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"Lost everything": Retirees left homeless after houseboat destroyed

Two grandparents from South Australia have lost everything after a tree fell on their houseboat during a wild storm. Pam, 77, and David, 82, moved into their two-bedroom houseboat on the Murray River when they first retired over 20 years ago, after finally living out their dream of living on the water. During a storm on February 13th, when their houseboat was moored about 700m from the Renmark boat ramp, their lives were changed forever when a tree fell through their roof. Their granddaughter Shenay Harris said it was a miracle the pair escaped with only minor injuries. “They’re both sitting in their armchairs next to each other. My nan was actually stuck. Her legs were pinned from all the rubble of the roof caving in, and my pop managed to be able to stand up and reach for the phone to call emergency services,” Harris told <a href="https://7news.com.au/news/south-australian-grandparents-lose-everything-after-tree-falls-on-houseboat-in-murray-river-during-storm--c-13615764" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7News</a>. “Looking at the boat and where they were sitting and everything, we have no idea how they are still with us. It’s just absolutely amazing that they’re still here, and they’re OK.” Shenay said her grandparents were now feeling lost about their future, while also grieving the loss of their retirement home. “My pop, he’s absolutely shattered. He’s said to us ‘it’s all over now’ ... (we’re) trying to reassure him (that) ‘no, it’s just a new beginning’,” Harris said. “They’ve been on that boat for 23 years, so it’s been my whole childhood and life with them living on the boat." The houseboat was not insured at the time of the accident, leaving both of the retirees homeless, with no hope for a replacement boat or a payout to get them back on their feet. “They’ve literally just lost everything they’ve got, you know, no assets, nowhere to go, no money,” Shenay said. An <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/riverland-houseboat-tragedy-pamelas-joy?cdn-cache=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">online fundraiser</a> has been set up to support the couple as they figure out the next stage of their life, so far raising $3,000. “They’re both pensioners, they’ve really got nothing to their name now, having lost the boat. So really just to get them back on their feet.” Image credits: GoFundMe / 7News

Retirement Life

How one homeless man turned $5 into $106k

A New Zealand man's life has turned upside down after his small wager turned into a big win. Robert, who has been living in a garage for the last nine months, was pleasantly surprised when he noticed five extra zeros next to his account balance the day after the Melbourne Cup. It tuned out that he had remarkably won NZ$106,000 ($97,781.29 AUD) from a $5 bet on the $8.4 million Cup, which was won by Without A Fight. “It was quite an emotional process, mate,” Robert told the NZ Herald. “I couldn’t believe it, and I thought to myself, ‘there must be something wrong here’.” Robert, had placed the bet the day before the race at the Petone Working Men’s Club, and to his surprise found a green tick next to his first four Easybets. Now, he intends to use the money to improve his life. “I’ve gone from being homeless, sitting in a garage to finally being able to afford a deposit on a house now,” he said. This is the first time in 22 years that a horse has won both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup double. Due to privacy reasons the Totalisator Agency Board (TAB) is unable to disclose further information on the wager. Image: Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images

Money & Banking

“Deeply disappointed”: The Wiggles hit out at council’s “harsh” use of iconic song

The Wiggles have taken aim at the Western Australian city of Bunbury for using their iconic song in a “harsh” way. The childrens’ entertainers found out the local council had been playing their song Hot Potato on an endless loop to deter homeless people from congregating. The song had been playing at the Graham Bricknell Music Shell, a stage in one of the town’s parks, that plays host to bands and events. When not in use for entertainment purposes, homeless people would gather under the shell and pitch tent to seek shelter from the elements. After being alerted to the fact that their song was being used in such a callous way, The Wiggles contacted The City of Bunbury and banned them from using the song. In a statement given to the <a href="https://thewest.com.au/entertainment/the-wiggles-slap-the-city-of-bunbury-with-music-ban-over-homelessness-row--c-12413889" target="_blank" rel="noopener">West Australian, </a>they said, “The Wiggles’ music is created to bring joy and happiness to children and families around the world, and we are deeply disappointed to hear that it is being used in any other way.” The council had been using the Wiggles’ song for around six months before the band issued their ban. Mayor of Bunbury Jaysen Miguel defended his decision to play the music, saying, “The City of Bunbury has been running music on and off there for the past six months, as happens across Australia and across the world where you can have music in certain areas to deter anti-social behaviours.” “But... there has been a known problem where people are getting in and turning the music up to full bore.” Local homeless cafe provider Intown Centre said the council needed a better response to the homelessness crisis, as Chair David Bailey said, “In the last couple of days, I have been walking around and I have heard it, but I did not think it was the council.” “I thought it was someone with a CD player,” he said. “It did strike me as odd. It is harsh . . . (and) there needs to be a better response.” Image credits: Getty Images

Caring

"Ended for good": Prince William launches project inspired by Lady Di

Prince William has launched his most ambitious project to date, announcing his plan to end homelessness in the UK within five short years. The Prince of Wales set out to visit six areas in the UK that experience different types of homelessness with a distinct set of challenges, outlining a detailed plan to see homelessness eradicated. On his two-day tour, the 41-year-old royal shared that his late mother, Princess Diana, was a big inspiration behind the project, after she helped open William's eyes to the nation-wide problem. In the south London borough of Lambeth, Prince William described how he was inspired by "heart-breaking" visits to shelters he made with his mother as a child. "My first visit to a homelessness shelter was when I was 11 with my mother," he told the Mosaic Clubhouse, which supports people with mental health problems. "The visits we made, left a deep and lasting impression." "I met so many extraordinary people and listened to so many heart-breaking personal stories. Too many people have found themselves without a stable and permanent place to call home." "Through these visits, I have seen first-hand the breadth and complexities of homelessness." William said he hoped the Homewards program would "inspire belief throughout the UK and beyond that homelessness can be ended for good". Prince William's Homewards program focuses on preventing homelessness before it begins, bringing together all organisations working in the sector to create solutions that target local challenges. The launch of the project, which was two years in the making, comes days before what would have been Diana's 62nd birthday on July 1st. A major focus of Homewards will be on providing homes to those who need them. "I am pleased to stand here today at the start of our path to ending homelessness," he said. "Over the next five years, I believe that we have a unique opportunity to develop innovative new solutions and scale tangible impact. This will inspire belief throughout the UK – and beyond – that homelessness can be ended for good." Image credits: Getty Images

Caring

“Incredibly gifted”: Homeless man stuns with piano talents

A homeless man who sleeps in his car has amazed onlookers with his “incredible” piano talent. Shane has been taking to the piano every day and night in a pedestrian tunnel underneath the Queensland Performing Arts Centre in South Brisbane. The “incredibly gifted” man has drawn attention from listeners for his musical talents, despite never having any lessons, and never owning a piano. “I was just walking past and had to stop, absolutely amazing - it blows me away to be honest,” a man walking past told <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Crsn-qCp-Ue/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link">7News</a>. “One of the best piano players I have ever seen,” another onlooker said. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Crsn-qCp-Ue/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Crsn-qCp-Ue/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by 7NEWS Queensland (@7newsqueensland)</a> </div> </blockquote> Shane said playing the piano has a therapeutic effect on him, and helps him escape his harsh reality of living in his car a few streets away from the theatre. “It takes me to a place out of reality, away from beyond whatever is around us. I can hear an orchestra in my head, the piano plays me rather than I play the piano,” he said. Shane doesn't know how to read music, or know any of the names of the keys, but couldn’t help being drawn to the instrument that is available for public use. After hearing the sound of a piano coming from a local ballet school in the area when he was a child, he has been enamoured by the piano and dreams of performing with others one day. Shane’s talents have gone viral online, with commenters being “gobsmacked” over the man’s “beautiful music”. “Wow! So incredibly gifted. I hope he gets his dream of playing with others,” one impressed viewer said. “We need more stories like this. What a remarkable man,” another wrote. “I hope someone can help this man, he needs a job in a restaurant playing nice music and getting well paid so he can rent a place to live and a happy life,” a third said. Image credits: 7News

