New homeless facility announced for Hobart

A former pub will become the site of Hobart’s newest homeless shelter with hopes the $30m facility will ease demand on crisis accommodation in the city. SEE THE PLANS >>

The state government has announced a new homeless shelter is being built on the former Waratah Hotel site in Hobart.

The new facility costing about $30m will have 24 crisis beds, 18 transitional units and eight units specifically designed for people with mental illness.

Deputy Premier Jeremy Rockliff said housing ends homelessness and every single Tasmanian has the fundamental right to be in a safe environment, have a roof over their heads.

“We recognise that housing affordability, and homelessness, and those experiencing homelessness we need to do a lot better, that is why we are investing some $615m into affordable housing, and in crisis accommodation,” Mr Rockliff said.

The new Bethlehem House will be built alongside the 24 bed supported accommodation facility that has been operating on the site since the start of the year.

Bethlehem House homeless services manager Ian Robertson said the new building was needed to ensure they could deliver better services, more efficiently and to a higher standard.

“The demand is right across Hobart, but people are travelling to Tasmania and they’re travelling homeless so we are getting a greater demand on us from within our state, but also interstate,” he said.

“We are doing the highest standard we can do, but the new building with a mental health capability dedicated to that will allow us to deliver a much better product in the end.”

“A lot of the men that come to us, if not all of them have some form of mental health illness and before we get them to a point we can get them into the community and able to fend for themselves we need to deal with the psychosocial issues,” he said.

Architect Tim Penny said it’s anticipated construction on the five storey building will begin at the end of this year, if approved by council, with the facility to begin opening its doors in 2023.

“As you would appreciate with men experiencing homelessness it’s very difficult to feel like you belong in places, so a lot of design and attention has been given to give them quality internal spaces,” he said.

“I hear about Tasmanians that are finding it difficult to access health care and housing, I’m a fellow Tasmanian in a very privileged situation so it makes me feel as though we need to continue to make a difference, that’s why I stood for politics over the last 19 years, to largely support more vulnerable people who didn’t have the luck and the privilege I that I’ve had growing up in a safe secure environment with a loving family,” Mr Rockliff said.

The announcement of new facility coincided with national Homelessness Week.

Tasmania’s homeless tell their stories

Words by Jarrod Lawler

AN exhibition sharing personal stories of Tasmanians who have suffered from homelessness has been unveiled at Hobart’s Waterside Pavilion.

The I am Somebody exhibition is a multimedia exhibition that features audio interviews and photographs of members of the Hobart community sharing their experiences of being homeless.

The project was developed by the City of Hobart as an initiative to raise community awareness as part of National Homelessness Week this week.

Tyson Montgomery was homeless from 2015 until 2018 and now cherishes having a place to call home.

Tyson Montgomery, if the face of "I am somebody" exhibition at the Waterside Pavilion. Picture: Mireille Merlet

Mr Montgomery said he got involved in the exhibit to help get others off the street.

“To be able to say to someone I am going home is amazing for me and I want to be able to help others be able to say those words,” he said.

The labourer hoped the exhibit would result in more funding to address the issue and said he would love to see the exhibit shown all around the state.

“I’m hoping that as well as the public, the councils and the government also get on board the issue and give it some more help,” he said.

“I think it should be shown everywhere because it highlights the seriousness of homelessness all over Tasmania.”

The exhibit will be held from Wednesday to Friday between 11am and 3pm at Waterside Pavilion.

Figures show homelessness rates double

NEW figures will likely show Tasmania’s homelessness rate to have doubled in the last five years from 1600 to over 3000.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics is expected to release figures that show the number of people living without a roof over their head are likely to double when the next census is conducted this month.

According to St Vincent de Paul Society CEO Lara Alexander homelessness in Tasmania had reached a critical point and that increases in house and rental prices were a key driver in the increasing homelessness in the state.

St Vincent de Paul Society CEO, Lara Alexander

“Tasmania is facing the same housing crisis as the rest of Australia,” Mrs Alexander said.

“House prices are soaring, wages have plateaued, and housing affordability is now affecting middle Australia.

“Homelessness is no longer that stereotypical person sleeping rough. It is everyday people who are just one life-altering event away from a devastating change in circumstances,” she said.

She said while the State Government was proactive in working with charities, such as the St Vincent de Paul Society, to build more affordable housing, the demand for even more affordable housing was growing year-on-year.

“To meet the critical and immediate needs of homeless Tasmanians we must adopt a whole of community approach, including state and federal governments, the private sector, and not-for-profit organisations,” she said.

100 backpacks filled with essentials offered city’s homeless

HOMELESS people on the Eastern Shore will be offered one of 100 backpacks filled with warm clothes, personal hygiene products, and metro green cards.

The Clarence City Council initiative will ensure those effected by homelessness will also receive information cards which detail where support services can be accessed in Clarence and what services are provided at each location.

On Tuesday the council held an event on its lawns to launch the initiative and raise awareness for the cause.

Kate Clifford, Corps officer Salvation Army Clarence city with Liz Selkirk from Community Safety at Clarence Council, talking about the support packs full of essentials and critical service information will be distributed to people sleeping rough this winter. Picture: Mireille Merlet

Salvation Army Clarence City Corps officer Kate Clifford attended the event.

“It was a great afternoon and lovely to see the community getting involved and raising awareness for homelessness,” Cadet Clifford said.

“It’s really important for the community to get involved as it’ll take all of us to make the community better for those living it tough,” she said.

The initiative is part of the council’s ongoing action plan to address homelessness in Clarence and also coincides with national Homelessness Week runs until Saturday.