Safe Night Space proposal welcomed by all with more funding the next goal

A proposal for a night time safe haven for Hobart’s homeless community has received widespread support.

Timmy Smith and Dave Mowbray, who live rough in Hobart, have welcomed the Safe Night Space proposal. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

A PROPOSAL for a night-time safe haven for Hobart’s homeless population has been roundly welcomed by the State Government, the housing sector and members of the community likely to use the service.

It was revealed by the Mercury yesterday The Salvation Army and Hobart City Mission have joined forces to put forward a proposal called the Safe Night Space.

It would be a location in central Hobart where men and women who are vulnerable, isolated and homeless could drop in for rest, food and water overnight.

Staff and volunteers would help connect people with housing, mental health, and drug and alcohol services.

About $450,000 is needed to run the six-month pilot program, with hopes for something more permanent beyond that.

Housing Minister Roger Jaensch said the Government was supportive of the initiative, but did not detail any funding it might provide.

“We envisage this pilot will run alongside the additional capacity we are providing at shelters and increased funding for emergency ‘brokerage’ accommodation,” he said.

Housing Minister Roger Jaensch. Picture: ZAK SIMMONDS

Shelter Tasmania chief executive officer Pattie Chugg said the program could help many people.

“There is no drop-in centre at the moment for people to go to after services close for the day, so this is an important gap to fill,” she said.

Dave Mowbray, 54 and Timmy Smith, 43, have struck up a friendship on the streets and the Safe Night Space is exactly what Hobart needs, said Dave, who moved to Tasmania 18 months ago to try overcome his drug addiction.

“There’s a similar program in South Australia that runs all day and they look after you pretty well,” he said.

“I can’t go into any of the major public housing complexes because of the drug use there — it’s just setting me up to fail. There’s a lot to be learnt from other states here.”

Timmy said it was frustrating to see expensive public infrastructure projects around the city while he and his partner bed down in a car every night.

“I blame myself for the circumstances I’ve got into, whether it was through my drug and alcohol habit, I’ve had my chances,” he said.

“But I do get frustrated and there are days where I get very angry and think to the world ‘you suck — what have you been doing for me’, but I keep waking up and keep pushing on.

“We just want to know what happens next now the housing debt has been wiped.”

Tomorrow, Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds will chair a discussion at the Lord Mayors’ World Homelessness Day roundtable in Melbourne, at which participants hope to identify, develop and promote solutions to the housing and homelessness crisis around the country.