4 August 2010

Life on the streets

| johnboy
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[First filed: Aug 2, 2010 @ 20:02]

car [Car in photo not actual car of homeless person]

New user “Homeless” left the following as a comment, but I thought it was worth a read in its own right:

I have been a regular reader of this soap box for a while, but up until now I’ve never posted. Well yeah, I’m homeless as my user name implies. So I read some of the most recent posts on being homeless and I thought it is about time I registered to put my own 2 cents worth in. I want you to realise that not all homeless waste money on drugs or beer. We are not all beggars. We don’t all look as though we’ve not washed in weeks. We’re not even all on the dole. Some of us are educated, some of is get jobs.

Okay, so what is it really like being homeless in Canberra? I’ll tell you. It’s cold, it’s scary and it’s really really lonely.

A typical day starts with me rolling out of my make shift bed in the back of my car. I count my blessings that I have a car because without it I would be sleeping on the cold hard ground. Sleeping in the bushes in Glebe Park, or under some of the stairways in the centre of the city. If I’m lucky I might be able to find a toilet in a building which has 24 hour access and lock myself in to sleep on the floor like I know a few friends of mine do.

I’m still fairly new to the game and painfully shy and afraid of people so I don’t know what services are available to me here. I avoid the homeless joints. Too many druggies and drinkers there. I’ve stayed in some before, but they all move you on. They all want evidence that you are unemployed too, so without a Centerlink benefit it is no go. I don’t know how others do it, get the dole with no fixed address. They won’t even take a post office box so I didn’t renew the one I had.

As the sun comes up and the city awakens so do I. The light and noise wakes me from my slumber. I wake up, stretch out and try work the aches and pains out. It is very cold in winter, so I tend to sleep in till I need to go to the toilet. I park within walking distance of toilets most times. I have a porta potty in the car, but I try to keep that for emergencies. I try to avid getting bad smells in the car. They linger. So I keep clean, keep my cloths clean, cook outside. Use deodorant. Have a car freshener deodoriser thing.

Some days I drive out to Queanbeyan for a free shower. The one by the visitor’s centre is the only free shower I know of in the area. Some days I go to a swimming pool and go for a swim and a shower. Some days it is a wash down with a wet face washer and wet wipes. I’ve shaved in the car hundreds of times. I joke that my glove box is my bathroom. I keep a face washer, wet wipes, deodorant, shavers, hair brush and other cleaning stuff in there.

I’ll clean up and put some cloths on. I love the smell of fresh clean cloths. I wash mine once a week at the laundry mat. It is steep, but clean cloths make such a wonderful difference to how I feel about the world. If you saw me in the street, odds are on that you would not think I was homeless from my cloths, but my shoes give it away.

Early in the morning I will drive or walk into town for something to eat. I can get a free breakfast most days. But not always. Some days I don’t feel like mixing with the crowds, or anyone for that matter. Some days are hard to handle. So I’ll eat breakfast in the car. Cereal and long life milk. Baked beans out of a can. Bread and spread. I try to mix it up. Get a variety to eat healthy.

After breakfast I try go to the library. It’s warm there. I can look for work on the Internet. If I am working, which is not often, I’ll go to work. Funny how even in this town some one with a university qualification can’t get good work. Oh yeah, I do get work on a regular basis. Cleaning, sales, telemarketing. They don’t last long. Without a resent job history work is hard to get. I have a mobile phone, even a laptop and mobile Internet so I am contactable, but still, jobs have never come easy to me. I’m all right in interviews, but the jobs don’t last.

I freely admit I have some serious mental health issues. I try to get around them, but it is not easy. I had very violent parents, or well at least parent and partner. Yelling and screaming were common place as a child. They were smart though, only hit me where it would not show. I went to school with a lot of accidental injuries. Oh yeah, I was accident prone wasn’t I? Made stuff up about my parents too didn’t I? How the hell people could have seen the shit that happened to me and done nothing about it is beyond me. I still am afraid to go to sleep, memories of being woken up and yelled at or beaten scare the hell out of me even today. Then there are the mind blocks. Some times I’ll remember something and just freeze up. Pausing for a few seconds when you should be frying burgers or listening to your boss does not endear you to a long lasting job.

I don’t totally freeze up, I can concentrate enough to drive no worries. It is only sometimes when I work and my mind wanders that it happens. Mind lock, reliving a memory that won’t go away. I’ve tried to make them go away, seen counsellors, shrinks, all that. None of it has worked. Besides, people scare me, and I have problems relating to them. I never really developed the skills. A lot of people mistake my quietness and sticking to the job for something else, I don’t know, I’ve been told I’m not a team player. Others take advantage of it, and start bullying me or putting me down. I can’t handle that so I walk out. It brings back too many bad memories.

So anyway, I’ll usually look for work, apply for at least two jobs a day. That’s the target I’ve set myself. I don’t have access to job seeking help because I don’t get the dole but I’ve had a lot of experience writing job applications. A good application has to be tailored for a job. Sometimes I can copy and paste and modify, but most need some research and have to be written from scratch so that takes a few hours each. Some times I go cold canvassing for sales jobs, but people recognise me from the last time I asked now and ask me to go away. I’ve been told not to come back to some places. I work on the applications in the library, email them to my laptop. Some libraries let me use a memory stick so that’s better for me. My wireless plan was prepaid when I had the money about 8 months ago. It’s limited, so I use the library for Internet when I can.

Because I have no fixed address I get no unemployment benefit so yeah, I need to keep looking for work, get jobs, live on what I can, put some aside for being between jobs, put some aside for registration and insurance. Put some aside to look after the car. I never used to know about fixing things like spark plugs, oil filters, fuel filters, replacing batteries or that stuff until I lost my first long term job out of uni. Now I’ve had to learn.

During the day I’ll probably meet with some other people I know. Some homeless, some not. Some times some people will give me some dollars to drive them places. We’ll usually go over to some place to get lunch if we can. I can’t store food for long in the car even though I have an eski. In summer it is much harder to keep food for long. There’s nothing like the smell of off milk too. Evil smell. Some times I go down to the city, watch the street sleepers play the invisible game. They ask you for money. You pretend you don’t see them.

