How an older woman hid in Southport’s main street for weeks
An elderly homeless woman used trolleys to protect herself as she spent almost a month on the main street of the Southport CBD before the City intervened. SEE THE PICS.
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An elderly homeless woman used trolleys to protect herself as she spent almost a month on
the main street of the Southport CBD before the City intervened.
Division 6 candidate Samantha Delmege after being contacted by retailers who were concerned about the woman in her 70s, visited the Davenport Street homeless camp-out.
“Let’s take a REAL (sic) look at these photos. This is homelessness – and this is Southport,” Ms Delmege wrote, in her post.
“This lady has been staying here for well over three weeks now, she sleeps during the day because she is scared of a night time and she has six shopping trolleys full of her belongings out the front of a hairdresser and near several shops and restaurants.
Southport councillor Brooke Patterson later posted a video, taken on Davenport Street, saying public space liaison officers were organising for housing for the homeless.
“So these trolleys are on the move very shortly. But we are giving them a little bit more time while that transition occurs,” she said.
Ms Delmege said retailers had complained to her that Cr Patterson and her office were failing to respond to their calls and emails. Cr Patterson told the Bulletin she responds to calls.
“Nothing was done until I put this post up and two days later it was fixed,” Ms Delmege said.
“They are feeling unheard. They don’t know how to contact her. They don’t know where to contact her.”
She said if elected she would work for solutions with local agencies and the state government along with residents and businesses by having an “open door policy”.
“Everybody has my phone number. You can contact me now. I’m going to get my feet on the ground and walk the division so I know what’s going on,” she said.
“I’m talking to people every day. I’m hearing their concerns. I can act on those concerns, if I can’t action it I will know where to direct them to get things done. This is what council is about.”
Cr Patterson said she had introduced the City’s first formalised homeless action plan after being elected, following the retirement of veteran councillor Dawn Crichlow.
“If you remember back to the state of the Southport CBD when I was first elected, there were anti-social gangs living in Nerang Street Mall, open fires in Woodroffe Park and that was before the housing and cost of living crisis,” Cr Patterson said.
“Quite frankly, if Southport had been left on that same trajectory it would now be looking like the encampments of San Francisco. What we are doing is in the best interest of residents, businesses as well as those living rough.
“When I was first elected there were no homelessness policies or laws in council. I championed the City’s first Homelessness Action Plan.”
Cr Patterson said the Action Plan mission was for homelessness on the Coast to be “brief, rare and non-recurring”.
She added that she was “proud of my role” in moving the city to having a formalised homeless role increasing safety on the street.
“Locals know I am always available. I meet with every person who requests a meeting and return every call”.
Originally published as How an older woman hid in Southport’s main street for weeks
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