Music

Homeless teen and dad living in park amid housing crisis

<div> <div> <div> <div> <div> A teenager in Queensland has shared the heartbreaking story of being forced to live in a tent with his father amid the state’s housing crisis. Kailaeb Vescio-Stanley, 17, revealed he has been living in a tent in a Brisbane park with his dad for two weeks while they struggle to find a home. The teenager told Sunrise, that he and his father had tried to apply for housing but needed more assistance. “Some nights I don’t get enough sleep and some nights I can,” he said. “I see heaps of people doing it rough, and the majority of people I see doing it rough in parks are actually teenagers.” His statement came after more than 40 representatives from government agencies met to discuss the state’s escalating housing crisis in a follow-up meeting to the housing crisis summit in November 2022. Rents have increased faster in Queensland than any other state or territory, with low-income and regional households copping the brunt of it, according to a Queensland Council of Social Service report. Annastacia Palaszczuk recently announced Queensland tenants' rent would only increase once a year instead of every six months under a state government proposal to stop the price hike. “The great majority of landlords do the right thing and look after their tenants, for those who don’t, this is a wake-up call,” the premier said. The change will see Queensland meet the limits on the frequency of rent increases in NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, SA and the ACT. Currently, there is a six-month limit in both WA and the NT but only applied if increases are written into the lease agreement. Property Council of Australia executive director Jen Williams said the meeting was focused on how to best help those in desperate need of support, like Kailaeb. There are both support measures and supply measures and there are the very immediate people like Kailaeb,” she said. “Then there’s the short, medium and long-term (questions) about how do we actually get more houses across the board to make sure that we don’t find ourselves in this situation again.” Image credit: Sunrise </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

Real Estate

If cities don’t want homeless encampments they should help people, not punish them

This summer, homeless encampments in cities such as <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/tents-structures-downtown-eastside-vancouver-removal-1.6545853" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vancouver</a> and <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-08-14/in-a-vacant-lot-in-watts-a-homeless-camp-gets-swept-away-by-l-a-along-with-the-brush" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Los Angeles</a> and <a href="https://www.coastreporter.net/in-the-community/homeless-camp-on-toredo-street-dismantled-police-report-5325829" target="_blank" rel="noopener">others</a> were dismantled. The reasons varied. In Vancouver, it was fire hazard concerns on Hastings Street, a major artery in the Downtown Eastside, where the encampment had sprung up over several blocks. In Los Angeles, the encampment was on city-owned land intended for other uses. There, officials have gone even further to curtail encampments, with the city council <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/tension-boil-at-la-city-council-meeting-over-controversial-homeless-encampment-ban/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approving a ban</a> on homeless encampments within 500 feet of schools and daycare centres. Encampments of those experiencing homelessness have become a fixture in large cities as well as smaller communities. It should not be surprising that people who are unsheltered seek out the relative security, community and resources encampments can provide. Yet, the ineffective, and often punitive, responses by various levels of government are alarming. These policy failures are most evident in the troubling encampment evictions occurring across North America. More than <a href="https://www.homelesshub.ca/about-homelessness/homelessness-101/how-many-people-are-homeless-canada" target="_blank" rel="noopener">235,000 people are estimated to be homeless in Canada</a>. In addition to these visibly homeless, another <a href="https://www.acto.ca/production/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Factsheet-4-Homelessness-in-Canada-and-Ontario2.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">450,000 to 900,000 are among the “hidden” homeless</a>: those staying with family and friends because they have nowhere to live. Policing not the answer <a href="https://www.canadahousingcrisis.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Our country has a housing crisis</a>. Homelessness results from a severe shortage of affordable housing, poverty and insufficient support services. For people who end up homeless, it is a tortuous and difficult route. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/488929/original/file-20221010-58630-5we8hv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/488929/original/file-20221010-58630-5we8hv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/488929/original/file-20221010-58630-5we8hv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/488929/original/file-20221010-58630-5we8hv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/488929/original/file-20221010-58630-5we8hv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/488929/original/file-20221010-58630-5we8hv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/488929/original/file-20221010-58630-5we8hv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/488929/original/file-20221010-58630-5we8hv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="A group of people stand in front of a brown building carrying a banner that reads: where are we supposed to go?" /></a><figcaption>A woman addresses the crowd during a protest against Vancouver’s removal of a homeless encampment on the sidewalks in the Downtown Eastside, August 16, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck</figcaption></figure> For many, their path to living on the streets starts with childhood trauma, mental health issues and substance misuse. For others, in low paying jobs with no savings or family support, they can be one pay cheque away from homelessness. Regardless of how they end up homeless, people deserve to be treated with dignity and understanding. Instead, shockingly, police have been carting away belongings from encampments, leaving people with few options of where to stay, other than another street or park. Even worse, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/tents-structures-downtown-eastside-vancouver-removal-1.6545853" target="_blank" rel="noopener">evictions have turned violent</a>. Los Angeles is not the only city that has tried to enforce bans on people sleeping in public space with so-called vagrancy by-laws. When Victoria tried to enforce city by-laws to that effect in 2005, homeless people took the city to court. The B.C. Supreme Court sided with the unhoused people, <a href="https://commons.allard.ubc.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1358&context=fac_pubs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying that it was an infringement of their rights</a>. A similar court decision occurred in 2021 when residents of a <a href="https://nst.ca/win-for-homeless-residents-of-crab-park-vancouver/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CRAB Park encampment</a> in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside challenged an injunction by the Vancouver Parks Board forcing an eviction. Elsewhere in British Columbia, the city of Prince George was <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/prince-george-apologizes-homeless-1.6396206" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forced to apologize</a> for the trauma it caused by destroying part of an encampment even though a judge ruled that the encampment must remain because there is not enough adequate accessible housing in the city to justify its closure. Dismantling encampments has a dire impact on people’s lives. It severs social relationships, causes stress, and increases fear and distrust of authorities. It dehumanizes unhoused populations even more. Long-term solutions needed It is clear that dismantling encampments is not the answer. Some people, even if they have been provided with shelter, will opt for encampments. In other cases, which occurred in Vancouver this summer, there was no shelters or other housing available. And in previous encampment evictions, some residents were offered <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/majority-people-moved-strathcona-park-1.6009673" target="_blank" rel="noopener">substandard SRO housing</a>, the same kind of housing some were fleeing when they opted for living on the streets. By-laws and practices which target activities like sleeping on streets, parks or in cars and panhandling <a href="https://www.nlc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Overview-of-Homeless-Encampments-Brief.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criminalize individuals</a>. And the consequences of criminalizing homelessness disproportionately falls on racialized people. Marginalized communities often face discrimination in accessing housing and other services which is compounded if they have a criminal record due to homelessness. <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/220314/dq220314b-eng.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ten per cent of the off-reserve First Nation and Inuit populations</a> have experienced homelessness in Canada. In 2020, the last year that a <a href="https://council.vancouver.ca/20201007/documents/pspc1presentation.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">homeless count was conducted in Vancouver</a>, 39 per cent of the city’s homeless population was Indigenous even though they comprise two per cent of the total population. People who identified as Black, Hispanic and Arab were also significantly over-represented compared to their percentage of the general population. As the federal Housing Advocate Marie-Josée Houle said in a September visit to Vancouver’s homeless encampments, “<a href="https://thetyee.ca/News/2022/09/08/Housing-System-Failed-Everyone/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the housing system has failed everyone there</a>.” Homeless encampments have become a last resort because of lack of better housing alternatives. The <a href="https://www.chrc-ccdp.gc.ca/en/resources/unsafe-conditions-people-experiencing-homelessness-a-pressing-human-rights-issue" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shelter system</a> is overcrowded and too restrictive for many people. But sanctioning encampments should not be the only solution. Encampments can be unsafe and dangerous places, and provide little opportunity for moving out of homelessness. We need a holistic approach to ending homelessness that addresses the reasons for homelessness. For those who fall into homelessness out of economic necessity we need more plentiful affordable rental housing, rental assistance and stronger rent controls to ensure that renters’ rights are upheld. For those struggling with multiple health and substance issues, we need more <a href="https://www.homelesshub.ca/solutions/transitional-housing/permanent-supportivesupported-housing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">supportive housing</a>. For Indigenous people experiencing homelessness we need more, better funded, and culturally appropriate housing and services. For those ending up in encampments we need to ensure, at the very least, that their <a href="https://www.make-the-shift.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/A-National-Protocol-for-Homeless-Encampments-in-Canada.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rights are upheld</a>. Homeless encampments are not going to go away any time soon. The federal government has already declared housing to be a human right. We must work to end homelessness now.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/192133/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;">Written by Penny Gurstein. Republished with permission of <a style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #258440; text-decoration-line: none; background-color: transparent; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;" href="https://theconversation.com/if-cities-dont-want-homeless-encampments-they-should-help-people-not-punish-them-192133" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;">Image: Getty Images