So I sit around, writing up applications on my laptop. Second hand, but it does the job. I might go for a walk. Go for a swim. Go to the Youth Hostel to catch up with people I know who live there. I tried begging in Garema place, but I don’t look homeless, and you know you’ve hit rock bottom when you have to beg. I hang out in the Canberra Centre or other shopping malls some times. They’re warm and some have free Internet. I try catch up with some of the other homeless people I know. Just talk. Share a meal. Go search the op shops for cheap cloths and blankets. The op shops never seem to have any good blankets. I’d love some good woollen ones. It is so cold here.

Might watch a little TV. There are lots of places you can watch TV for free. I have a little DVD player in the car. I watch DVDs borrowed from the library. I read books. I get online and read the news, surf forums, try to teach myself new stuff. I wish there were good free correspondence courses online that lead to proper qualifications. If it is a laundry day I do laundry. If I have books or DVDs due I take them back, borrow some new ones. Mostly I sit in the car or wander around trying to keep warm. Summer is great, I can get out of the car and relax in the many quiet places of Canberra that no one goes. Winter is a killer, homeless people die in winter, even in cars. Mostly I read and try to keep warm. That’s the problem with being unemployed, lots of time on your hands, so little money to do things with.

As the day draws to a close I send off job applications. Most days I can get dinner, but some times I eat in the car. Never take away. It costs too much. I have a small stove and can cook stuff. Some other people I know some times find me, and we cook something. Simple food. Lots of sauce. The dry causlaw packets they sell at supermarkets are great. Just add mayonnaise and you can eat it straight out of the packet.

Night means finding a new place to sleep. It has to be quiet. It’s useful if it is near by a toilet. Better if there is a barbecue near by too. So I settle down, wind the windows down a slight bit. Try to go to sleep when every sound sounds like some one trying to break into my car. I’ve been woken by young men squirting water, beer and even what I think was piss into the car windows. Had them shaking my car and even jumping against it. Why don’t people leave me in peace? All I can do is jump in the front and drive away.

Now, before people ask. I don’t drink. I don’t take drugs. I don’t smoke (I can’t afford to). I get no benefits. I regularly look for work. I don’t look dirty or unkempt apart from my shoes. I don’t hassle people. I keep to myself most of the time. I help others out when I can. I have a university degree

What as a homeless person do I want?
Yeah, I want a job. I want a place of my own to call home. I want some one special to care for me. I want society to care for each other. I want love. I want all of those things. Will I get them? I’ll believe it when I see it. Just like I’ll believe all those promises by government to do better for homeless people. Just like I’ll believe it when I see this No more homeless turned away policy. For us homeless, it’s all the same crap, same stuff, coming out of different mouths. All talk, no action.

Yeah, long first post I know, but hey, I have a lot of time, and nothing else to do.

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You should post a story.

SandyRose said :

Are you homeless? Have you ever been homeless?
I am a student at the University of Canberra creating a documentary about homelessness in the Canberra region.
I am interested in hearing your story and making sure a wider audience can hear your story too.
I am also interested in hearing what services you think are needed in the Canberra area. You can remain anonymous if you wish.
Please contact me if you are interested: u3025324@uni.canberra.edu.au

Are you homeless? Have you ever been homeless?
I am a student at the University of Canberra creating a documentary about homelessness in the Canberra region.
I am interested in hearing your story and making sure a wider audience can hear your story too.
I am also interested in hearing what services you think are needed in the Canberra area. You can remain anonymous if you wish.
Please contact me if you are interested: u3025324@uni.canberra.edu.au

Thankyou for you comment Homeless. I have registered here so I can respond specifically to you.
First of all, let me say I hope you are genuine. I am not 100% sure you are not PR from a charity but I will give you the benefit of the doubt. I am particularly unsure how you are surviving financially without benefits.
Now, you might ask how I can say that and what I am about to say? Previously in Canberra, I sat on the Territory Council of a major charity. I would have made decision that impacted upon the aid you may have sought. I may have seen you, Homeless, in a separate role, in the soup kitchen in Garema Place. I may also have visited you in a charitable capacity in Havelock, Northbourne et al over many years. I could tell you every form of financial aid available in Canberra.
Which, many may think, makes what I am going to say maybe a bit strange: As warm and fuzzy and generous as PO Boxes and blankets are, you need to consider if that is really your problem. To me, your foremost problem seems to be a mental illness.
Now, how can I say that? Because I myself have struggled with anxiety and depression all my life, and this has been a contributing factor in losing the only jobs (2) I have had in the last couple of years (this is after finishing 8 years of uni) and me being currently unemployed.
I am currently in a Regional area in Victoria, and am looking to come back to Canberra for work (hence reading The riot Act) but after many years of struggle I know what will work and won’t work for what is most important for me. I’ll explain: without a job, if I came back to the Canberra housing market now, I’d be living in my car too, and that would trigger my depression and a downward spiral would form. Despite my illness, I know that life shouldn’t be that hard – a good friend in Canberra is on a $60K public job with little work, and a friend in Vic is similar with his own business. They both have minor mental issues but have worked through them.
So think about what will get you moving upwards. Unfortunately, that is not something as simple as a blanket.
It may be moving to, example, where I am, where a flat can be rented for $80 a week with a 90 minute train to the CBD for work and a 60 minute train to a good psych. It may be some serious prescription medication from the doc (down here they are bulk bill). It may be moving to where you know someone. It may be neither. But you have to know what is important to you – if that is getting a job (and this is something I am still uncertain about for myself) spending hours applying may not be the best thing if you can’t handle it (and I completely understand why) – a few hours reading about therapy might be better.
Don’t do the same thing as before and expect a different result.

One of the hardest things about mental illness is that it affects one’s ability to address itself – to see things rationally – to plan a way out.
Be confident that a lot of people in this country, despite the bureaucracy and politics, want to help, and if you break the cycle of what has been harming you until this point, life can be easy, and it will only get easier as you address what is causing your biggest problems.
I believe it or I wouldn’t still be trying myself.

Now, I will check back on this thread, but to be honest it is a bit depressing for me, so not regularly. If you would like to talk, get in contact.

fgzk well because if you are single unless you have a mental illness or addiction or something which prevents you from receiving centrelink payments, you are really just roughing it because you can easily pitch a tent at a caravan park or sleep in a car or on someone’s couch… it’s a whole different story when there are kids involved. So it is impossible for me to have sympathy for the individual above not that I don’t wish them better luck in future!

