Amid a cost-of-living crisis, homelessness and poverty is picking up in prevalence, and support services are feeling the demand pinch as much as ever, Gerald Lynch discovers.
It’s closer than you think. That’s the message this National Homeless Week, which runs August 5 to 11.
Amid a cost-of-living crisis, the latter part of 2024 appears to offer little relief, with research indicating Australians are struggling to afford basic needs, deferring crucial healthcare and working 86 million extra hours to keep afloat.
Recently released research by free mobile laundry and shower service, Orange Sky, revealed that 57 per cent of Australians struggle to make ends meet annually, with 27 per cent struggling as often as monthly.
The new research came as government data indicates household inflation rates have skyrocketed by 3.6 per cent over the past 12 months, with housing, food and health costs climbing by over 3 per cent in the same period of time.
Sadly, to meet growing costs, the new research reveals three in five (59 per cent) Australians have had to moderately or significantly adjust their lifestyle due to the rising cost-of-living.
Orange Sky St Albans team leader Ben Campbell originally joined the organisation during covid as a way to get out of the house, but four years later he couldn’t imagine not being involved.
“When everyone was locked down, I was like OK, I need to get out of the house, and one of the loopholes essentially, to do that was volunteering,” he said.
“It really helped open my eyes to appreciate what I had, because of course through the pandemic, we all thought it was an extremely tough time but then on the other side of it, people were living on the streets not having a place to live or living in potentially dangerous situations who were having it a lot worse than I was.
“So it gave me this fresh perspective. It gave me a greater appreciation for what I have and what others have and just trying to help them make it through the weeks.”
Mr Campbell is mainly involved with the Orange Sky’s laundry service, a mobile service that washes people’s clothes and also provides meals. He said while the service is used less in the winter, just as many people come down to have a chat and a smile, a service that is intangible yet invaluable.
“Not all the attendees use our service but it doesn’t really matter, they might get food from the other service providers or just come for a conversation where they can feel heard,” he said.
“Most of the time the homeless feel invisible, feel like they’re ignored by society and not really appreciated in any way shape or form. So we’re just there to kind of give them that support.
“To give them an ear and just listen to them and just make them feel a bit more normal, because they are normal.”
He said there are misconceptions about homeless people that make them feel unworthy of interacting with other people sometimes, and he hopes to see further education and change in public perception.
“There’s the whole idea of homelessness, I imagine for the general public, that they’ve put themselves in this situation and they can’t bring themselves out of it,” Mr Campbell said.
“The reality is there are so many factors that can contribute (to a person becoming homeless), there is often trauma, domestic violence, mental illnesses and all sorts that can really contribute to people getting into the situation.”
Orange Sky co-founder Nic Marchesi said growing costs and expenses are placing unsustainable pressure on everyday Australians, who are having to make tough sacrifices just to keep up.
“No one deserves to go without essentials , clean clothes, a hot shower and a safe place to sleep,” he said.
“However, rising costs are increasingly forcing everyday Australians to choose between living essentials, bills and rent, and people who may have never thought they would be struggling financially are turning to us for help.
“We have seen a 21 per cent increase in demand for our services since last financial year, and this increase is coming from families, retirees, students and middle-aged women and men. Even people with current employment are coming to us for help.
“To support the growing number of Aussies experiencing homelessness and hardship, in the last financial year, we launched services in five new locations. In addition to the brand-new services, we launched 36 new shifts in already existing services.
“Concerningly, escalating costs are seeing Aussies not only struggling to afford the essentials, but also to find safety and security, with the research revealing more than one in ten have had to forego a meal due to a lack of funds, while over one in six have borrowed money, sold something or taken out a loan just to pay rent or bills.
“Amid a national housing crisis which has seen mortgage prices hit an all-time high in June of this year, weekly rent prices rising by 8 per cent in the past 12 months, and rental vacancy rates sitting at the lowest they’ve been in a decade, it’s no surprise there’s an increase of Australians heading into tough times.
“Homelessness can be much closer than you might think it is. These statistics are people, people that we see each and every day, and people who need our support. Homelessness can impact anyone, and as we see financial hardship escalate, all it could take is one unfortunate circumstance for you or someone you know to fall on tough time.”
Orange Sky receives government funding, but with more and more people being forced to live on the streets, help from those who can afford it is being encouraged this Homelessness week.
Donate at orangesky.org.au
