HELP OUR HOMELESS
Surge in CBD rough sleepers as cold sets in Urgent action needed, say charity bosses
THE number of rough sleepers in Geelong’s central business district is growing as temperatures plummet.
There are calls for urgent intervention to help the homeless off the streets, with compounded concern their welfare is suffering amid curtailed services in the face of COVID-19.
Homeless people’s possessions and bedding were set up around the Little Malop and Moorabool St areas this week.
Some services, including accommodation and drop-in centres, have been closed or wound back amid the pandemic due to health and safety concerns.
Give Where You Live Foundation chief executive Bill Mithen said urgent intervention was needed, and initiatives from the not-for-profit sector and state and local governments would be welcomed.
“There just simply isn’t enough housing and accommodation stock for people who are homeless, and for people sleeping rough those options have reduced even further through this crisis because some services have closed due to health and safety concerns,” Mr Mithen said.
Both Mr Mithen and St Vincent de Paul Geelong conference president Martin Rowan suggested the visibility of rough sleepers in the city could have increased as they migrated to more sheltered areas as colder weather set in.
Mr Rowan said Vinnies was concerned for their welfare, and had not heard from rough sleepers it would usually be in contact with.
“During the summer months they cope much better,” he said.
Mr Rowan said face-to-face intervention was key to helping Geelong’s rough sleepers, and that it was often difficult to contact them via phone.
City of Greater Geelong community life director Robyn Stevens said the council understood there were fewer people now sleeping rough, due to the concerted effort to fund shortterm crisis accommodation options for rough sleepers as part of the COVID-19 response.
Ms Stevens said the council was aware of the people sleeping rough in the CBD and was working with Neami National’s Towards Home+ Geelong and the State Government to identify a suitable solution.
Neami National did not respond to requests for comment before deadline. In April, it said outreach workers were meeting with rough sleepers daily.
A State Government spokeswoman said more than $350,000 had been allocated to homelessness agencies across Geelong since late March.
“This boost is helping agencies to keep people in rental properties through the Private Rental Assistance Program and get people quickly into emergency accommodation through the Housing Establishment Fund,” the spokeswoman said.
“We’ve also funded homelessness agencies across the
Barwon region to help people sleeping rough access hotel accommodation — assertive outreach teams are on the ground and engaging with people to offer this service.”
Mr Rowan said rough sleepers could call the Vinnies welfare number on 5221 9170 between 9am and 11.30am Monday to Friday.