Good on you Rossy

cb60 I don’t get your point. “homeless” experiences are totally consistent with the homeless experience. I see no evidence to doubt his story. If anything having children will guarantee some kind of long term support eventually. As it should. I take it you are now housed.

DavidCCEO said :

Hi, my name’s David Rothschild and I’m one of the Centrelink Community Engagement Officers for the ACT and surrounds.

In reply to Homeless and in response to Aubergine and others, I can confirm that you don’t need a fixed address in order to receive Centrelink assistance. My job is to offer extra support and assistance to particularly vulnerable customers including the homeless and we can still deliver services without a fixed address.

I’m based at the Braddon Centrelink Customer Service Centre but you can contact me by dropping in at any of the ACT Centrelink offices and asking for an appointment.

From what you are saying Homeless it seems I might be able to help you – and for anyone else reading this, please pass on that there are Centrelink services available to eligible people with no fixed address.

Good to know. I hope ‘homeless’ sees this.

cb60 or anyone who has experienced being homeless or has an opinion and would like to be voiced please email me in the next couple days, i am really interested to speak to some people about this first hand as i believe it is an important issue for canberra. thanks

HOMELESS, I don’t believe a word you say. Yes there are homeless in Canberra but you are not one of them regardless of your degree! (being facetious here) Actually as a single person it is easy to get a place to stay. As much as the support agencies want to help it is much harder to help a family so if I were you I’d get back to the menial labour and stop complaining.
oh and i’ve experienced homelessness with kids in toe

Hey homeless,

your story is really powerful and has changed my perspective on homeless people. I am writing an article (i am in year 12) its only for my school but i would really like to talk to you about your situation if you wouldnt mind, i feel that others should know about the different types of homeless people and how the canberra community can truly help those in need. my mobile and email will be below for you to contact me if you would like to help me let others know about canberra’s homeless.

Brendan Hill
0468 518 383
brendan950@hotmail.com

sorry – missed the bit where you said you have serious mental health issues – you’d definitely qualify for their Outreach service for single homeless men, which will guarantee that you’ll be referred back there.

Homeless said :

I have visited the Griffin Center. There’s lunches there, and some times other food. They are a useful resource. I don’t hang around the men’s center though. Too many smokers. Too many addicts too.

Not sure what you’re thinking of here – the men’s centre doesn’t have a drop-in place, just a small waiting room at the office on the third floor, so there isn’t a place for anyone to hang around, and no-one’s allowed to smoke in the building.

Be prepared to be referred back to the men’s centre when you go to other agencies. As a single homeless man you qualify for support from them, and a lot of workers in the field will simply give you their number because it’s what they do. They have a lot of experience with information and referral for men who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. As you don’t have complex support needs (mental health/drug and alcohol/intellectual disability), you don’t qualify for their specialist programs.

And a lot of their service users aren’t druggies – their counselling services see men from all walks of life.

great david – excellent to see that the powers that be are using these sort of community fora to contact the people that need their services. what a riot. well done you!
🙂

Hi, my name’s David Rothschild and I’m one of the Centrelink Community Engagement Officers for the ACT and surrounds.

In reply to Homeless and in response to Aubergine and others, I can confirm that you don’t need a fixed address in order to receive Centrelink assistance. My job is to offer extra support and assistance to particularly vulnerable customers including the homeless and we can still deliver services without a fixed address.

I’m based at the Braddon Centrelink Customer Service Centre but you can contact me by dropping in at any of the ACT Centrelink offices and asking for an appointment.

From what you are saying Homeless it seems I might be able to help you – and for anyone else reading this, please pass on that there are Centrelink services available to eligible people with no fixed address.

Thanks again all who have helped.
I’ve been working now for 3 weeks on a job that will last at least 2 more week. So I’m right for food and fuel right now.
You see my origional post wasn’t an ask for help. I don’t need material things. I don’t have much room for material things anyway. I just need some company and I guess some stability in my life.
I guess what I was asking for was understanding, not just for me, but for other homeless people as well.

What can I do?

moon_and_back9:48 am 06 Aug 10

Homeless, this was really great of you to share your story. I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but I am really angry at your parents and your community and how they broke an innocent child without anyone stepping in to stop it. Imagine if things had been different. If people only had the courage to protect you and so many other children like you whose lives are being forever ruined by their horrible childhoods. It is no wonder you don’t like people. The people who you trusted betrayed you. They should have loved and cared for you, protected you from harm. They should have shown you what a wonderful world this can be. It is no wonder your mental health is messed up. You have been through a trauma too heavy to bear. You know the worst of people, and naturally, it shocks you into numbness. I believe you are suffering post traumatic stress disorder. I hope you will try again with the therapists. It might take a while to find the right one for you.

The government may try its best to tackle homelessness, but it obviously does not understand the root causes. You were lucky not to slip into drugs to relieve your pain, others are not so strong. I would bet a million dollars (if I had it), that many of the druggies and drunks on the street have also had a miserable childhood, a childhood that robbed them of the chance others have to love and be loved, develop and grow, become whoever they want to be. Since our society is set up to guard privacy, hide ugly things behind closed doors, value parents rights above childrens rights, it is the government who must act to change the system.

Lala.C Ok had a friend who used to work there!

REAL people with real issues – asking for help not only for themselves but for others as well -asking in a heartfelt manner – a plea for help… wanting a better life, missing the mentor to help them get there…

and me:: wishing… wishing so hard that there was a way I could make a difference… a way that I could help those who need it, help themselves and then for them to pay it forward and help others in return.

