Fear strikes homeless as vital services cut back during coronavirus pandemic

A homeless man has shared his distress as vital services cut back on resources during the worsening coronavirus pandemic.

A HOMELESS man has shared his distress as vital services cut back on resources during the worsening pandemic.

Benjamin Julin said he felt he and other homeless people were more likely than anyone to catch COVID-19 when he discovered he could not access Bethlehem House for bathing facilities.

“I’m doing OK, but there are a lot of other people that are in a lot worse predicaments than what I am,” he said.

“To shut doors on the people of Hobart is unacceptable.”

Bethlehem House CEO Stephanie Meikle said the service had decided to replace face-to-face appointments with telephone contact for additional homeless visitors to protect residents.

“At the moment, because obviously we’re trying to protect the place from viruses as long as possible, we’re doing our best to protect [residents] from wider transmission routes,” she said.

“We are redirecting [visitors] to public facilities in Argyle Car Park and Franklin Square to use the shower facilities provided to them.”

She said everybody was “doing their best” to respond to the rapidly changing situation, asking the public to avoid bringing donations of food and clothing until the coronavirus crisis had passed.

Benjamin Julin, a homeless man from New Norfolk, relies on charities for his basic needs, but the coronavirus has forced closures of many of those services. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

Mr Julin, who is on the public housing waiting list, said he was unhappy about the closure.

“It makes us feel like we’re the infected ones,” he said.

He said while others with homes were more readily able to self-isolate, he and other homeless people would find self-isolation and proper hygiene practices near impossible.

“We can’t isolate each other,” he said.

“I rely on my friends, that’s how the street works.

“I give a little bit on my pay day and they give a little bit through the week.

“There’s no use me going and isolating myself, I’d be all on my own.”

He said he feared other food and shelter providers would also eventually shut their doors.

Richmond Fellowship CEO Miriam Moreton said the centre would continue to provide lunches to the homeless and follow state and federal government recommendations.

She said the organisation had recorded the names and contact details of people accessing the service for safety purposes.

“We have put a notice out to people who use the service to advise them around practising safe hygiene, and not accessing the service if they have cold or flu symptoms,” she said.

“Meals are still being provided and everyone still has access to the facility, they just need to make sure they are practising safe hygiene practices.”

She said she understood a client had indicated they were unwell yesterday and were referred on to the appropriate help.

Bethlehem House at Hobart. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

Mr Julin said not all homeless people had contact details or mobile phone numbers to provide to the service, adding a lot of them “just don’t know what to do”.

Hobart City Mission CEO John Stubbley said Safe Night Space would continue offering referred homeless people a place to sleep.

“Anyone who is diagnosed will be taken care of by the health system,” he said.

“It may mean those staff are unable to work, but we’ll bring more staff forward and stay open for as long as possible.”

He said the organisation aimed to continue over coming months and avoid closing entirely over any given night, adding the service had an obligation to help the homeless.

Moreton Group medical director Dr Meg McKeown said she was seeking advice from the Health Department as medical care guidelines for homeless people became uncertain.

“We can’t follow directions on sending them home, because they don’t have homes to go to,” she said.

She said Moreton Group were continuing operations with stricter social distancing measures, keeping 1.5 metres from patients and conducting some appointments via phone.

She said new services should be created for isolating and caring for homeless people.

“This might be an opportunity for innovative thinking and novel measures that could be introduced for a population that has been quite marginalised and forgotten until now,” she said.