Homeless in Australia: ‘You have to be on your guard constantly’

Soon after he left foster care, Phil found himself living on the streets of Melbourne, where he says he would sleep on traffic islands as they were brightly lit and felt safer. As well as the threat of being robbed or attacked, Phil says sleeping rough every night “gets really uncomfortable, because you’ve got no bedding no money”. While “rough sleepers” like Phil may be the most visible, those who sleep on the streets make up less than 10 percent of all people who experience homelessness. She acknowledges the reasons why people experience homelessness are complex but says that “the lack of public housing and affordable housing in the city of Melbourne” is one of the greatest issues. Fiona Patten, who chaired the inquiry, said the process relied largely on submissions from people who had experienced homelessness, all of whom said “give us a home.” But in addition to examining housing provision, Patten said the inquiry also asked, “how could we have helped that person not to become homeless?” The inquiry produced 51 recommendations, which not only focus on the issue of housing supply but also how to address the underlying causes that drive homelessness in the first place.