Adelaide Homeless - South Australia

[Dominic]

Regional focus for Adelaide on homelessness and homeless discussion related to Adelaide - South Australia. Are you homeless or involved with homelessness in Adelaide Australia?

[Rose]

Hi Dominic,
I've been going to the Brisbane site, because that's the one I happened to stumble across. I just thought I'd check out Adelaide to see if the same sorts of things were happening, but there's nobody there, except you. Do you know why? Do they not know about the forum, do you think, or is it a case of no access?
Having read through all the postings in Brisbane, I know it's valuable - but if you're on the streets, how and where do you access the internet, or even find out about the forum?
If the absence of people on this forum is due to their not knowing about it, can I help? Could I stick up a bill with the web address on it next time I'm up in Adelaide? If so, where would streeties be likely to see it, and security guards not likely to remove it as soon as I turn my back?
Public libraries in South Australia will allow you half an hour or an hour's internet time, but you have to be a member. Is that a problem for streeties with no home address? Libraries are also air conditioned, but they don't open until nine o'clock, and most of them close at five.

[Dominic]

Hi,

The forum is not well enough known yet, that's the hold up. So if you are able to promote the forums somewhere that would be cool.

I think that how exactly to do that is worthy of a thread in the general section, maybe we will get some other members ideas and their help to.

[Rose]

Hi again.

OK. I have to go up to the university within the next couple of weeks; I'm studying externally, so I don't get up there very often, but I'll do what I can to let people know the forum is available. The general section? I din't know about it - I'll go and find it.
Meanwhile I could put up a couple of posters and hope someone sees them.

Cheers,

Rose.

[Rose]

Some Adelaide services for homeless people:

Byron Place Community Centre
61-67 Byron Place
They offer:
~ Luggage storage for up to two months
~ Laundry facilities
~ Bathroom facilities - showers, soap, razors, towels
~ Emergency clothing
~ Bedding
~ Social work/counselling/advocacy services
~ Support groups
~ A nurse is available
~ Centrelink reps are available 'at certain times'
~ Numeracy and literacy classes
~ Art classes/cooking classes
~ Discover the city program
~ Movies once a fortnight in the afternoon

BCS Westcare 8231 2850
~ A day centre offering meals, food parcels, financial relief, counselling,housing support

Catherine House 8232 2282
~ Accomodation, counselling and support for homeless women over the age of 21

City Homeless and Assessment Support Team 8212 7226
~ Outreach services to adults with drug, alcohol and mental health problems and other high and complex needs

Collective of St Mary Magdalene 8232 6898
~ Community arts program, Saturday night drop-in centre and meals and social activities

Hutt Street Centre 8223 2068
~ Meal and day centre for homeless adults providing meals, showers, laundry, lockers,clothing, mail collection and developmental services including social work, aged careoutreach and recreation

Inner City Youth Service 8231 9889 1800 354 440
~ coordinated crisis care, outreach/streetwork and information for young people 12 to 25

Multi Agency Community Housing Association 8231 3336
~ Accomodation and coordinated tenant support services for homeless people

Offenders Aid and Rehabilitation Services SA Inc. 8210 0828
~ Support and rehabilitation services for offenders and assistance for families

Salvation Army 8100 8119
~ The Sobering Up Unit, counselling services and supported accomodation

St Vincent de Paul 8212 6311
~ Services to the poor and disadvantaged including emergency accomodation for men and counselling and support services

Trace-a-Place 8211 8466
~ Referral agency for emergency and longer-term accomodation for people under 25

Homelessness SA 8221 6488
~ Concerned with the needs and aspirations of homeless people in SA

I'll try to find the addresses of all these places, and who runs them. I don't know which of these are the best ones - if there's anybody out there who does, that would be useful info.

South Australia
Hindmarsh Centre
35 Richard Street
HINDMARSH SA 5007
Phone: (08) 8346 4015

Provides an overnight sobering up service and welfare response to young people in and around the City of Adelaide.
Streetlink Youth Health Service
27 Gresham Street
ADELAIDE SA 5000
Phone: (08) 8231 4844
Provides an holistic health care response to homeless and at risk young people 12-25 years and their children who frequent the City of Adelaide. Streetlink provides an effective service to young people who do not access mainstream health care services.

[katerinalotus]

Rose, can I post that infomation on my site? People need to know what services are available!!

[Rose]

It's a bit like bare bones at the moment, a lot of the information that people would want isn't there. People need other information, the sorts of things Dominic suggests; who runs it, what's the food like etc. But any way it can be put out to the people who need it is good, even in an unfinished form. If you're putting it on your website, you might prefer to use my sources directly, rather than what I've done with them.