Real Estate

Calls to make epic runner Aussie of the Year after raising over $1million for homelessness

A loveable tradie has completed an astonishing feat, running from Perth to Sydney over 46 days. Nedd Brockmann, 23, ran a total of 3,900km from one side of Australia to the other, completing an average of 85km per day - the equivalent of two marathons. Brockmann took off from Perth’s Cottesloe Beach on September 1st, as he ran to raise money and awareness for homelessness charity <a href="https://wearemobilise.com/">We Are Mobilise</a>. He crossed the finish line at North Bondi Surf Lifesaving Club on October 17th, after raising over a whopping $1million. When asked why he chose a homelessness charity to raise funds for, Brockmann said that when he “moved to Sydney I saw a lot of it, it is a lot more prevalent here and I wanted to make a change.” "Nobody should not have a bed to sleep in in this country when we have, you know, we have everything at our fingertips,” he told The Project. “So it is something I would love to change and hopefully we have made some ground in that aspect.” <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjzoCRoBnqQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjzoCRoBnqQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by PUMA Australia (@pumaau)</a> </div> </blockquote> After 46 days on the run, Nedd admitted the mammoth effort had taken an enormous physical toll, including severe tenosynovitis - inflammation of a tendon - in his shins, massive blisters and maggots in his toes. Brockmann said on his journey, he woke up in the middle of one night and felt what he thought was an ingrown toenail but found something much more sinister. “But it was actually maggots and I didn't realise until the next day and it was quite traumatising to be honest,” he said. Despite the obstacles, he said completing the epic journey in Sydney was like “something out of a movie”. “I have been so alone on the Nullarbor and all of a sudden running into 10,000 people is just very surreal,” he told The Project moments after finishing the monumental run. “I'm very excited to be home.” Nedd documented his entire journey on his Instagram, updating his followers on his progress, while always sharing an inspirational quote and song of the day that is getting him through. Nedd’s incredible selfless journey has people calling for the 23-year-old to be nominated for Australian of the Year. However, nominations for the 2023 awards closed in July, so votes for the running champ will not be counted for consideration until the 2024 awards. Image credits: Instagram

Domestic Travel

Heart-breaking image captures reality of rental crisis

A heart-breaking photo has highlighted the reality of Australia's rental crisis, with a six-year-old boy and his mother forced to live in their ute for four long months. Mackay, a 38-year-old mum from Perth, and her son Charlie spent two years couch-surfing with friends and family after Mackay escaped an abusive relationship. After continuously getting knocked back from rental properties due to Mackay's lack of credit and tenant history, the family had no choice but to sleep in their car during the freezing winter months. Their situation got so desperate that Mackay put out a plea for help on their local community Facebook page. Claire Orange, a therapist and co-founder of cyber safety program Digii Social, spotted the post and opened up her home to the pair. "I instantly recognised Charlie's school uniform in a picture Mackay posted and contacted the school to understand their situation," Ms Orange said. "I found out a rental would become available for them within a month and offered they stay with me while they waited." Ms Orange, herself a mother of four, described Mackay as a "remarkable" mum who consistently put her boy first. "I admire her terrifically for her fortitude and resilience," Ms Orange said. "I cannot give this woman any more credit. She looked after her son exceptionally and made sure she did everything to keep him stable, healthy and clean." "Taking him to school every day, cooking for him, putting up her small summer tent when the weather allowed so that they were able to sleep lying stretched out instead of bundled up." "She's a remarkable, ferocious mumma who's put her child's needs first consistently." Claire has since started a GoFundMe for Mackay and Charlie to get back on their feet, as they are "on the cusp" of moving into social housing. The funds will be used to help Mackay and Charlie buy furniture and whitegoods for their home. "Mackay and Charlie have been part of our family for the last month - and what a delightful gift they've been," Ms Orange wrote on the <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/charlie-mackays-new-life?qid=dd61998c88987693d3e53c16020365a6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> page. "And now that a home is available - I'd love to give Mackay and Charlie enough money to start their new life together." Australia is facing a major housing crisis with rental prices skyrocketing to keep up with soaring mortgage costs, with vacancy rates plummeting. Image credits: GoFundMe