Pay it forward ~ a long lost concept… pay it forward with love, no conditions, no expectations of a return on any type of investment whether it be money, time or simply love.

its time:

Wake up ~ see if you can make a difference

PAY IT FORWARD!

a whole new concept which is really ancient

and to Homeless: sending you love and knowing that things are going to be so much better for you in so many ways beyond which you could ever imagine ~ for those changes have already begun and it was by you simply reaching out to begin with…

cleo said :

Work-Ways
7 Feb 2006 … Work-Ways is a community based, non-profit employment agency which assists people who have a mental illness to obtain and keep employment. …
canberra.zpages.com.au/work-ways/29792/ – Cached – Similar

Work-Ways

1/7 Lonsdale Street Braddon ACT 2612
Tel: 62473611

They have changed their name and are now called Nexus Human Services(still at the same location though)

Hi, Your story was great to read. I work for “The Big Issue”, I am not sure if you have heard about it, but it is sold on the streets by people who are marginalised for one reason or another, be it homelessness, mental illness, long term unemployment etc.
There are no costs involved in setting up, we give you all that you will need.
You can set your own hours and effectively be your own boss. We can assist you with job applications etc and when we get to know you , we can write a referee report to assist you with your job applications.
We would really like to offer to assist you along the way, and can be called on 0448 476 184 or on 62346813.
Hope to hear from you soon
Julie and Stuart
The Big Issue
Canberra.

Work-Ways
7 Feb 2006 … Work-Ways is a community based, non-profit employment agency which assists people who have a mental illness to obtain and keep employment. …
canberra.zpages.com.au/work-ways/29792/ – Cached – Similar

Work-Ways

1/7 Lonsdale Street Braddon ACT 2612
Tel: 62473611

I hope this helps, good luck

justsomeaussie4:46 pm 04 Aug 10

Homeless, thanks for the reply I do appreciate it. You can contact me on justsomeaussie10@gmail.com

The cold weather sleeping bag is jobs on. I used it in Afghanistan in the middle of winter so it might do the job in Canberra. I’ve also got a gas cookset that uses small spray can bottles that I’ve never used. Not sure if you need it, but i’m sure you’ll put it to better use than I ever did as it’s brand new.

I’ve got some thermals and stuff like that too. Send me an email if you are interested, let me know what’s really handy for you as I’ve got a whole attic full of stuff and I don’t need but don’t want to throw away.

Cheers,

J

Botto sure its easier but where does that get you. Not living. Living in a car might not be perfect but it does get you your own space. Living with a mental illness and still trying to conform to societies norms can be a nightmare. It can be a series of loss, isolation, and failures. Best to know your limitations and live within them. This might mean living in a vehicle. You can plan ahead. You are already part way there with being on a waiting list. Get your self a nice van and a good mattress. Second hand camping stuff. Build an emergency home that when things go south you can drive off and support yourself. Don’t be too scared of Australians, all except the indigenous peoples are immigrants or their horrid children. Sure lose all hope in others but do stuff for yourself. Live simply. Screw the rest.

Homeless.. Dual batteries are going to cost around a thousand bucks. Ideally you will need a solar panel, switches, fuses, batt boxes, controller and a good 15amp 240 volt charger. Charging off driving short distances will only give you minimal charge. Also check your charging voltage of your van as you may need to change your regulator. The battery factory are good. They sometimes have second hand batteries for $50 and good advice. You can salvage old connectors out of computer UPS and old power gear. Google is your friend. exploreoz web site etc.

Homeless – a few things which may help:

ACT Government offers scholarships for low income earners – contact CIT Counseling and Equity area at Reid Campus. Just call 6207 3188 to start with and ask to be put through. You can also get free counselling if needed.

CIT offers flexible learning solutions – yes, you can enrol, and do most of your work online, and submit assignments etc, but there is some face to face contact. If you discuss any health issues with the counselling area, they will provide you with support in that regard. They are amazing.

Housing ACT do offer services to homeless people – they have a list of services as other posters have suggested above. Are you on the Housing list? I would think you are eligible for priority 1 due to your health issues and situation. Speak to a counsellor through menslink or someone like that – they will support your application. Also, get loads of doctor reports in support of your application.

I have a spare key to my PO Box which you can use. Please let me know if you are interested and I’ll post an email address here. Happy to share it as long as you don’t steal my bills!

CIT Southside toilets near the libraries have showers in their toilets. Just pretend to be a student. You don’t need to prove who you are. 😉

Your post was extremely well written, and I wish you all the luck in the world. Will be thinking of you. You deserve a break. Got to run but if I think of more, I will post here.

So great to see so many people on here providing you with positive, constructive advice and offers of assistance.

NeedHelp

Good luck with everything. You write really well and I hope you find what you are looking for. It amazes me that the government in Canberra are willing to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on wasteful things such as the arboretum and arts when they should be putting money into getting people like you a good job.

It annoys me so much to think some people take everything from the government and still don’t make an effort and yet someone like you is trying really hard to make something of their life without a government hand out.

I really hope you find a job and get your life settled…thanks for sharing.

Hey Homeless, if you want to sing you ought to check this out. I know they’ve already started rehearsals, but last I heard they needed more deep voices, so you might be able to join in still.
An invitation in extended to Canberra men and women to be part of a citizen’s chorus, to perform Glenda Cloughley’s work, The Gifts of the Furies in September this year. The organisers are particularly keen to acquire tenors and basses for the choir’s performances on the 11th, 18th and 25th of September in Kings Hall, at Old Parliament House. For more information, write to chorusofwomen@incanberra.com.au.

The important thing is that you still have choices and you can still afford petrol and registration for the car (maybe). Why don’t you excercise those choices and move to Queensland where it is warm.

Hello Homeless,

Takes alot to come out and describe what your going through even on the internet. But it does give a sense of relief to get it off your chest. Have a look at http://www.homelessforums.org . It is where i vented my situation and contains alot of support from fellow people in similar situations from around australia and the world.

I’m not sure what advice i can give since you seem to have most things figured but i can tell you what i have done and still do. It is hard to maintain a long term job while being residentially challenged, I too have been through a couple of jobs that i had to give up because i had to move on or the one place that fired me for a stupid reason once they found out i was homeless. Recently i have held a secure job for a couple of months now where people are understanding of what is going on. I also consider myself very lucky to have my partner who is with me so i have someone to talk to and help work things out and we also have our pet dogs to keep us company (alot of this cant be helped because of them but thats another story) Anyway, what we did was bought a tent and rented a patch of dirt at a caravan park for about $175 per week. It is alot for a small piece of dirt but it gives us somewhere safe to park our car and set up a tent, power to run a small fridge and charge the laptop etc, shower/toilet facilities and access to cheaper washing machines (laundromats are expensive). Even if you dont have a tent you could still stay at a caravan/camping site for about $25 per night (at the most including electricity) so even if you cant afford to stay the week you can treat your self a few nights or whatever the budget allows. From there you will feel more secure and less stressed and maybe able to deal with a workplace easier, then you could get a tent or caravan and start to build up from there.