Most of it came from the Adelaide City Council; they have put together a lovely slick brochure, which can also be accessed as a web page. I'll send you the address, you might like to use the coloured pictures, if copyright laws allow. Really, I was just using the brochure and a few other things I've found as a starting point. I've also put the information on the thread 'Questions that need to be asked, week 1 on the streets'.

I need to do what I've been promising to do all along - go up to Adelaide and do the actual footwork and let Adelaide's Homeless know about this forum - and maybe collect some information about where people can sleep if they don't get into a shelter. Most of those places are just day places. It looks like there's a shortage of beds in Adelaide, which means people are sleeping out somewhere.

The Adelaide Homeless thread hasn't really picked up yet. It would be nice to get the message out there, see it start moving. Any suggestions, from anybody, either about better ways of formatting the info, or further information, are eagerly awaited.

[katerinalotus]

In SA it seems that the idea of a "housing trust" home which you wait for on a list, is AT LEAST a decade. I applied when I left "home", at about the age of 16. Apparently one came up, but I was too sick at the time to know and missed out. That was about 5 years ago. Still no home for me!

Recently, I have found a place called WESLEY UNITING, Bowden SA, which is also invoved in accomodation. Like most places, they categorise you in terms of need because of their resourses...and the GOVT lack of funding. I'm OK with that because there are families living in their cars...and they should be in a home.

I suggest those who REALLY need help with a place to give these guys a try. Within 3 weeks they interviewed me..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!....and now I am waiting...hopefully not for a decade this time!!

Hope this helps someone.

Love and Light, K

[katerinalotus]

http://www.adelaidecitycouncil.com/c...n_The_City.pdf

This is the Adelaide city council link to the homeless pdf brochure.

Love and Light, K

[katerinalotus]

Its been kinda quiet here, that's cool, these things take time.

There are many wonderful homeless people around the place, and there needs to be more public education regarding homelessness. They are of all races, ages, and genders.

There needs to be a particular focus on indigenous communities especially..(in my opinion). I am far from racist, and I dont mean that negatively. I have personally babysat a few beautiful Aboriginal kids when thier mum , (a good friend of mine) really needed a hand. Anah?! That is my idea of "community".

If people could just look beyond their own safe lives, and ask why, maybe we would get somewhere. How can we ignore the stolen generation's impact??? How can we insist that our "urban" way is better than the "nomadic" way...or a hybrid of at least? Who's to say? If you want my opinion, the indigenous ancestry of this island was FAR more advanced than our "modern" existance!

In over 100000000 years, no native has ever seen our country more pathetically vulneranble, than now. (Nice work John Howard!- again, my opinion only).

To those younger streeties, I hope you're not feeling too alone, and check out the info we post here, even contact us..I'll try to help where possible..Just dont be shy, we are here for YOU.

Love & Light, K

[Rose]

If you want to learn more about just how advanced Australian Aboriginal cultures were, try your local library for a copy of: The Conquest Of the Ngarrindjeri by Graham Jenkin. Of course, this is only one culture; before the invasion of the first fleet, Australia was home to at least 250 separate cultural groups. The culture of the Ngarrindjeri people was one of the few that was extensively recorded in a form that non-Indigenous people are capable of understanding. The Ngarrindjeri people now publish the book themselves, since it was placed on the 'out of print' file by the previous publisher.

The Ngarrindjeri people are the traditional custodians of the Lower Murray Lakes and the Coorong. They inhabited a particularly rich country, and their culture reflects this. The members of most cultural groups are still struggling to re-establish what has been destroyed during the past 200 years. Homelessness is one of the many effects of the overall devastation that has been inflicted on these people.

This is my major field of study and probable future career path, so I have thought about asking Dominic for an Aboriginal homeless section, but this is not a thing that a non-Indigenous person has any right to do without consultation. When time permits, I hope to approach some of the local elders, but they may not want this. I'm bound by powerful ethical constraints here; I have a responsibility to 'keep my place', which means asking before bounding in and trying to be helpful. Many Aboriginal communities have their own infrastructure for helping people whose lives have gone off-track.

Now that you've mentioned it though, I'll have to put it on my agenda for 'as soon as possible'. Which basically means after the end of this semester. I had great plans for this thread, but simply haven't had time to get out there. I have appreciated you input, it's great to have another pair of eyes picking up ideas. I have a copy of the Adelaide City Council's excellent brochure, but I have one problem with it; I CANNOT read their fancy little coloured print without reading glasses - which homeless people may not have. That brochure was made for (and probably by) somebody very young and with perfect eyesight. It's pretty though. And useful. If you can see it.....

