Homeless Gold Coast man relives life on the streets and advice for others needing a life change

A man who slept rough for a year has a message for the Gold Coast homeless looking for a way out.

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WITH just a blanket and a pillow, Warren Cady slept in long grass hiding from other homeless people wanting to bash him or steal what little belongings he had.

“The first month was very scary,” says the 56-year-old, speaking about the 18 months he lived rough in the Tweed Heads area in 2018-19.

“The hardest thing was trying to find somewhere to sleep. It was an anxious time and very stressful, I spent hours looking for safe spots where I wouldn’t be near other homeless people that might bash you.

Warren Cady lived rough in the Tweed Heads area in 2018-19. Picture: Jerad Williams

“A lot of homeless people hang out in public parks and leave them in such a mess. Many pull cones during the day near skate parks with kids around, particularly in Goodwin Park in Coolangatta, and it’s not on.”

But after securing a job and a roof over his head, Mr Cady has a heartfelt message for other rough sleepers across the Gold Coast.

“If you really want to get off the streets, you just have to bite your tongue, swallow your pride, open your mouth and ask for help,” he says.

“Homelessness is often a choice but it doesn’t have to be, put your hand up and get help.

“If I can motivate just one person to get back into society then it would have been worth it.”

Mr Cady, a car detailer for 10 years, become homeless in 2018 after he lost his job following an accident in which he broke his shoulder. Within weeks his situation spiralled downhill and he applied to access his superannuation so he could buy a car to sleep in, something he did for 10 months.

With most of his family living down south, Mr Cady says it was a shock going from having a job to being totally homeless and living on the streets.

“It just happened so quickly, and, yes, a lot of it was my own fault because I used to drink quite a bit, but I’ve cleaned up a lot.”

With a strong desire to turn his life around, homeless agencies referred Mr Cady to the Enterprise and Training Company (ETC), a non-profit recruitment and employment agency.

He accessed counselling services and training and in April 2020 was put forward for a cleaning job with ISS Facility Services.

Mr Cady was one of 100 or so vulnerable locals that ETC put forward to ISS last year during the global pandemic, as it struggled to cope with massive growth in demand for cleaning services in schools, hospitals, airports and outdoor community areas.

ISS national recruitment manager Sarah Larson says Mr Cady was hired based on his passion, attitude and willingness to work.

Warren Cady, was given a job by ISS after being homeless and unemployed for a year. Picture: Jerad Williams

“We pride ourselves on giving all individuals an opportunity to join our team,” she says.

Mr Cady, who works 30 hours a week as a casual cleaner at various locations from Coolangatta to Main Beach, says help is available for homeless people who really wanted to get off the streets.

“There were two great people at ETC who saw my potential, they saw me struggling and even though I was homeless they were willing to help,” he says.

“You’ve got to swallow your pride and ask for help. The biggest problem for me was that I was work proud and that’s half the reason I was homeless living on the street.”

He sought help from Fred’s Place and Blair Athol, drop-in shelters and accommodation centres for homeless men. He would shower, use the internet and ask for food vouchers.

Mr Cady, who also suffers from ADHD, says since he got a job he had cleaned up his act, and is determined to stay that way. He pays $150 a week to live in someone’s garage in Tweed Heads, saying that rentals are out of reach for people on Centrelink.

“You spent most of your Centrelink payment on rent, then the politicians expect you to live on the $20 a day you have left. It’s just not possible.

“When I was first homeless I remember buying a $5 cooked chicken in a bag and living off that for as long as I could.

“The lack of affordable accommodation makes it almost impossible to get somewhere to live.

“But I’ve managed to better myself and I’m not going to get stuck into that rut like a lot of those guys that are still on the streets.”

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