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Free - Medical, Housing Support, Haircuts, Personal Grooming Items, Non-Perishable Food for The Homeless @ Homeless Connect

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Free - Medical, Housing Support, Haircuts, Personal Grooming Items, Non-Perishable Food for The Homeless @ Homeless Connect
Go to Deal
Taegukgi on 07/04/2019 - 20:57 brisbane.qld.gov.au (407 clicks)
Last edited 19/11/2019 - 13:52

Not your conventional deal but a deal for those in need and those that want to give.

I just saw a video on Facebook about homelessness which inspired me to again search for ways to help the homeless. I came across an annual event called Homeless Connect which provides services to people in need once a year.

Homeless Connect brings together businesses and community groups at a one-day event. It provides free services to people experiencing homelessness, or those at risk of homelessness.

Homeless Connect events provide the following:

  • volunteer medical and allied health care professionals including doctors, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists and massage therapists
  • housing support
  • haircuts by volunteer barbers and hairdressers
    immunisation delivered by Council's immunisation team
  • personal grooming items such as towels, face washers, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo and deodorant
    clothing and shoes for adults, children and babies
    bedding
  • non-perishable food items.

Brisbane - 28 November 2019
Perth - 13 November 2019
Gold Coast - 7 August 2019
Sydney - 2 July 2019

It appears that Adelaide, Hobart and Melbourne also have Homeless Connect events though I wasn't able to find the 2019 event dates.

Hopefully these events can help someone in need. Please consider giving your time, skills or items if you are in a position to do so.

Other Homeless

Related Stores

Brisbane City Council
Brisbane City Council

closed Comments

      • Splashtash on 08/04/2019 - 15:06

        Wow so many pluses, I guess it’s for the dislike of support they offer. That’s fair but

        Provide a med certificate and u won’t have to report/attend certain job network meetings and ur payments will continue.
        Of course they would cancel your payments if u don’t turn up…. if I was your boss and you were my employee and u didn’t turn up I wouldn’t pay u either lol… if ur sick then show me a sick certificate and u get paid.
        Sure people have mental health concerns and needs addressing but don’t expect a free ride if u don’t let others know though, they won’t offer support and u won’t get any. That’s why family and friends r so important to support u. Not everyone has good networks but they need to express their concerns to Centrelink/employers sometimes.

        Job seeker requirements? There fair in my thoughts. Your supposed to be looking for work, not sitting on ur ass. What’s the requirements these days? Like look for 20 jobs per fornight? That’s like 2-3 per day.

        I agree staff need to be offering more guidance but people need to speak up also.

    • Shekster on 07/04/2019 - 21:58
      +9

      When you're at that end of the scale, a haircut is not a necessity by any means. The money they get would go straight towards the actual necessities, like food and shelter. Addiction is unfortunately quite prevalent as well with the homeless community, and inevitably some (and in many unfortunate cases, the majority) of their money would go towards cigarettes/alcohol/etc.

      I mean I'm lucky enough to not be in such a situation and even I put off haircuts because I feel it's too expensive to get regularly…

    • INFIDEL on 07/04/2019 - 21:59
      +11

      You aren't aware of the current debate about this? Even the Business Council is asking for a rise in Newstart rates. Deloitte: The relatively conservative account and audit firm still believes dole payments are “unnecessarily cruel” That's how mainstream this issue is.

      Newstart has been frozen at $39 per day for 25 years. That's not enough after paying basic bills & needing to travel to find work.

      Could you live on $39 per day? (And still afford haircuts?)
      Campaign: https://www.acoss.org.au/raisetherate/

      Forum discussion Can You Live on Newstart @ $39/Day?

      A hair cut (provided by this service & others) is an easy way to raise self esteem, have an informal chat, feel connected & valued. It's a wonderful service. And may make it easier to get employment. But even a $10 cut may be beyond reach for some.

      Worth being informed about issues happening in Australia & beyond, rather than in our own little bubble of interests.