[katerinalotus]

I know what you're saying about asking to help rather than assuming "we know everything".

A few years ago I was fortunate enough to meet a Kaurna elder, and various Kaurna linguists who helped me beyond measure with some artwork. Asking permission to use sacred words and even colours, was beyond my comprehesion when I started the project. I walked away with absolute respect and humility - especially when I realised how little I actually knew. I didn't even scratch the surface, but was fortunate enough to receive the co-operation/information I required.

I'm glad I haven't been imagining all this, I think that if you were to approach any elder with respect and permission, communication is possible.."Tandanya" is a great place to start in my opinion. The people there ROCK!!!!

Love & Light, K

[Rose]

First thing that happens in a full-on course of Aboriginal Studies - a very steep learning curve on the subject of humility. The 'ouch' factor is really strong sometimes.

People always respond to the answer to 'what are you studying?' with 'oh that must be interesting', then switch off when I start to explain that it DOESN'T simply involve learning lots of exotic things about Aboriginal people, but means lots of intensive study about all the different aspects of the last 200 years, and the effect it's had on Indigenous Australians. Sadly, a lot of people still don't want to face facts, although they're happy to buy Aboriginal artworks, while remaining ignorant of what it is they're actually buying. Whoops, I'm getting steamed up, time to shut up.

Thanks for being one of the few who have the courage to look beyond their own comfort zones, Kat.

[katerinalotus]

Seriously, NO NEED for thanks...I'm honoured to know what little I have a grasp on. ..

Love & Light, K

[georgiegirl]

in adelaide there is an extreme amount of shortage of beds..a numerous amount of hostels close their beds due to previous residents who have been violent/abusive etc, meaning that other "good" streeties are refused a bed. at one hostel i stayed at they shut the male emergency bed for nearly a year because a previous streetie had trashed the room, and they hadnt aquired the money to fix it. yet the social workers had new, expensive government cars. so theyd rather spend the government allowance on cars than fixing a bedroom up, and letting another streetie spend another cold night in a squat, or on a park bench. Yeah, I can REALLY see the fairness there!!!!!

[Dominic]

Originally Posted by georgiegirl

in adelaide there is an extreme amount of shortage of beds..a numerous amount of hostels close their beds due to previous residents who have been violent/abusive etc, meaning that other "good" streeties are refused a bed. at one hostel i stayed at they shut the male emergency bed for nearly a year because a previous streetie had trashed the room, and they hadnt aquired the money to fix it. yet the social workers had new, expensive government cars. so theyd rather spend the government allowance on cars than fixing a bedroom up, and letting another streetie spend another cold night in a squat, or on a park bench. Yeah, I can REALLY see the fairness there!!!!!

Georgie it depends where and under what conditions they get their money. It's very restrictive. The cars most likely would have been from a grant they got to do one project, and leasing cars would have been an approved expense to do that project. Once they get that grant, they can't turn around and say oh actually we really wanted to spend the money for the cars on something else. They would loose all their funding for everything if they did it that way.

The problem would have been that no funding was available for the male emergency bed project.

They have to detail what they want money for, break down a list of expenses then if they get the money, they have to report back with reciepts and proof that they spent the money on what they said they would. It's very restrictive.

[Kaylene Drew]

Hi Dominic and Rose....and anyone else reading this...

I am here in Adelaide..and I've been on both sides of the fence..homeless and now I'm not.. and I have volunteered several days a week at Byron Place,,in the city here.

Byron Place is an excellent drop in place for people over 18 yrs of age..however, the main focus is on males...although there are a number of female clients..and all their services were listed on that brochure.. note all of them are free too..the only charge there is...is 20cents for a sachet of coffee...tea is free..(endless cups).. while Byron doesnt provide meals per se.. there is usually something to eat there..in the mornings..as quiet a few bakeries drop of boxes of bread rolls and buns ..also very often... businesses who have business lunches..drop of all the remaining unused food..(5 star quality too)..

While one can use a computer there at Byron Place..they do not have internet access for clients.. so as it has already been suggested..the library is the go.. clients often use Byron as their postal address..(and have their mail sent there too)..

I do have a list of places where meals can be obtained...to late to go digging for it this minute..but I will find it and post it here ok.. I can make some 2nd hand comments about which are the preferred places too.. as told to me by the clients there..

I agree,,that not many..if any would know about this site..maybe some flyers could be made up and distributed..around to some of the service providers.. including Bryon Place..(they do have a notice board too)..

If anyone has any questions about Byron Place...just ask..ok.

