Mental anguish of daily struggle

A 44-YEAR-OLD homeless man living in a tent pitched in a Rokeby backyard says his daily struggles are so tough he’s contemplated suicide.

Brett Price said many of his homeless friends were also so stressed out they had told him they were also thinking about ending their life.

“It’s pretty stressful when you can’t get yourself clean, and your clothes haven’t been washed for a few days,” Mr Price said.

“You have your back pack on your back with your tent inside but you have nowhere to go.”

Even though Mr Price could afford to pay up to $250 a week rent, he said there was no accommodation in that price range available.

Mr Price pays $5 a day to have a warm shower at the Clarence pool and $100 a week to pitch his tent in a friend’s backyard.

Mr Price said it took him all day to dry his wet blankets and sleeping bag from the tent condensation. “Homeless people end up relying on their friends and family and what happens is that those friendships are really pushed to the limit,” Mr Price said.

“I feel pretty lucky that I have two or three people I can really rely on to help me get through the winter. My friend has said if it gets too cold in the tent just to knock on the back door and I can sleep on the couch.

“But some of my friends are just sleeping in the sand dunes at Bellerive Beach or the caves in Howrah. So there are people doing it a lot tougher than me.” For 24/7 support, Lifeline 131 114, the Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467