrock of community. Something that Hemsworth feels too. ...................... "We still love it here," she said. "I love that we have such fantastic facilities in a beautiful environment. But that, of course, comes with challenges because so many people love it here and that has changed the real estate situation." ...................... And, as Mrs Whelan notes, Hemsworth may just be the successor to Strop. ...................... "In the old days we had John Cornell and Delvene Delaney [the once long-time owners of the Byron Bay Beach Hotel] and they were the previous Hemsworths and they were really gorgeous contributors to the town."