Kaylene

[Rose]

Kaylene, I had plans last year to put fliers absolutely everywhere, but then the petrol prices got me. I live on Hindmarsh Island and drive an early model Commodore, which eats up loads of petrol, so the cost of getting up to the city is beyond me, except when I have no choice. When I do go, it's to the university and my time is too limited for me to do the necessary footwork to spread the word.

If you'd like to PM me a postal address, I'd be happy to make up some flyers for you to distribute. I've been feeling really bad about my failure to achieve this, but didn't know anybody in the city who could help.

[Rose]

To any Adelaide people, homeless or otherwise, who may be interested:

Adelaide Thinkers in Residence public lecture
Housing the homeless - whatever it takes

with Rosanne Haggerty

Jointly presented by Adelaide Thinkers in Residence and The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre, UniSA
Rosanne will share her vision for ending homelessness in South Australia
Monday 10 July - 5.45pm for 6.00pm start
Adelaide Town Hall
Please note: this event is general admission and no tickets are issued. We cannot guarantee a seat therefore please get there early to secure your seat.

If you want to register for this lecture the address is:

http://www.unisa.edu.au/hawke/events...ggerty_reg.asp

The blurb on the invitation I received goes:

Rosanne Haggerty is dedicated to putting an end to homelessness. As founder of Common Ground Community - the largest developer of supportive housing in the US - Rosanne has demonstrated that homelessness is solvable, transforming people, buildings and communities.

Be inspired as Rosanne shares her vision for ending homelessness in South Australia.

Well, I don't know anything about Rosanne, or her organisation, so I'll be going along to find out what she says. It would be good if we could get together some homeless people to attend, these lectures are always in danger of being an arena for the boffins. They are wonderful, well-meaning people, but their dreams of social equality aren't always as realistic as those of the people they'd like to help. Homelessness is a topic that needs to be kept down to earth.

The lecture doesn't cost anything, so if you're interested, just register on the address above.

PS: I found a lecture summary online that will give people some idea of what Rosanne Haggerty is likely to say. I'll just edit it in here. Any feedback would be most welcome.
http://www.archleague.org/lectures/s...tysummary.html

[Rose]

The Adelaide Advertiser reported Rosanne Haggerty's lecture thus:

Housing has to be more affordable
By RHIANNON HOYLE
11jul06

HOUSING affordability is a "very real problem" plaguing the Adelaide real estate market, Thinker in Residence Rosanne Haggerty says.

The American real estate entrepreneur, who last night presented a public lecture on supportive housing at Adelaide Town Hall, says it is an issue commonly played down because the South Australian median house price is below that of it's eastern state counterparts. However, the Adelaide market has been experiencing a period of steady growth, with the average home price having close to doubled in just five years. Haggerty says, unless government or industry provide further assistance, young people will continue to be pushed out of the housing market.
"This is something that has to be fixed, and the first step that needs to be taken is for people to realise that it is actually a big issue," she said. Ms Haggerty admits she has been confronted with countless stories about young people moving to the city to further their education, only to drop their studies as they struggle to remain in stable housing. She said: "They spend more time trying to keep themselves in housing than they do working on their education.
"How does any community make young people successful to run the economy if they are not able to get their education and retain stable housing at the same time?"
While she commended the recent announcements of a number of student accommodation facilities, she recommended education chiefs further expand the links between schools and universities with the housing industry.
Furthermore, to try and make property more first-homebuyer friendly, Ms Haggerty suggested developers look closer at some of the homes they are designing.
The housing market is made up of many family homes, but there are now a lot more single person households, she said.
Housing Industry Association SA regional director Robert Harding said land availability is rapidly becoming a problem in SA.
"Given housing affordability is at very low levels now it is imperative to ensure adequate land supply so as to avoid further significant deterioration in affordability."

The Advertiser doesn't seem inclined to discuss the real homeless people of Adelaide. Nevertheless, the points they've picked up from this lecture are valid, and important. With Austudy set at $210 per week, and rent allowance not available to Austudy recipients, and Adelaide rents ranging between $280 and $400 for a reasonable house, many students are in constant danger. A few, as we have seen here on the forums, struggle to make it through their tertiary studies while they are actually homeless. Homelessness is a sword of Damacles for large numbers of students, overshadowing everything they do, as Rosanne points out. Nobody except a few student counsellors seem to be aware that many university students are ending up as checkout operators, because continuing to study meant homelessness for them. This problem will not be confined to Adelaide; in fact, it's probably worse in the more expensive cities..

Rosanne's lecture contained much more than just this, however. I'm trying to get hold of a transcript. Some of her ideas are great, provided the provision of housing is coupled with all the other services people need to get off the streets and live in secure accomodation again.