Real Estate

Homeless couple share their living crisis online

A couple from Queensland are documenting the harsh reality of homelessness on TikTok, to shed a light on the devastating truth of the rental crisis. Jeanette and Peter McDonald are living in a tent and documenting their struggles online, with their legion of followers lovingly referring to them as "unintentional nomads". "We call ourselves the unintentional nomads because we didn't intend to be living in a tent at age 62," Jeanette said on TikTok. Just four months ago, the McDonalds were living in a townhouse with their family before being dealt an unfair deal from their landlord. "A new manager came into the complex and she said it's a three bedroom townhouse, it can only take four people and there were six of us," Jeanette told <a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/housing-crisis-queensland-homeless-couple-share-struggles-on-tiktok/dc5feace-c5f0-43ff-a239-66ca2bd5f26b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Current Affair</a>. The decision was made for the couple to look for other rentals, but they were beaten or priced out of every home they looked at. "We've rented most of our life and never ever ever had a problem, so it's a bit weird to be in this boat at this age," Jeanette said. "It's been about four months now that we haven't been able to get back in the market." The couple have struggled to find a stable income, as Jeanette lives week to week on the disability pension and Peter has struggled to find consistent work as a cleaner since the start of the pandemic. "I had a good life once, but I just didn't think the whole thing would come crashing down," Peter said. "You hear about it, you hear other people going through it, but I never thought I'd be the one or one of them." Now the McDonalds have become unconventional TikTok stars, after taking to the platform to share their story. "A friend of ours said that it might help us and might help other people," Jeanette said. They document how they move around and find safe places to camp, but also share the tough times. "Hopefully something will come up that will help us, but at the moment we just take the days as they come and hope for the best," Jeanette said. Despite toughing it through the hardest of circumstances, the McDonalds are determined to remain upbeat. "So if you have to be a nomad, an unintentional one, you can enjoy the environment at least," Jeanette told TikTok. "You can freak out if you want, but there's no point, it'll still be there," Peter said. Image credits: A Current Affair

Real Estate

"Beyond desperate": Mother and two sons left homeless and sleeping in their car

A Brisbane mother is at her breaking point after two months of living in her car with her two teenage sons. Danni Cox, 45, was evicted from her rental home in May after the landlord decided they wanted to renovate and sell. Since then, Danni and her two sons Zach, 15 and Jordan, 12, have been homeless. They spent the first few weeks living in a caravan, which they had to leave after it was battered by wild weather. The family then spent some time in a motel, which quickly became unaffordable, leaving them no other option but to sleep in their car. Adding to the frustration is that their old home has remained vacant ever since they moved out in May. Ms Cox has applied for more than 300 properties in recent months without any luck, despite her perfect rental history and references from previous landlords. Danni told <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11008661/Australias-homelessness-crisis-Brisbane-mum-two-teenage-sons-sleep-car-rents-soar.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail Australia</a> that being homeless is taking a huge physical, emotional and financial toll on her family. "The situation has gone beyond desperate, we can't be homeless for any longer," she said. "Homelessness is no longer a viable option. My youngest son is half-deaf and autistic, so he's not coping at all at the moment, which is heartbreaking to see." "I have friends' places where we sleep in their driveways. There's one park in the area where you can stay for three nights but then have to move on, so we've done that a few times." Danni, who is currently receiving a disability pension, has been applying for jobs to help boost her chances of getting a roof over her family's head. "I've always been a great tenant and have never defaulted on rent or bills," she said. "I tick all the boxes and haven't done anything wrong. The real estate agents and landlords who get back to me say there's nothing wrong with my application, it's just than other applicants were more successful." "There's no reason to be homeless, which makes it harder to accept." Image credits: Seven News

Real Estate

"Getting onto the wait list is a battle in itself": insiders on what it takes to get social housing

Social housing has become extremely difficult to access; in 2021 around <a href="https://cityfutures.ada.unsw.edu.au/documents/685/Waithood_paper.pdf">160,000 households</a> were on the waiting list. To have any chance of getting a social housing spot in a reasonable time frame, applicants must be on the priority waiting list; people on the general waiting list <a href="https://www.facs.nsw.gov.au/housing/help/applying-assistance/expected-waiting-times">may never get social housing</a>. However, to get on the priority list, applicants need to <ul> <li>have complex needs</li> <li>not be in a position to rent privately and</li> <li>be in danger <a href="https://www.facs.nsw.gov.au/housing/help/applying-assistance/waiting-times">of becoming homeless</a></li> <li>show they have tried to find private rental accommodation.</li> </ul> In short, they have to prove they are massively disadvantaged. To find out more, we interviewed 43 people involved in the social housing application process in NSW, Tasmania and Queensland. This included assessment workers, support workers and government staff. Our <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14036096.2022.2085169">study</a>, published in the journal Housing, Theory and Society, found an applicant’s chances of getting on the priority waiting list are much greater if they have help from advocates who know what arguments to make and how. Success can depend on whether advocates can invest a significant amount of emotional effort to help the applicant and connect them to professionals who can track down supporting documentation. <h2>‘An overwhelming process’</h2> The application form for social housing is demanding. In NSW it requires answering 31 questions and – depending on the applicant’s situation – up to 18 supporting documents. Completing the form optimally requires a fair amount of literacy and “cultural capital” – things such as presenting and speaking “well” or being able to draw on the benefits of a good education. Claire (all names used are pseudonyms), a NSW community housing provider worker, said even understanding the application form is challenging, "I think sometimes it’s the interpretation of what is actually required. What are they asking in this question? And if you don’t have the context of why that question is being asked, sometimes it can be very difficult to know how much information to put [in]. Do I just skip it or […] what do I do with that [question], or what does that even mean?" Jess, an assessment team manager in Tasmania, said, "… [the] majority would need assistance and do get help from supports, family and advocates, as it is onerous. Also literacy, language interpretation would be an issue, especially for lower socio-economic cohorts." James, an assessment worker in NSW, said some applicants simply abandon the process, "It’s really an overwhelming process […] Sometimes people will say, “You know […] this is too much. Forget about it.” Marie, a Queensland homelessness worker, said, "It’s more common that they won’t know how to do the process, and so I’ll go through it with them. I assist them with identifying well-being barriers, complete the application with them, get it, and then when it’s approved, also do community housing applications with them if they wish." <h2>The challenge of gathering ‘evidence’</h2> Producing evidence of clients’ vulnerabilities is potentially challenging. Karim, a homelessness support worker in Queensland, said, "So, getting onto the wait list, that is a battle in itself, right? [Part of that is] getting people document ready […] So, say someone is on the streets, we know they are very, very unwell, but they don’t have documents to prove that. We have done the housing application, it’s gone to department of housing and they’re waiting for further information, because this person’s checked that they have chronic health issues. So [the department] want medical documents or confidential medical report from the GP. This person does not have a GP. What do we do? We try and link them in with the GP, take them there […]" Lots of people, their stuff’s stolen. They’re more worried about where the next meal is coming from instead of worrying about IDs. So getting ID documents, medical documents to go along with the housing application, to get it approved, is the first battle." Susan, a women’s refuge worker in Sydney, said, "Every question has […] evidence requirements […] and they have to gather all of that and you know obviously just gathering all of that is a challenge […] But that’s definitely something that we support them with; to get all the support letters and stuff in order." In Queensland and NSW, an applicant who needs social housing because they are fleeing domestic violence needs to provide substantiation. Susan told us, "The types of documents people would have to collect for this question are copies of AVOs (apprehended violence orders), police event numbers, doctor reports (GP or psychiatrist), support letters from social services. So, as you can imagine, these are quite onerous as many people don’t report to police or perhaps their doctor doesn’t record the injuries as resulting from violence. On top of that, if they’ve just experienced violence they might not feel like running around." <h2>Emotional capital: care, empathy and compassion</h2> Working with vulnerable people requires empathy and compassion. Avril, an assessment worker in Tasmania, said, "So much of it is about rapport. These people who are often really sick of systems, really sick of them and they don’t want to divulge their entire life to someone that they’ve just met once. They don’t want to sit still in a small room for an hour and a half." "What we’ve found is that by having Pat, she’s our specialist rough sleeper front door worker, [and] is based in services that they know and frequent. She’s known to them and they do tend to [open up] bit by bit." Jill, an ex-manager in a community housing provider in NSW, explained, "Also refugees or people who are trauma, torture survivors, DFV (domestic and family violence) survivors […] experience additional layers and complexities in applying." "Whilst the system aims to only ask a client to tell their story once and not multiple times, this is not always possible. So it adds further challenges to these applicants and brings up the trauma again, especially if not handled well by untrained staff." Applying for social housing is fraught, onerous and competitive; applicants have to “prove” their vulnerability is greater than others. Assistance from skilled advocates clearly helps get you on the priority wait list, which begs the question: what hope do others have? Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/getting-onto-the-wait-list-is-a-battle-in-itself-insiders-on-what-it-takes-to-get-social-housing-184838" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Real Estate

