Homelessness a visible crisis on Canberra's streets

Homelessness is becoming an undeniable reality on the streets of Canberra, a city often perceived as affluent and progressive. Evidence of people sleeping rough is increasingly hard to ignore, challenging the notion of it being an "invisible crisis."

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People don't want to look at it, because it's gritty and it's hard and it's hard to fix. But you only have to walk through Garema Place to see that it's not invisible, there are a lot of people sleeping rough in this city in very cold, cold winters.

"People don't want to look at it, because it's gritty and it's hard and it's hard to fix," said Kylie Maiden, chief executive of Havelock Housing. "But you only have to walk through Garema Place to see that it's not invisible, there are a lot of people sleeping rough in this city in very cold, cold winters."

Homelessness services across Canberra are experiencing a significant rise in demand, directly linked to the escalating cost of living. Vinnies Night Patrol, which operates 364 nights a year providing food, drinks, toiletries, and warm clothing, saw a 38% jump in support instances in the last financial year, serving over 19,000 people in Canberra and Queanbeyan. The service's busiest stop is in Civic, where volunteers sometimes run out of supplies due to the high number of people seeking assistance.

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People say that I'm only two pay cheques removed from coming out here.

Volunteer team leader Angus Hutchinson noted that the number of material items provided to keep people warm has also increased by 58% in one year. "People say that I'm only two pay cheques removed from coming out here," Hutchinson said, reflecting the widespread financial strain. Some individuals are sleeping in tents in parks or on sidewalks, while others with public housing struggle to afford basic necessities. Victor, who receives food from Vinnies several times a week, stated, "I come out to get some food to supplement my diet."

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I come out to get some food to supplement my diet.

The Early Morning Centre in Canberra's CBD is also witnessing a similar surge in demand for meals and emergency food packs. Centre director Nicole Wiggins observed that while some new faces are appearing, many regular clients are now coming daily instead of weekly. "We have people with university degrees, people who speak numerous languages, people who've owned their own businesses, owned their own houses, and then disaster has struck, and they've ended up on the street," Wiggins said. Although overall homeless population data doesn't show a dramatic surge, ACT Shelter reports that the territory has Australia's highest rates of persistent or chronic homelessness, exacerbated by worsening housing affordability.

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We have people with university degrees, people who speak numerous languages, people who've owned their own businesses, owned their own houses, and then disaster has struck, and they've ended up on the street.