With this statistic, staff attending last week’s Westpac Christmas party in Sydney were reminded that not everyone had safe and secure homes to return to that night.
Before the end-of-year festivities, Westpac’s Head of Stakeholder Communications Sean Glover joined Mission Australia Community Services Executive Leader Lincoln Hopper and Missionbeat Manager Daniel Petsalis on stage to provide an insight into family homelessness.
The 20-minute discussion to raise awareness about this “hidden homelessness” came a week after Westpac and Mission Australia launched a partnership to combat family homelessness.
“What makes it [family homelessness] worse is that eight out of 10 families can’t be helped and that tears the fabric of Australia apart,” Mr Hopper said. “It’s a horrible problem that we have to solve and thankfully we are starting to make inroads into that.”
Mr Hopper said a lack of affordable housing was a central cause of family homelessness, but the loss of a job, a financial setback, divorce and mental health problems contributed.
“If you don’t have a job and you’re homeless it’s awfully difficult to find another one. Your kids won’t be going to school, and it’s going to be difficult to do anything but try to search for somewhere to live. That repeated day in and day out takes people into a spiral,” he said.
“People start to rely on the family and friends network… but after a couple of months you’re going to wear out your welcome.”
Mr Petsalis recalled a homeless mother and five children who “outwore their welcome” with family a few days before Christmas 2009: “I made the trip out to pick up her and her five kids. And being a dad of four kids of similar age and knowing this Christmas these kids were not going to be spending it at home, and there was going to be 12,000 kids Santa wouldn’t find, it was sad to see…”
Fortunately, Mission Australia placed the family in accommodation before Christmas and linked them to support services. “It was just by that contact with us that we were able to start that ball rolling, because they were going to hit the streets the next day,” Mr Petsalis said.
Westpac staff were moved to tears when Leslie Butt, Mission Australia Operations Manager Adult Accommodation and Support, shared a poignant story about a young family she assisted at Fairfax House – an accommodation service in Sydney’s west for families in crisis.
“I know how heartbreaking it is to see anyone that’s homeless, but if you’ve ever experienced seeing a homeless child, a homeless family and not be touched by that… Everybody wants to have good things for their families.
For the past eight months, the family had been living in temporary housing and in their car, so they were relieved that a two-bedroom unit was available to them:
“The car had broken down and wasn’t on the road so they had to come in by train and all their belongings were in plastic bags,” Lesley recalled. “And I remember this little girl, she would probably only be about four, came up the pathway dragging her little bag and said ‘Can I stay here?’
“I said ‘Of course darling you can stay, and she was so happy. It stuck in my mind that a little four-year-old girl was asking to stay with her belongings in a rubbish bag.
You can help Mission Australia to overcome family homelessness by supporting our Christmas Appeal.
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