Queensland mum shares heartbreaking story of homelessness

A young mother-of-two from Queensland has documented her devastating journey of homelessness, as she has become the face of how the housing crisis is affected generation Z. Sushannah Taylor, 20, has been staying at campsites around the Bundaberg area after her landlord sold the rental home she was living in with her husband Tristan, 22, and the couple’s two daughters Delilah, 2, and six-month-old Luna. Throughout her experience, she has documented her journey on TikTok to show how the reality of the housing crisis is affecting young families across Australia. In the latest blow to Sushannah and her family, the young woman shared she was recently involved in an accident while driving the family car, with her two young children and all the family’s possessions in the back. Sushannah’s car was hit by another vehicle being driven by an elderly woman who, rather than stop to assist, drove away. No one was hurt in the collision, but now Sushannah and Tristan have been lumped with the full cost of repairs for the vehicle — a cost they cannot pay. Sushannah said that she had to “swerve the car to avoid them hitting the front or, you know, the middle where my kids are” and that the kids got “rattled around a little bit but they are doing great”. “But here’s the kicker. The person that hit me was an elderly woman. And when I pulled over and tried to wave her down to say, ‘hey, like, let’s stop, let’s take each other’s details, let’s assess the damage’, she drove off. <div id="indie-campaign-DifJheZrCrms7j4pmefw-0" data-campaign-name="NCA FINANCE Cashed Up Newsletter OneClick SignUp" data-campaign-indie="newsletter-signup" data-jira="TSN-268" data-from="1645448400000" data-to="1680181200000"></div> “A hit-and-run. So we don’t have a car right now. And it’s gonna cost me hundreds of dollars to fix the damage.” “What I’m so angry about is the person that decided to hit my car and run away like a coward. I’m homeless. I live out of my car. I need my car. It is an absolute necessity for me and my family to survive. And now I have to look at possibly buying a new one. But don’t have the money for that." “I just want one thing to go right. Because right now I feel like the universe if laughing at me.” Sushannah's videos are shining a light on the homelessness crisis in Australia, documenting what the family eats for each meal and the constant unpacking of their lives to move onto a new campsite. The young couple have applied for more than 40 jobs and are now receiving Centrelink payments to support their family. The area of Bundaberg is extremely competitive to secure housing in, while homeless shelters are also at full capacity. “I’ve been a stay-at-home mum for the past two years so it’s going to be a little bit more difficult for me to jump back in but I’m trying,” Sushannah said. Image credits: TikTok

Real Estate

Homelessness is common for teens leaving out-of-home-care. We need to extend care until they are at least 21