If you can manage that for long enough you will be able to save up a bond for a rental house and you will be on your way to being back on your feet. (we would have done this a long time ago but we get discriminated alot because of our dogs) And the canberra rental market is hard to afford on a $35000 salary…where an average house cost $400+ per week not including utilities, food, fuel etc. (for those of you who are thinking “why doesnt your partner get a job aswell” well, we cant leave the dogs unattended so she has to babysit them each day but if we had a house with a yard…) its a vicious cycle that is very hard to break.

Make sure to apply for government housing, we were approved for the high priority list but that was almost a year ago… nevertheless, keep working at it and try not to lose hope that things will get better, especially when you think they wont.

Take care of yourself brother and i wish you all the best.

Vexed

Hi Homeless,
My wife and I read your story and we want to help if we can. We have struggled adn made some mistakes, but were given a second chance adn want to pass that gift to someone else as much as we can within our means.

Being shy and quiet, I understand that you probably don’t want to sit in a strange house and have a meal. However, I can make the offer of hot food if you choose to collect it or I am happy to bring it to you, some camping gear if it would help (stoves, sleeping bags, small tent), a washing machine or a hot shower. Even something small if you are interested like some books or access to a wireless internet point.

I am also happy to lend a sympathetic ear if you need it.

Please feel free to email me at riotreply@iinet.net.au if there is any way we can help.

Felix the Cat8:50 pm 03 Aug 10

Homeless said :

I have simple needs. But if anyone knows anything about dual battery systems and where to get one fitted cheap I’d be interested. I have not run the battery flat on my car yet, but I’d like to play the DVD player a bit more and run things like as 12 volt electric blanket or my little car kettle which I have read will use a bit of power. Also, if some one knows where to buy a 12 volt electric blanket I would love to know.

http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&cr=countryAU&client=firefox-a&hs=j1u&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&tbs=ctr%3AcountryAU&q=12v+electric+blanket&aq=f&aqi=g3&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=

^^^12V electric blanket info

http://www.google.com.au/search?q=dual+battery+system&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=fgF&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&source=lnt&tbs=ctr:countryAU&cr=countryAU&sa=X&ei=YvNXTPbLE86XcYHXqMgI&ved=0CA8QpwU

^^^Dual battery system info

A 4WD accessory shop like ARB or Pride Autos in Fyshwick or Haig Park in Mitchell could also help out with info and prices on Dual battery systems

Mission Heart is also in the Griffin Centre, but the door is on the outside of the building, on Narellen Place.

Nice to see someone writes about the homeless life in Canberra.
I am a migrant from non English speaking country. I have over the years developed the mental ilness here in Australia. Lost the jobs… Not many people would help me. Well, I wasn’t much into talking to people either – in fact afraid of the Australians. I am waiting for a housing now. I am trying not to go all the way down – to becoming a homeless – but it is so hard – I sometimes think I just let it go and whatever. Waiting for a housing is not a fun. Not much help from them. You need a super bad ilness to get the housing fast. You wait and wait. You decline the job offers – because you don’t want to be removed from the housing waiting list if your income goes over certain limit. And there is no way you can pay the full rent forever – especially if you suffer from the mental ilness and lose the job sooner or later. Vicious circle. Maybe it would be easier just to finish the life… Australia was my dream… but turned eventually into a nightmare. So sorry if I am angry with you guys. I lost all the hope.

Oh yheah, and i forgot. The Homeless CEO sleepout. Why is it that managers of all of those organisations made the effort to sleep out to raise money, but all their companies and government departments make it so hard for homeless people to work there? It always seemed a little silly to me. Instead of applying a bandaid after we’re bled dry, or crying over spilled milk, why not adress the issue at the source? Activly recruit the homelss? Set some jobs aside, like ones that don’t require huge qualifications such as drivers, shop front, basic retail.

Just an idea.

Well I wasn’t really expecting this to be a thread in its own right. Thank you johnboy, I think.

Okay well I really do appreciate the kind words and good thoughts from people. It is nice to know I’m alone, but kind of not alone here in Canberra. The understanding is appreciated. I find it frustrating explaining why I am homeless some times.

I expect that if I pushed it, and put as much effort into claiming the dole as I put into looking for work I could do it. But the dole is a bit demeaning. I’d rather work. It makes no sense to me to put weeks of effort, chasing around filling out forms, getting enough id points, getting stat decs, arranging some way of getting mail to me and all that rubbish for a couple of hundred dollars a week when I can usually manage a job that pays about $400-$450 a week. Also I like to put myself towards doing something constructive. It feels good when you work to walk away at the end of the week knowing you earned the money they give you.

Okay, there are often gaps, some times big gaps, but sitting around on my rear end every day collecting the dole is a bit soul destroying. I’d rather be working or looking for work. So far that’s worked for me. I guess also I have really bad agoraphobia (fear of violent people/crowds?) so I hate going into the dole office. Dealing with the system destroys what little self esteem I have left. I think if things got really bad I’d ask for the dole but I’d end up getting a job, loosing the dole, filling out more forms.

When it comes down to it, given the choice of earning your money and grovelling for it, what would you choose? I have a part time job at the moment, it covers my needs. I have simple needs. But if anyone knows anything about dual battery systems and where to get one fitted cheap I’d be interested. I have not run the battery flat on my car yet, but I’d like to play the DVD player a bit more and run things like as 12 volt electric blanket or my little car kettle which I have read will use a bit of power. Also, if some one knows where to buy a 12 volt electric blanket I would love to know.

I do really like Aubergine’s post about Community Engagement Officers. I like the idea of meeting some place I’m comfortable with. I’ll Google that. Thanks.

