Jess Adamson: SA’s homeless community is growing, and there’s more pain to come
The homeless crisis is reaching new levels in SA and it really is everyone’s problem, writes Jess Adamson.
SA News
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Two things happened in Adelaide this month for the very first time. To me, both were incredibly sad.
On Tuesday, March 7, Hutt St Centre’s 69th anniversary, staff and volunteers welcomed 165 people facing homelessness, the highest number they’ve ever seen in one day.
Needless to say, there were no celebrations.
The unwanted record came on the same day the Reserve Bank of Australia increased interest rates for the tenth consecutive time in a bid to drive down inflation.
The second thing that happened was the RSPCA announcing they can no longer accept animals from the public.
“We have reached capacity,” their statement read. “For the first time since opening in 1979, RSPCA South Australia’s Lonsdale shelter has been forced to turn back people wanting to surrender their animals. We have exceeded our capacity, both in terms of space and personnel to care for the animals.”
The shelter can accommodate 300 cats and kittens but is currently housing 427. 109 dogs and puppies are squeezed into an area meant for 80 dogs.
The soaring numbers at the Hutt St Centre and the RSPCA are inextricably linked.
SA’s rental crisis is forcing people to give up their homes, and in many cases their pets. It’s heartbreaking.
Hutt St Centre chief executive Chris Burns says his team is seeing clients it has never seen before, many of them in their 20s and early 30s.
“We’re seeing more young couples,” he says. “People just can’t pay their power bills and at the same time landlords are upping the rent. They have no choice but to move out.
“Men and women who have jobs are coming in, having a shower and breakfast – they go to work and then they sleep in their cars.
“They have to give up their possessions and their pets. People who had quite good lifestyles are on the streets. It’s tragic.”
There are people sleeping in their cars in the 10-hour parking zones on South Tce. I saw them as I walked into Hutt St on Sunday morning. It’s not new but it’s confronting, especially when children are involved, and it’s happening from one end of our city to the other.
At Hutt St Centre, I met a young woman who has made the front porch her home for now, simply because there are lights and security cameras there at night. Tiffany, 30, was evicted from her Panorama home in February last year.
“It was the first stable house that I had and I looked after it like it was my baby,” she says. “After that I used to live in my car but that was stolen. It was the last thing I had.”
At Tiffany’s feet is a black backpack. She has a small locker at the Hutt St Centre but everything else she owns is in the bag.
“I’ve learnt to travel lightly to disguise the fact that I’m homeless,” she says. “As a woman you have to watch your back all the time and carry all your stuff with you. There are a lot of predators looking for money and sexual favours and I can’t fight like a man.”
The truth is Tiffany has been fighting since she was put into foster care at the age of 6.
“My parents just weren’t fit enough to look after me so I was taken away,” she says.
“I literally brought up myself.
“It’s hard right now. Every single day I put in for jobs and housing but I’m not getting anywhere. They want medical certificates and lots of documents that I just don’t have.”
About 2m from Tiffany on Hutt St’s front step is Brendan. He’s always had a place to lay his head, until now.
“The biggest challenge being on the street is living day to day. I’m just so anxious about where I’m going to be tomorrow,” Brendan says.
He’s hoping to jag a construction job in Wollongong next week but if it doesn’t come off, there’s no plan B.
This is a community in pain. Our community, our fellow South Australians. And what’s terrifying is that we know there’s more pain to come. The Hutt St Centre team is trying to support clients who’ve never been homeless before – the new faces are angry and scared and they lash out. Everyone is on edge.
The struggles local families are having with mortgage repayments, increasing rent, electricity and food bills are flowing on to other professions. Our teachers, for example, are no longer just teaching. They’re organising breakfast for the children who missed out, finding shoes for their students so they can play sport and helping parents fill out rental documents.
The state government’s recent public-housing announcements have been welcomed by organisations like Hutt St but they doesn’t fix the issues we’re facing right now. And let’s be real about this. No government can fix these complex issues on its own – so how can we help as a community?
Donations to organisations like Hutt St Centre, KickStart for Kids and Foodbank are critical, no matter how small. If you’re travelling, the little shampoos, soaps and sanitary packets in hotels can be life-changing for homeless women. They’re easy to carry and can restore some dignity to those who need it most. You can drop them in to Hutt St any day.
There’s a local politician who regularly drops bags of personal care products in. He says if taxpayers are forking out for his travel, the least he can do is give back to those who need it. Hutt St also hands out shopping bags of non-perishable food to clients so food donations are welcome.
And don’t be afraid to go up to a person who is experiencing homelessness and simply start a conversation. There’s a good chance they haven’t spoken to another human for some time. Even a warm smile, rather than looking away, is a start.
The RSPCA is pleading with anyone who can take an animal in, to do so now. These are pets who once had a safe and loving home and family. I can’t imagine how upsetting it’s been for so many to give them up.
It’s not just the rental crisis and the lack of pet-friendly rentals that’s contributing to their struggle. Tighter laws are seeing more stray cats being trapped and taken to Lonsdale. Combine that with the lack of desexing and it’s the perfect storm. They need our help.
If you’ve been thinking about getting a pet, now is the time to come to the rescue. Fostering an animal short term is an option and the RSPCA will cover your costs. They’re doing anything they can to free up space so they can look after the animals most in need.
As I left Tiffany on Sunday morning, I couldn’t help but feel guilty at the prospect of returning to my safe and comfortable home.
“Good luck for tomorrow and the days ahead,” I offered. “You get up and you do your best every day and hopefully you get there,” she said.
Tiffany’s path has been hard from the get-go, but she refuses to give up.
As a community, we cannot give up on her and those who’ll face the same predicament in the weeks and months to come.
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