Young people transitioning from out-of-home care – whether it’s foster, kinship or residential care – are disadvantaged in many ways. Many have experienced abuse, neglect, family hardship or illness. They may feel long-term grief due to family separation. And while some enjoy stable placements with committed foster or kinship carers, others – particularly those in residential care, supervised by rostered staff – may experience instability as friends or support workers come and go. Most exit the out-of-home care system at 18, or younger, without ongoing support. Unfortunately, however, many such young people quickly encounter homelessness, unemployment and contact with the criminal justice system soon after leaving out-of-home care. Instead of leaving these people to fend for themselves at age 18 (or younger), we need a nationally consistent model of extended care that supports care leavers until age 21. A tough transition A 2021 study by <a href="https://create.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/CREATE-Post-Care-Report-2021-LR.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the CREATE Foundation</a> (which represents young people who have experienced out-of-home care) found homelessness was common among people exiting the system. Almost 100 of the 325 sampled care leavers aged 18-25 experienced homelessness in the first year after their transition. Another <a href="https://apo.org.au/node/314424" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> found: <blockquote> More than half the 1,848 Victorian care leavers in this study (using data from leavers during 2013 and 2014) accessed homelessness services in the four years after leaving care, while one in three had multiple homeless experiences. Participants with experiences of residential care and multiple foster care placements were more likely to experience housing disruptions. </blockquote> <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/child-protection/incomesupport-receipt-oohc/summary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Another national study</a> noted care leavers were three times as likely as other young Australians to have received social security payments. Of course, many care leavers <a href="http://createyourfuture.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Stein-M.-ResearchReview.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">do integrate effectively</a> into the social and economic mainstream. Some have difficult lives but still manage to cope, while others struggle to overcome adversity and social exclusion. In general, those who achieve successful transitions tend to <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/cfs.12473" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leave care later</a> than 18 years of age and receive ongoing support well into their twenties from, for example <ul> <li> foster or kinship carers </li> <li> extended family members </li> <li> formal mentors or neighbours </li> <li> friends </li> <li> members of sporting, religious, cultural and other community groups. </li> </ul> These supportive relationships, which mirror the assistance that most of their non-care peers naturally access from their parents, provide the social capital needed to acquire housing, food, clothing, a driver’s licence and entry into sustainable education, employment and training. According to <a href="https://apo.org.au/node/314424" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one young person</a> who remained with their foster family in Victoria beyond 18 years: <blockquote> I was in the same home for 11 years, they were like my parents so they didn’t kick me out or anything. It wasn’t like I was in their care; I was like a part of the family. </blockquote> Conversely, those who experience troubled transitions from out-of-home care may experience social isolation, emotional adversity and hardship. <a href="https://apo.org.au/node/314424" target="_blank" rel="noopener">One young person from Victoria</a> who was suddenly forced to leave care commented: <blockquote> I mean if you have a kid, you’re not going to kick him out as soon as they turn 16. You’re not going to, you know, tell your kid that ‘oh you have to find your own way to learn how to drive or anything’. You’re going to take them by the hand, you’re going to help them with each of these things. Even after your kid’s left, you’re still going to, you know, check up on them, you’re going to go there make sure they’re eating properly, cleaning the place properly. I had no idea how to clean anything. </blockquote> Young people who have harder transitions often include those in <a href="https://lens.monash.edu/@politics-society/2019/12/13/1378567/from-care-to-custody-the-tragic-trajectory-of-crossover-kids" target="_blank" rel="noopener">youth justice custody</a> when they turn 18 years of age, some <a href="https://www.aracy.org.au/publications-resources/command/download_file/id/465/filename/ARACY_Showing_the_Light_FINAL_20220302.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">young parents</a>, those who have a major <a href="https://daneshyari.com/article/preview/346111.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cognitive disability</a> or <a href="https://apo.org.au/node/314424" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poor mental health</a> and <a href="https://apo.org.au/node/307306" target="_blank" rel="noopener">some Indigenous young people</a> who have been prevented from forming a connection with their culture, identity and community. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/459038/original/file-20220421-18-yi1uh7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/459038/original/file-20220421-18-yi1uh7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/459038/original/file-20220421-18-yi1uh7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459038/original/file-20220421-18-yi1uh7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459038/original/file-20220421-18-yi1uh7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459038/original/file-20220421-18-yi1uh7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459038/original/file-20220421-18-yi1uh7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459038/original/file-20220421-18-yi1uh7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption>Those who experience troubled transitions from out-of-home care may experience social isolation, emotional adversity and hardship. Shutterstock</figcaption></figure> Extended care as an early intervention strategy The best way to boost the life chances of all care leavers is to introduce a nationally consistent model of extended out-of-home care from 18 to 21 years. This is the model advocated by the <a href="https://thehomestretch.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Home Stretch campaign</a> led by Anglicare Victoria. Evidence from evaluations of extended care programs in the <a href="https://www.chapinhall.org/research/calyouth/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US</a> and <a href="https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/articles/report/Evaluation_of_the_Staying_Put_18_Plus_Family_Placement_Programme_final_report/9580109" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UK</a> confirms providing support until age 21 can improve outcomes for care leavers. As of April 2022, the Home Stretch model has informed the introduction of major extended care safety nets in <a href="https://www.celcis.org/application/files/5716/2263/3274/2021_Vol_20_No_1_Mendes_P_Extending_out-of-home_care_in_the_State_of_Victoria_Australia.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">six out of Australia’s eight</a> states and territories. <ul> <li> <a href="https://thehomestretch.org.au/news/the-most-significant-reform-to-child-welfare-in-a-generation-victorian-government-leads-nation-in-announcing-universal-care-for-young-people-to-the-age-of-21" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Victoria</a> and <a href="https://www.ourstatebudget.wa.gov.au/2021-22/fact-sheets/communities.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Western Australia</a> offer support to young people leaving all forms of out-of-home care until age 21 </li> <li> <a href="https://thehomestretch.org.au/news/foster-care-payments-to-be-extended-until-age-21-by-new-sa-liberal-government" target="_blank" rel="noopener">South Australia</a>, <a href="https://thehomestretch.org.au/news/first-state-government-extend-care-21-years-australia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tasmania</a> and the <a href="https://www.communityservices.act.gov.au/ocyfs/children/child-and-youth-protection-services/a-step-up-for-our-kids/out-of-home-care-strategy-2015-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australian Capital Territory</a> fund an allowance to foster and kinship carers only until age 21. South Australia has introduced a <a href="https://www.childprotection.sa.gov.au/news/dcp-news/young-people-leaving-residential-care-to-be-better-supported-with-next-steps" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trial program</a> for residential care leavers in February 2022 - but it is only funded for two years to support 20 young people </li> <li> <a href="https://www.qld.gov.au/community/caring-child/foster-kinship-care/information-for-carers/money-matters/carer-allowances" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Queensland</a> offers the same assistance only until 19 years </li> <li> the <a href="https://thehomestretch.org.au/news/push-to-lift-nt-foster-care-age-to-21/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Northern Territory</a> has promised to legislate universal extended care soon </li> <li> <a href="https://thehomestretch.org.au/news/nsw-lags-nationally-on-caring-for-most-vulnerable-young-people-as-victoria-surges-ahead/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New South Wales</a> is the outlier in currently providing no form of extended care. </li> </ul> No state or territory allows young people living in residential care to remain in their existing homes beyond 18 years of age. Nor have any of them introduced <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/931987/Staying_Close_Break.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Staying Close</a> programs similar to those trialled in the UK, whereby residential care leavers are supported to live close to their former accommodation and maintain existing relationships with their former carers and support networks. The federal government, via the recently updated <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/families-and-children/programs-services/protecting-australias-children" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children</a>, should establish a nationally consistent model of extended care that would universally assist all care leavers until age 21.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/181167/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/phillip-mendes-101820" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Phillip Mendes</a>, Professor, Director Social Inclusion and Social Policy Research Unit, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Monash University</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/homelessness-is-common-for-teens-leaving-out-of-home-care-we-need-to-extend-care-until-they-are-at-least-21-181167" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>. Image: Getty Images

Caring

More affordable housing with less homelessness is possible – if only Australia would learn from Nordic nations

Housing is expensive in Australia. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Higher quality, more affordable housing is a matter of policy choice. A key problem is Australia’s housing market is too skewed towards treating housing as a financial asset, rather than a basic human need. There is almost a universal consensus among economists, for example, that negative gearing <a href="https://theconversation.com/vital-signs-why-now-is-the-right-time-to-clamp-down-on-negative-gearing-107370">favours the interests of investors</a>to the detriment of others, but both major parties are scared to change the policy. One way to break the policy stalemate is to consider policies shown to have worked in other countries. To facilitate this, the Nordic Policy Centre – a collaboration between The Australia Institute and Deakin University – has <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/report/homes-for-people/">published an overview</a> of housing and homelessness policies in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland. Of particular note among the wide range of housing policies in these nations is the prominence of housing cooperatives, which assist both renters and those wanting to own a secure, high-quality home. <h2>Why Nordic countries?</h2> Why look at the Nordic countries? One reason is their relative success in tackling homelessness. Finland is the world leader in this. There, the number of people experiencing homelessness has fallen from more than 16,000 people in the late 1980s to about 4,500 people in 2020. This represents a homelessness rate of less than one per 1,000 (Finland’s population is about 5.5 million) compared with nearly five per 1,000 in Australia. Homelessness, granted, is more complicated than just the cost of housing. It involves family and relationship trauma, physical and mental health issues, and substance use. The Finns’ achievement is due to a range of policy responses including strong outreach services. But underpinnning these responses is the Finnish government’s “<a href="https://housingfirsteurope.eu/countries/finland/">Housing First</a>” principle, adopted in 2007, which says people have a right to decent housing and to useful social services. It’s a seemingly simple concept, but radically inclusive compared with how other countries deal with the homeless. <h2>Vibrant cooperative sectors</h2> In Australia, housing cooperatives might conjure up images of small hippie communes. This is an unfair characterisation, borne of the fact the sector is so tiny and unknown. All up, cooperative housing comprises less than 1% of the Australian housing sector, with about <a href="https://researchdirect.westernsydney.edu.au/islandora/object/uws:53637/">200 housing cooperatives</a>mostly focused on providing affordable rental housing. In Nordic countries, however, housing cooperatives are a mainstream option for both renters and owners. Sweden’s cooperative sector amounts to 22% of total housing stock. Norway’s represent 15% nationwide, and 40% in the capital, Oslo. In Denmark, more than 20% of the population lives in cooperative housing. <h2>How cooperative housing works</h2> Cooperatives take a variety of forms. But the key features are that they are democratically organised and exist to serve a real economic or social need of their members. Rental housing cooperatives exist to provide housing, not accrue wealth. They pool common resources to own and manage affordable rental accommodation. Tenants are generally required to become members and encouraged to be actively involved in decision-making, management and maintenance. Any revenue from rents is reinvested in new housing projects or upgrading older buildings. In Denmark, rental cooperative housing – known as Almenboliger– plays a critical role in providing affordable housing for a range of people, including the elderly and those with disabilities. Its non-profit orientation as well as supportive government policies – such as lower-interest loans – enable cooperatives to reduce construction costs and offer lower rents. In Norway, national law allows 10% of units in a housing cooperative complex to be bought or used by local government authorities to house people who can’t afford alternatives. Housing cooperatives in Oslo have been vital for securing decent housing for immigrants and for older people. <h2>A path to home ownership</h2> Just as important in terms of lessons for Australia is that Nordic housing cooperatives also play a big role in helping people buy a home. So-called “equity-based” housing cooperatives in Sweden, Norway and Denmark help reduce the cost of home ownership. This generally involves the cooperative building or buying an apartment or unit block, then allowing members to buy individual homes, while the cooperative retains ownership of common areas. Members own their individual dwellings and co-own and manage shared spaces with other co-op members. The structure is similar to strata title in Australia, with individual ownership of some parts of a property and shared ownership of others. The big difference is strata title is often “investor-owned”, while a housing cooperative is “user-owned”. The result is that members can buy a home for about 20% less than what it would cost them otherwise. <h2>More collaboration needed</h2> Not everything the Nordic countries do can be replicated in Australian conditions. But one thing we can certainly learn is the importance of collaboration between different tiers of government and civil society organisations. Australia’s superannuation funds, for example, have the means to invest in low-returning, but very safe, affordable housing assets. Government policies should support them doing this through cooperative structures that help to fill the gap between market and state. There’s no quick fix. Emulating any Nordic housing policy achievements will take decades. Finland’s <a href="https://ysaatio.fi/en/hom">critical organisation</a> for tackling homelessness, for example, was established in 1985. But better housing options are there in plain sight, waiting for policy makers and other stakeholders to take them. If they want to. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/more-affordable-housing-with-less-homelessness-is-possible-if-only-australia-would-learn-from-nordic-nations-182049" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Real Estate