I also really appreciate the posts of so many here. Justsomeaussie how do I contact you? I have email. I’m right for blankets most nights. I have a doona and a hot water bottle. You can get hot water all over the place if you think about it. Plus heating up some water on the stove or barbecues is easy. I love my hot water bottle! 🙂

Grumpy thanks for the tip on Nature Conservation house. I will go check them out. Eyeslike how do I PM here?

I have visited the Griffin Center. There’s lunches there, and some times other food. They are a useful resource. I don’t hang around the men’s center though. Too many smokers. Too many addicts too. I try to avoid druggies. They just want money from you. Always asking for smokes or money and always forget what you gave them when you need a hand back. Where is Mission Heart sarahj? I could really do with showers in Canberra and washing cloths. That would help me a LOT! I love clean cloths. I love the feeling of clean sheets too. Thanks to Holden too for the info about the shower at the Jolimont Center. I’ll check it out.

Brindabella I have an it degree. Yeah, came here as part of the IT crowd. Worked call centers. I was pretty good at it, but needed more breaks than most. I always out in extra hours, turned up early, left late but never lasted. Not sure why. I was always polite, but well, didn’t talk much to people. It took a lot of effort to concentrate on the job so I had no energy left for socialising. Kept to myself too much I think. And I was living in my van back then too so it wasn’t always easy to answer questions from HR about where I lived.

Twilightknife thanks heaps for that. Some times I just need some one to talk to who won’t judge me. Then again sometimes I just need to laugh, to cry, to sing (badly) or a hug.

Thanks to those who mentioned online learning. I hate wasting my mind. That’s why I read so much.

CJ I’ll take that post as a back handed complement. Yes, I have written for my school newspaper over 20 years ago. But no, no one paid me a cent for those words, and no I don’t write professionally. I’d like to. I write stories to keep myself entertained. Science fiction, action, drama. But I don’t need to write fiction to tell the story of my life. Sorry if I don’t meet the stereotype of an uneducated beer and drug swilling yokel. I think you’ll find that these days a lot of people are living one pay away from the streets. Also, before Bill Gates taught a generation of teens how to put no real effort into their writing, some of us were learning how to write on black boards, and how to do multiplication and long division in our minds. Also, I write in Word offline and copy and paste into the forum. Always been my way.

Conan, I just don’t have many true friends or mates. None that would lend me a letter box let alone a couch. I’ve found that a lot with the other homeless people here. We come here looking for work and loose touch with friends and relatives back home. I think it would be great if there was a sort of repatriation scheme that gave people bus tickets or fuel so we could get back home.

Fgzk, where do I get a home box from? Does such a thing exist? I really could use one. So could a lot of people I think. For now I live simply, travel light. Got most of what I need in my van even though it is small.

Well sorry for not answering other posts. I am tired, I have a headache and I want some sleep. Maybe tomorrow. But thanks so much again for the well wishing.

JessicaNumber3:33 pm 03 Aug 10

@djk Why not just start an online casino?

I am sure this will be ridiculed by some posters here, but since you have access to a computer and internet, it would definitely be possible to grind out a living playing online poker for real money.

Plenty of free places online to learn correct strategies etc, and I would be more than happy to help out as a mentor of sorts if this interests you.

(Yes this is a serious post.)

Gungahlin Al12:37 pm 03 Aug 10

If you are interested in online learning opportunities, Hewlett Packard have an amazing range of courses (many having little to do with IT or software) all available 24/7 and totally free. They have tutor feedback, chat sessions, more. I’ve always found it incredible that this is a largely unknown service.

http://www.hp.com/go/learningcenter

Good luck.

JessicaNumber11:57 am 03 Aug 10

Homeless is a good writer but unfortunately the Canberra machine doesn’t want to hire creativity, they generally prefer to hire reliability and consistency.

A friend and I are setting up a web design business that will need good writers and other creative people with feisty attitudes. If you’re interested please send an email to Jessica Number at gmail dot com. It’s a brand new business and not yet up and running so I’m useless to you in the short term but I would very much like to know who the good writers are around town!

Woody Mann-Caruso11:10 am 03 Aug 10

Government programs have gaps, sometimes a mile wide. We very rarely build them in a way that provides administering staff with an incentive to stop people slipping through those gaps. Instead, we invest millions trying to catch those who might be ripping off the system – at the expense of inadevertently excluding those who need it the most, leaving junior APS staff to make decisions about very complicated circumstances, crossing our fingers that the grossly under-resourced not-for-profit sector will clean up the mess.

The ADACAS office is at:
Suite 207, Block C, Canberra Technology Park,
Phillip Avenue, Watson
Our phone number is (02) 6242 5060.
Our fax number is (02) 6242 5063.
Our TTY (telephone typewriter) number is (02) 6242 5065.
Our postal address is PO Box 144, Dickson ACT 2602.
Our email address is adacas@adacas.org.au

Despite what some commenters have implied, this isn’t something written up by a PR person for a welfare organisation. A professional writer would spell better.
However, to the original poster, if you need an address for the purposes of getting welfare services, drop me a line at aurelius@goldweb.com.au.

Hi Homeless

Thank you for your courage to share some of your life with us. A lot of good will come out of taking the risk of writing this. I acknowledge your strength and courage.

I work with people as a coach, in a judgement free zone, not offering any miracles, but simply someone to be there and help you with the journey, which is uniquly yours. No one else has lived your life and no one else has the right to make a right/wrong judgement of your life and your choices.

If you feel right about having someone to bounce your thoughts and feelings off, with no risk or expectations on you, then give me a call on 0438627770.

I wish you all the very best today, tomorrow and beyond.

Coach

It would be good to have a PO box like address with some capacity to store things. A home box. Its nice to have a place to store winter blankets and cloths over summer. You could attach a shower block and laundry. Provide charging facilities for batteries inside your home box.

CaptRAAF It must be hard living in that tiny brain of yours full of assumptions, categories and flawed thinking.

Captain RAAF said :

Beau Locks said :

It’s a crying shame that in a country as rich as ours over 100,000 people are homeless every night.

