Even though we may be in the final month of winter, it’s important to remember that many people are still sleeping rough.
One in three Australians in need of crisis accommodation were turned away last year, simply because we don’t have the resources and funding.
One woman who’s trying to make a change is Skye Leckie – who slept on the streets for the reality show, Filthy Rich and Homeless.
“There are so many factors that affect how people can end up in financial ruin,” Leckie said.
Social housing waitlist
There are 195,000 people currently on a waitlist for social housing, according to the Council to Homeless Persons – and they believe 500,000 social and affordable rental homes need to become available.
“Property developers, I think, should be creating x amount of apartments or houses in a development that we can give to people for social housing,” Leckie said.
“But not everyone can cope with having shelter – you need wraparound services because there might be mental illnesses or addiction to deal with.
“Everyone that I’ve met or talked to on the street, they’re individuals. They’ve got their own story. You can’t just wave a wand and say, here’s a whole block of apartments, let’s put them all in there and move on – because it’s not as simple as that.”
Source: 7news
