Housing system ‘broken’
Volunteers feed city’s street dwellers as humanitarians call for action
VICTIMS of a “broken housing system” muster under the yellow gloom of street lights on Draper St waiting for a beacon in the form of a mobile food service operated by Rosies.
Two vans arrive at 7pm and about 40 homeless people, mostly men, form an orderly line as an evening meal is served.
The 40 people in need of a feed this week is a small proportion of the more than 3975 people either homeless or struggling to keep a roof over their head in Cairns.
The mood is sombre as the hungry collect their meals and find a place to sit and eat on chairs provided by the volunteers of Rosies, Friends on the Street.
One volunteer who has a day job as a Queensland Police Service chaplain is Doug Foster.
Mr Foster said the numbers vary but the Rosies van consistently feeds between 30 and 50 people four nights a week at the Draper St meeting place.
“The hope is that there is a bit of time for a yarn as well as a meal. Some people are very private individuals … but others might get in a group and have a yarn,” he said.
“We find that some come back regularly so you get to know them fairly well and then they will move on or sadly some will pass away, and some you only see once.”
Mr Foster said nearly all coming to receive a meal were homeless or in crisis accommodation.
The Rosies co-ordinator said he is driven by desire to help those less fortunate and a compassion for fellow human beings down on their luck.
“You hear their stories and a lot of them have had one or two tragic incidents happen in their lives and that has meant for some they haven’t been able to deal with society at large and had to move out,” he said.
Mr Foster said many people affected by homelessness suffered mental health issues which have contributed to breakdowns in relationships and trouble holding down a job.
“But there are other stories of successful people who have been going okay and something happens like losing a business and suddenly they are destitute,” he said.
Mission Australia Regional Leader, Phil Flint agreed the reasons for homelessness are “numerous and complex” and exacerbated by a failing of the State Government.
The organisation is calling for public housing reform to “fix the broken housing system” in Queensland.
“We know what works, but it needs funding, leadership, continuous commitment and shared effort which will best be achieved through a national homelessness strategy,” he said.
“We’d like to see 500,000 more social and affordable homes to address the shortfall across Australia, a national plan to end homelessness by 2030 and an increase in Commonwealth Rent Assistance for the thousands of Australians who are struggling to pay the rent.”
Mission Australia works in the Cairns community to assist people experiencing homelessness to connect them with stable and secure housing.
THERE ARE OTHER STORIES OF SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN GOING OKAY AND SOMETHING HAPPENS LIKE LOSING A BUSINESS AND SUDDENLY THEY ARE DESTITUTE ROSIES VOLUNTEER DOUG FOSTER