True, but surprisingly, a lot (though surely it couldn’t be anywhere near the majority) prefer living on the streets, some, like that bloke in Sydneys CBD who sleeps on a very busy street corner apparently rakes in $70K annually in donations and now refuses to move, even into proper accommodation! That young lady and her two kids in Melbourne on TV recently who was sleeping in her car and all the shock and horror it generated in the media had recently been kicked out of her accommodation for being a crap tenant, not because she couldn’t afford it, guess what, she was a homeless person and what do we do to fix it, put her up in a serviced apartment, WTF!!!!! Where are the serviced apartments for the homeless who have done no wrong and have simply been dealt shitty cards?

Some homeless people just do not want to be helped, many are social miscreants that you would be wasting money and resources on and some are hiding from society for a very good reason, the remainder, those that truly want to escape their current life and put their hand out for assistance should have and likely do, have access to the various programs out there and it’s this group you should be targeting to provide aid. Trouble is that the numerous ‘do-gooders for the homeless’ try to help all of them, the miscreants, druggies, criminals etc, end result is that the genuine cases, the people who ‘want out’, get the crumbs that are left over and have to fight for emergency accommodation with people who will knife you in the belly as quick as look at you.

It’s typical of todays society to think that every single problem can be solved with a program or a handout or an adjustment in attitudes or policy but that’s simply not true. Just like there will always be rapists, murderers and thieves there will always be homeless people, and bleating that until we get every single one off the street we are just not doing enough is flawed thinking and the reason why this problem will never go away.

Did you even read this post before ‘englightening’ everyone here with your opinion on how ‘most homeless people have themselves to blame’?

Homeless, I never considered myself to be homeless, I always managed to find couches to surf on, but I am very aware of how close I came.
From what you have written, you have the drive to get out of your situation, don’t lose that, and try not to let your situation take it away from you.
Please use the psychology resources listed here, they will be able to help you get help you need and that can help you with the “zoning out”. I know from experience in many of the jobs I had while couch surfing, it is bloody easy to do. My personal favourite in winter was the night shift at tip top, sure 6 hours of smacking bread trays isn’t the most exciting job, but its warm, and you get to take some fresh bread home at the end.

I hope others see this as a cautionary lesson, for me, I went from exceptionally well paid contractor to “homeless” and out of work in 3 days.
The biggest thing I learnt, and used to repeat over and over is DON’T. GIVE. UP.

Thank you for the post Homeless.
You are welcome to a free hot meal at NationsHeart – 27 Rae Street, Belconnen every Tuesday evening 5.00pm. Ask for Janet when you come. We can probably help you with some food and heating up food, as well as access to the Internet Tuesday – Friday.
When you are able, and have time, you could help us out by volunteering to keep the programs running. If you are having a day when facing people is just too much – we can find a quiet corner for you to chill out.

Captain RAAF8:30 am 03 Aug 10

Beau Locks said :

It’s a crying shame that in a country as rich as ours over 100,000 people are homeless every night.

True, but surprisingly, a lot (though surely it couldn’t be anywhere near the majority) prefer living on the streets, some, like that bloke in Sydneys CBD who sleeps on a very busy street corner apparently rakes in $70K annually in donations and now refuses to move, even into proper accommodation! That young lady and her two kids in Melbourne on TV recently who was sleeping in her car and all the shock and horror it generated in the media had recently been kicked out of her accommodation for being a crap tenant, not because she couldn’t afford it, guess what, she was a homeless person and what do we do to fix it, put her up in a serviced apartment, WTF!!!!! Where are the serviced apartments for the homeless who have done no wrong and have simply been dealt shitty cards?

Some homeless people just do not want to be helped, many are social miscreants that you would be wasting money and resources on and some are hiding from society for a very good reason, the remainder, those that truly want to escape their current life and put their hand out for assistance should have and likely do, have access to the various programs out there and it’s this group you should be targeting to provide aid. Trouble is that the numerous ‘do-gooders for the homeless’ try to help all of them, the miscreants, druggies, criminals etc, end result is that the genuine cases, the people who ‘want out’, get the crumbs that are left over and have to fight for emergency accommodation with people who will knife you in the belly as quick as look at you.

It’s typical of todays society to think that every single problem can be solved with a program or a handout or an adjustment in attitudes or policy but that’s simply not true. Just like there will always be rapists, murderers and thieves there will always be homeless people, and bleating that until we get every single one off the street we are just not doing enough is flawed thinking and the reason why this problem will never go away.

ConanOfCooma8:20 am 03 Aug 10

If you’re crazy, you could probably get away with some sort of armed robbery.

Just make sure they can’t recover the cash, then once you have done your 18 month stint in the padded rooms, you can walk on out and buy yourself a house.

But seriously, your non-homeless mates are that kind to you, that they won’t even let you use their home address as a mail base for Centrelink?

I have done this a few times with friends who had no-where to live. They may not have been surfing my couch every night, but they needed a postal address for Centrelink, and that was something I could provide hassle free. I don’t understand why your “friends” can’t do this?

Very well written. You are…a writer? Journalist? Publicist for a welfare organisation? All three? You know something of homelessness as experienced by many people, perhaps even yourself. Perhaps…

Holden Caulfield12:13 am 03 Aug 10

I haven’t read all of the OP yet, but I think there is still a free shower cubicle in the Gents at the Jolimont Centre.

Thanks for the post, homeless. Told me a lot about something I’ve never had to experience firsthand.

I can’t believe the system won’t pay unemployment (Newstart) benefits if you have no fixed address. I may be naive in the ways of Centrelink but surely that’s not right. Their website doesn’t seem to have a fixed address as a requirement. It also craps on about the wonderful things they were doing during Homeless Awareness Week last year, etc etc. But it does also say:

“Centrelink Community Engagement Officers:
– offer support and assistance to homeless customers and those at risk of homelessness to help them understand, claim and maintain income support payments
– provide referrals to Centrelink specialist services, programs and other government and non-government organisations, and
– work collaboratively with a wide range of community agencies.
Centrelink Community Engagement Officers deliver services to people outside the traditional Customer Service Centre setting, in locations like drug and alcohol rehabilitation centres, mental health units, hostels, boarding houses, refuges, drop-in centres, prison half-way houses, and organised meeting places such as local parks. This means people can be assisted in an environment in which they feel comfortable, and where they can be supported by others such as hospital and refuge workers.”

No doubt you’ve tried this and run into some bureaucratic barrier though. Can anyone with more experience enlighten me/us?

