It’s a very long, cold night when you have to sleep with one eye open

IT was once common for people to think there was no homelessness in Hobart because they could not see it.

In the past 18 months that has changed due to the perfect storm of a booming housing market, rising rents and a lack of affordable housing.

Across Australia there are over 220,000 households on public housing waiting lists. The consequence of long lists is that these households will try to access or remain in the private rental sector, contributing in some cases to a service merry-go round. This revolving-door effect is particularly difficult because it means that possibly as little as 50 per cent of those households who receive assistance leave the homelessness assistance sector permanently. The rest are on an endless circular journey through crisis, transitional, private rental and then back again to crisis services.

The private rent market has grown inaccessible to low income households as existing rental stock is under pressure from wage earners unable to move to home ownership.

It is clear public sector housing cannot meet the needs of “rough sleepers” because of its limited-growth and capital funding.

In August, during forecasts of inclement weather with snow down to 400m and heavy rain predicted, we approached Hobart City Council to ask whether we could find some night shelter for some people who were exposed to the elements. We were looking for a space under a grandstand or somewhere dry. The council did more than this. It offered us one of its facilities with access to showers, toilets and cooking facilities for two nights.

So with a few hours to plan, we gathered food, swags, blankets and sleeping bags, while our staff sought permission and developed protocols for the evening. Two of us from The Salvation Army and two managers from the council, volunteered our time and spent the night with some who would have been sleeping outdoors that night.

It was obvious that people needed shelter from the storm, but one of our learnings was to realise that many who are sleeping rough don’t get a restful sleep. One lady

Don McCrae tells why it’s so vital to provide immediate relief to the homeless

explained that she and her friend would take it in turns to sleep while the other remained on watch. She said it was like sleeping with one eye open.

These people explained to us the danger of sleeping rough and the lack of protection against people who would prey on them. They said they were often followed by someone they referred to as “The Lurker”, who would follow them in the shadows waiting for an opportunity, and so they would never sleep in the same place twice.

We know the plight for many experiencing primary homelessness in Tasmania and so with this in mind The Salvation Army and the Hobart City Mission decided to do something about it.

These two organisations, in collaboration with the State Government and Hobart council have developed a proposal for a Safe Night Space to support those in our community sleeping rough. The aim of the Safe Night Space is to provide a welcome, safe and inclusive place for men and women who are vulnerable, isolated and homeless in Hobart.

This service will tap into the supportive public sentiment of the community and seek assistance to initiate the Safe Night Space. With wraparound support and links to generic service provision, we hope to explore options for people to navigate a way into the housing market and to address issues they face. Don McCrae is a team leader with The Salvation Army’s housing and homelessness service and works with those experiencing primary homelessness in our community via the Street to Home program.