Rental crisis forces family of five to live in their car

A Queensland family has been forced to live in their car as they struggle to secure a place to live amid the ongoing rental property crisis, per <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/queensland-housing-rental-crisis-family-five-forced-live-in-car/14e0dae6-786a-44bf-a507-15ea5e464d05" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9News</a>. Shikera Maher of Ipswich, a mother of five, said she had applied for over 300 properties since her lease ended in July last year, and has been rejected by every single one. Since July, she and her family have been living in their car and travelling from park to park. They use a friend’s home to shower and sink hundreds of dollars into fuel each week to run the air conditioning overnight as they try to stay cool. “The two 15-year-olds and 13-year-old, the 18-year-old, sleep in the passenger side and I sleep in the driver’s side,” Ms Maher said. “I just want a house. “I just want my kids to have stability back.” Ms Maher said she hadn’t been blacklisted as a tenant and can afford to pay rent, and the only thing preventing her from finding a place to stay has been the low availability of properties. “There are a few houses where we have even offered more rent,” she said. “I’ve even written to (Queensland Premier) Annastacia [Palaszczuk] and said, like, do something.” Tannayah, Ms Maher’s daughter, said she “would die” for a house to call home. “Just any house really,” she said. In Ipswich, the rental vacancy rate is currently sitting at just 0.9 percent, and low rental availability has become a particularly pressing issue in the state’s south-east following the recent floods. Ipswich property manager Jaimee Julian said the rental crisis was “out of control” and has resulted in people being willing to pay more just to secure a home. “Insurance companies are willing to pay the six-month rent for tenants,” she said. Stories like Ms Maher’s come after Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the best solution for renters was to “help them buy a house” following the Federal Budget reveal. Meanwhile, Ms Maher’s application for social housing has been approved, though she continues to search for a rental property while she remains on the waitlist. Ms Maher warned others that becoming homeless was more of a real threat than many realised, admitting that she never expected she would become homeless. “Don’t ever say that (it won’t happen) because the housing in Queensland at the moment is shocking.” Image: Nine

Real Estate

Family left homeless after 227 rejected rental applications

A family of five from Adelaide have been left homeless after being rejected for over 200 rental applications over the span of 18 months. In October 2020, Hayden Coonan, 39, his partner Aimee Kent, 34, and their three young children moved into a home in the south of Adelaide. As soon as they moved in, Hayden and Aimee began looking for another rental, due to the home’s state of disrepair. “It wasn’t long until we started having problems with the house — gas was off, no hot water, burst water pipes,” Mr Coonan told <a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/real-estate/renting/adelaide-family-homeless-after-227-applications-for-rental-vacancies-rejected-in-16-months/news-story/ab84488f3e3b4e89d193305aa4bd7f8b">news.com.au</a>. Despite the couple having a dual income and a spotless rental history, they were knocked back on countless rental applications. “We’ve kept on looking, not getting anywhere, there’s no rhyme or reason [to the rejections],” he added. “You never anticipate it taking this long. It just dragged on and on.” The couple and their kids were evicted from their property recently on the basis of a no reason termination, although the couple suspect the property’s need for major maintenance could explain the sudden eviction. Now, Hayden, Aimee and their kids are homeless. The family are unable to live in their car or a potential caravan, as their two eldest children have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, while the youngest child has a degenerative physical disability. For now, they are staying with Aimee’s mother while they work out a plan. “We’re there for now. It’s a three-bedroom house, there’s eight of us there,” Mr Coonan said. While applying for properties, Hayden noted that they were often given “glowing references” by a real estate agent, and still got knocked back on a lease. In addition to this, homes would often be leased for much higher than the asking price. “There are properties being advertised for $380 [which is in their price range], they eventually go for $480,” he recalled. As they continue to apply for rental properties, Mr Coonan and Ms Kent have been placed on a high priority list for social housing. Image credits: news.com.au

Real Estate

We identified who’s most at risk of homelessness and where they are. Now we must act, before it’s too late