Best of luck.

stereo henry11:03 pm 02 Aug 10

Thank you for sharing, homeless. You mentioned that you wanted to study for free by correspondence? itunes has a service called itunes-u, which allows universities to post lectures online. While you wont get a formal qualification from this, you will have had the opportunity to enjoy the level of education that others can only aspire to as some of the world’s top universities contribute to this service. Download itunes to your laptop or ask the library if this is something they’d consider allowing. Best of luck and thanks again for sharing your story.

twilightknight10:46 pm 02 Aug 10

Another symptom of our shocking inability to cope with mental health issues. He wants to work, he tries, but it’s easy to get fired if you’ve got a mental illness no-one cares about or believes.
The Psychology Clinic service at the ANU http://psychology.anu.edu.au/psychology_clinic/ often waive fees in cases like yours and are well equipped to help.
Also as you have a degree consider enrolling as a student then dropping courses before the census date, you incur no fees and get access to student amenities.

Great write-up.

Interesting stuff. What degree do you have? What type of work/field are you really interested in?

CanberraCreative10:13 pm 02 Aug 10

I think this illustrates wonderfully the truth rather than the stereotype of homeless people. The stereotype dictates that the homeless are uneducated, lazy people who speak with cockney accents and waste what little money the scavenge on booze and drugs. And to be sure many homeless people fit this profile. But just as many don’t and that has become all the more apparent in light of the GFC where many well educated, formerly well off people have fallen on hard times. Lawyers with masters degrees interviewed on NPR camping out in the cold in job queues is not uncommon. Their choice is often between loosing their home of doing cleaning work for minimum wage. Some have still lost their homes.

One thing I admired enormously about our last PM was his genuine desire to improve things for people experiencing homelessness. For the sake of the nation’s homeless people, I sincerely hope that Gillard gets in and keeps up with the work that began under Kevin Rudd and Tanya Plibersek’s stewardship.

Wow, way to not politicise an issue.

Fair cop, but I feel strongly about the issue, and I’m probably more engaged in this area than the average punter. I didn’t like Rudd’s style of government, but his government’s work (and yes, Therese Rein’s too) had begun to make a difference for people experiencing homelessness, and will continue to do so if the same policies and programs are continued (and hopefully expanded), regardless of who wins the next election. Unfortunately, Tony Abbott has refused to commit to any of this work, including the Rudd Government’s goal to halve homelessness by 2020. In fact, Abbott recently told a room full of people, many of whom were homelessness service providers, that being homeless is a ‘choice’.

So, for what it’s worth, and as far as this one’s concerned, the personal is political, and sometimes issues are worth politicising.

very brave of you to write your life as a homeless person…….please give canberra men’s centre a call 6230 6999. ask to speak to mr franks. he has a very kind heart and will help in regards to accommodation, food, services, advocacy, outreach support etc….i know plenty of homeless men who have been helped by this organisation. it’s there to help, so please, use it 🙂

Anyone wanting to make offers of help needs to leave contact details in the comments.

eyeLikeCarrots9:26 pm 02 Aug 10

Homeless – PM me mate. If you want I’ll catch up with you and see how I can help.

I’m just a public service geek but someone helped me once and put me on the right path, maybe I can pay it forward a bit ?

Homeless – thank you for being so open in telling your story. So many people think that homelessness isn’t an issue in Canberra, but often it’s that they don’t know where to look or are willfully blind to the issue.

I know you haven’t asked for advice regarding services that can support you, but I thought I’d highlight some services that might be useful to you and others in similar situations.
You mention that you hang out at the Canberra Centre. There are lots of services based in the Griffin Centre, on Genge St (up from Cream Cafe). For example, Mission Heart have a shower (and a washing machine I think). There are both mens and womens services that could support you with food vouchers for Superbarn/phone cards etc. If you want any support regarding mental health issues, these services are often a good first step as they often advocate for people to get in to see the good doctors in town. And they often advocate for people with Centrelink, Housing, ACT Health etc etc and know the buzzwords you need to put in applications in order to get them to the top of the pile.

You sound like you’re making the best of a really difficult situation. Thank you again for your honesty.

Thanks for your post Homeless. Very humbling, and makes me feel so thankful for the roof over my head and my job.

It’s a crying shame that in a country as rich as ours over 100,000 people are homeless every night.

One thing I admired enormously about our last PM was his genuine desire to improve things for people experiencing homelessness. For the sake of the nation’s homeless people, I sincerely hope that Gillard gets in and keeps up with the work that began under Kevin Rudd and Tanya Plibersek’s stewardship.

Through my work, as well as personal experience, I know how terribly difficult it can be to access the severely limited range of services available. I also know what anyone who does social policy work or works for homeless services know: the face of homelessness is not what the public generally perceives. (In fact, the biggest cause of homelessness is domestic violence.) Homelessness is also somewhat of a ‘hidden’ problem in Canberra, but a very real one.

I hope that more stories like yours can be told and shared with a wider audience, and that one day we may reach a point where the telling of them will, for the vast majority of the time, be in past tense.

All I can say is ‘thank you’ for posting such an account of your day, of life on the streets, and in airing what so many of us simply ignore.

I shall go through my cupboards this week to find what I can give away.

Thankyou for this post, an interesting read into a life i couldn’t even imagine.

grumpyrhonda9:01 pm 02 Aug 10

Go to Nature Conservation House on the corner of Emu Bank and Benjamin Way. Department of housing is there and the people at the front counter can give you some information about places that will be able to help you while you are homeless. The staff there really do care. They can point you in a direction that would be most suitable for you. Apply for housing if you haven’t already. The staff there can help you in all manner of things. Even getting Centrelink benefits with no fixed address. Try the cleaning companies in town. Mastercare Property Services, Empire Cleaning and others. Cleaning toilets sucks but it pays about $17 per hour. I did it myself for 6 years before I got a day job. The bonus is that you have your car. Most cleaning jobs, you have to travel at night to them. There really is some hope out there. My best wishes to you.

justsomeaussie8:59 pm 02 Aug 10

“Homeless” you are welcome to send me a message. I’ve got extreme cold weather sleeping bag from my days in the army and other gear that you can have. Not a charity case, just someone helping someone else out. Let me know.

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