The Urban Homeless !

When we think of the " homeless " people living on our streets we tend to think of the poor souls sleeping in shop doorways or eking out a living huddled under bridges or occupying a park bench. They are the people the Salvation Army and other charities try and nurture and they are high on the list for entry into emergency public housing.

Australia is fast developing a new breed of urban homeless people who are almost invisible because they have developed a camouflaged lifestyle.  They are often people with a surprising amount of money at their disposal and they have used this to avoid the useless search for rental accommodation that is now family oriented.  They are usually single people who have had a long rental history but now present poorly when seeking accommodation in a tightening market.

They have traded their car for a utility vehicle and purchased one of those camper homes that can fit on the tray.  It is waterproof and warm - and mobile.   This type of vehicle is inconspicuous in the traffic flow during the day and only brings attention when it is parked for the night, in a suburban street and more particularly in an area adjacent to a public toilet and recreational facilities.  In the city, they tend to congregate in beachside suburbs.

These are people who get their food from the fast food outlets and live independently.  They are often nomadic, following the sun north to avoid the southern winter and paying their way from a dwindling asset base.  They often top up this base by taking seasonal jobs fruit picking and their living expenses are supplemented from a small disability pension or raiding their superannuation.

What separates them from the normal tourist flow is their avoidance of caravan parks and other paid camping grounds.   This independent living makes them reliant on the sort of facilities that are free to the public such as public toilets and cold water showers, sited at beaches and communal parks.  The facilities in these mobile homes are usually primitive and in some cases constitute a health hazard.

The growing numbers are creating disquiet when overnight parking displaces space usually occupied by residents who lack offstreet parking.   They are legally parked  but the resentment builds over issues such as rubbish dumped in the gutter or the presence of what are seen as homeless men living on the streets.  In recent years, women have joined this mobile lifestyle.

This way of life is exacerbated by Australian housing prices pushing up rents and creating demand seriously exceeding supply. Families are preferred over single individuals and many people are finding that they are permanently excluded from successfully obtaining a place they can call "home ".

This is a growing phenomenon and the providers of public facilities are under pressure to make changes.   Many toilet and shower facilities at beaches are now barred and locked overnight.  The provision of public toilets dwindle alarmingly at night when the pubs close.   This will come at a cost as such action drives desperate people to use parks and gardens.

When we agitate to restrict public facilities, we should remember that such action does come with consequences !