Homelessness is traumatic. It affects not just housing arrangements but whether or not someone can get enough food, feel safe and maintain relationships with friends and family. The physical and mental health effects often persist long after people are rehoused, and the community and government costs are high. Much of the current response to homelessness is focused on supporting people after they become homeless or just before they do so. However, to really reduce homelessness we need to prevent those at risk from ever becoming homeless in the first place. It’s akin to turning off a tap at the source to prevent a flood downstream. Our <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/370">recent research</a>, published by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, gives critical insights into how we can do that. <h2>Who is at risk of homelessness?</h2> In our study, people were considered at risk of homelessness if they lived in rental housing and were experiencing at least two of the following: <ul> <li> low income </li> <li> vulnerability to discrimination in the housing or job markets </li> <li> low social resources and supports </li> <li> needing support to access or maintain a living situation due to significant ill health, disability, mental health issues or problematic alcohol and/or drug use </li> <li> rental stress (when lower-income households put more than 30% of income towards housing costs). </li> </ul> From here, it often doesn’t take much to tip those at risk into actual homelessness. To estimate the number, profile and geography of the Australian population at risk of homelessness we combined data from two sources: the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey and the 2016 Census. We estimated the size of the population at risk at the national and also small area (SA2/suburb) level. We found between 8.5% and 11.7% of the total population aged 15 years and over were at risk of homelessness. This equates to between 1.5 and 2 million people. These numbers are large but shouldn’t be surprising. In the nine years between July 2011 and July 2020, some 1.3 million people received assistance from <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/hou/322/specialist-homelessness-services-annual-report/contents/clients-services-and-outcomes">specialist homelessness ervices</a> (agencies that provide support to people experiencing homelessness). <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/433855/original/file-20211125-15-11q1b9c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/433855/original/file-20211125-15-11q1b9c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="A woman and her child ponder some bills." /></a> It often doesn’t take much to tip those at risk into actual homelessness. Shutterstock <h2>Who’s at risk of homelessness?</h2> Compared to the national population, those at risk of homelessness are more likely to be: <ul> <li> female </li> <li> Indigenous </li> <li> living in a lone-person or lone-parent household </li> <li> low income </li> <li> unemployed or outside the labour force </li> <li> in receipt of income support payments. </li> </ul> They are more likely to identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual, and report fair or poor health. Those at risk have lower levels of education and are more likely to report difficulty paying bills and rent on time. They are also more likely to experience rental stress and forms of material deprivation such as skipping meals and being unable to heat their home. A third have children in their care. <h2>Where are they?</h2> The highest rates (per head of population) of homelessness risk are typically found in remote areas and small pockets of capital cities. However, the greatest numbers of people at risk of homelessness are located in capital cities on the eastern coast of Australia. These high numbers extend well beyond inner city areas and into the suburbs. In several states (Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia and South Australia), high rates of homelessness risk are spread across greater capital cities and regional areas. In Victoria, however, risk is concentrated in Greater Melbourne. And in the Northern Territory, risk is highly concentrated in remote areas. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/433804/original/file-20211124-13-1fx0pyo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /> Risk of homelessness (rate per 10,000 people), unit-level SA3 estimates. Batterham et al, 2021 <h2>Preventing homelessness in Australia</h2> Our findings suggest Australia urgently needs more rental housing specifically targeted to those on low incomes and at risk of homelessness. Our fine-grain data on homelessness risk can help state and territory governments, as well as local governments, decide where this housing will be most effective to reduce homelessness risk. Australia also needs more <a href="https://www.launchhousing.org.au/housingsupport/private-rental-support">private rental access programs</a>, which provide ongoing subsidies and financial help with rent arrears to people at risk of homelessness. They also provide advocacy help in negotiations with landlords. Given Indigenous Australians are over represented in the at-risk and homeless populations, especially in remote areas, we need targeted support developed in consultation with Indigenous communities. Those living with a disability or reporting fair or poor health are particularly vulnerable. There is a clear role for state and territory governments in ensuring access to health and disability supports, especially for those on low incomes. Key priorities for the federal government and agencies include: <ul> <li> increasing the levels of income support payments and <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/housing-support/programmes-services/commonwealth-rent-assistance">Commonwealth Rent Assistance</a> </li> <li> increasing the wages for the lowest paid workers; </li> <li> increasing funding for the construction of social and affordable housing, and; </li> <li> playing a coordinating role in primary prevention policy through a national housing and homelessness strategy. </li> </ul> The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted homelessness can be closer than many think – especially after sudden loss of employment or a health crisis. Now we know who is at risk of homelessness and where they are, it’s time for governments to act.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/172501/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/deb-batterham-426113">Deb Batterham</a>, Post doctoral research fellow, Launch Housing and Centre for Urban Transitions, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christian-a-nygaard-897633">Christian A. Nygaard</a>, Associate Professor in Social Economics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jacqueline-de-vries-1293856">Jacqueline De Vries</a>, Project Manager and Data Analyst, Institute for Social Change, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/margaret-reynolds-324336">Margaret Reynolds</a>, Researcher, Centre for Urban Transitions, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-identified-whos-most-at-risk-of-homelessness-and-where-they-are-now-we-must-act-before-its-too-late-172501">original article</a>. Image: Shuttershock

Home Hints & Tips

Aussie single mum living on one meal a day reveals daily struggle

A 56-year-old woman has been counting down the days until she becomes homeless. Rita Sacchetta, from Munno Para in Adelaide, has been living on the line since she lost her job in March 2019. Although she has been consistently applying for work, she has not gotten to the interview stage for any so far. And she is not the only one. The Australian Council of Social Service has warned that single mothers and older women - both categories Rita falls into - are continually left behind, with the coronavirus pandemic making the situation much worse. Dr Cassandra Goldie, CEO of the Australian Council of Social Service, has said that around 45,000 Australian women over the age of 45 are at risk of living on the streets. “We hear time and time again from older women that they are suffering age discrimination in finding paid work,” she said. “Even before COVID, older women were the fastest-growing group of people ending up on unemployment payments.” A report released by Grattan Institute this year supported Dr Goldie’s claims, finding that women were more affected than men during the COVID-19 recession. Eight percent of women lost their jobs during the pandemic, while only four percent of men did. Women were also more likely to miss out on JobKeeper payments because it excluded short-term casuals, who are mostly women. Rita, who had been paying rent through the National Rental Affordability Scheme - which provides incentives for affordable housing - said the scheme was no longer offered in her area as of May. Additionally, she was reliant on JobSeeker and couldn’t afford rent without the payment. This had left her counting down the days until May 25, when she would be without a roof over her head. “It absolutely terrifies me thinking about being on the streets,” she said. That is until Housing SA, an organisation providing low-cost living, stepped in on the day she was due to be evicted. At the time of writing she was moving to housing in a different part of South Australia. Her adult children are in no position to help, and Rita has to “ration” her food and diabetes medication in order to make ends meet and rely on charity from organisations such as Anglicare and the Salvation Army. Often eating only one meal a day to cut costs since losing her job, Rita has since lost half her body weight due to the reduced calorie intake. Last month, she was hospitalised after her son found her on the ground, dazed, and suffering from ketoacidosis, a complication that arises when blood sugar levels become too high that can lead to acidic blood and even death. “I nearly died,” she said. Commenting on the cycle of poverty that can keep people trapped, Rita said: “If you keep people in poverty, unable to eat and take medications, then people are going to get sicker and sicker. “It’s a vicious cycle.” With a history of working as a cleaner, kitchen hand, and at a laundry, Rita is continuing to look for work in these areas. Image: 7NEWS

Retirement Income

This touching moment between police and a homeless man will melt your heart

Melbourne officers have been filmed performing a selfless act for a homeless man outside of a Woolworths store. The pair were captured speaking with a man who had a sign asking shoppers for spare change. Blogger Adele Barbaro shared to Instagram that one of the officers asked the man: “What brings you out in the cold tonight mate? Ms Barbaro overheard the officers as she entered the store telling the man, "We just wanna make sure your OK mate". It was not long after that she saw the two uniformed cops picking out items she initially thought were for their dinner. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CPfoa8KhkVX/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CPfoa8KhkVX/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by ADELE BARBARO (@adele_barbaro)</a> </div> </blockquote> "I saw the two officers inside with a hot roast chook and some bread rolls and figured they were getting themselves late shift dinner," her post read. "But then I noticed staples like rice and cereal and one of the said ‘we probably need to get him some milk too'." Ms Barbaro said it then dawned on her that the pair were shopping for the homeless man. "We ended up at the checkout at the same time, they had split up and seemed to do half the groceries each and both pulled out wallets/purses to pay half each," she wrote. She went on to say: "These two weren’t rookies, they clearly knew the difference between a scammer and someone who was genuinely hungry.” "As they went outside, I overhead them check again that he had somewhere to stay tonight and then they handed him the bag of food with respect, compassion and kindness." The post racked up over 2000 comments, and over 26,000 likes.

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This touching moment between police and a homeless man will melt your heart

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