      • neyo on 07/04/2019 - 22:39
        -6

        It's a support system not a substitute for full-timr work. If everyone could get by struggle-free on centrelink, why would they ever get off it. In the wise words of our ex-treasurer - get a good job that pays good money.

        • INFIDEL on 07/04/2019 - 22:44
          +7

          Thank you, ex-Treasurer Hockey's speech writer.
          Same rationale for off-shore detention etc. Don't forget that other great advice - the poor don't drive & borrow money from Mum & Dad to buy that first home / get a better job!! And if they can't do that - kick them while they're down.

          Plenty of inquiries show Newstart is below poverty levels & people are being sanctioned unnecessarily with loss of payment - leading to homelessness etc.
          How is that anywhere near "get by struggle-free on centrelink"?

          You are really out of touch with reality if you think the 1994 support payment is adequate in 2019!

          Even conservative accountancy firm Deloitte believes the payments as “unnecessarily cruel”.
          Australian Business Council wants payments to be unfrozen & raised.

          Payments designed for 1994 are not adequate 25 years later - for anyone!
          Would you work for 1994 wages??

          Inadequate support may be ignored as an issue for the short term help, assuming a job is quickly found. Unfortunately some people have been unable to be employed after years. That isn't necessarily their fault (many reasons like long term illness, lack of work but family need stops moving, etc). That's too long on 1994 support payments.

          • Diji1 on 07/04/2019 - 23:18
            +2

            @INFIDEL: The wise boot licker has spoken everybody.

            Funny how neoconservatives are always calling people wise simply because they've bought into their hopelessly wrong economic theories. I don't think wise people are doing this.

            • WinstonWithAY on 10/04/2019 - 21:46

              @Diji1: Pretty sure you learn about how piss-down economics doesn't work in high school. Guess these blokes didn't graduate

          • SlickMick on 08/04/2019 - 11:51

            @INFIDEL: and yet I see people on payments smoking and drinking

            • INFIDEL on 08/04/2019 - 13:20

              @SlickMick: How dare they enjoy themselves like ordinary people!

              If they are in the street - that's different to what I was discussing… The difficulty in paying for living expenses in cities within the tight constraints of Newstart payment.

              Maybe your example shows the economic benefit of being homeless over paying for accommodation?? Shall we join them?

              Grog is often funded from begging in some communities. Chronic drinking & smoking is associated with dispossession & other troubles around the world.

              Because the poor are visible in the streets, does not mean others don't do the same behind respectable closed doors.

              Finger pointing & feeling justified is very easy, true understanding of complex issues is very difficult.

              • SlickMick on 08/04/2019 - 14:29

                @INFIDEL: I choose not to drink or smoke. If I was tight on money, I'd have 2 reasons not to.

                Just don't complain that you're poor if you partake in these things. The proceeds of begging aren't earmarked for alcohol

                • INFIDEL on 08/04/2019 - 15:37

                  @SlickMick: Umm… You are making a lot of assumptions about people you only see but don't seem to know, about their economic status & source of income without likely any proof… And you believe it is true without probably bothering to talk with the people you criticise & sermonise about!

                  That's up there with some f'd up shit thinking that justifies horrible treatment of others they don't even know! Very worrying!! But usually indicates personal pain, in people I've got to know.

                  And your 'rules' about what people can spend their money on don't necessarily apply in reality. Who made you enforcer of your made up rules?

                  Many dogooders try to control what others do based on beliefs they hold without understanding.
                  If something makes them uncomfortable, the "other" must be changed or removed! That type of thinking can justify some horrible killing & wars!

                  Seems you have difficulty with boundaries between you & "others", meaning you apply your standards to others, even though that is inappropriate.

                  Accurate facts & openness & are a better basis to understanding & appreciating others.

                  Now back to a lovely Japanese beer🍺😉

                • SlickMick on 09/04/2019 - 08:17

                  @SlickMick: What assumptions? I'm replying to your statement.

                  And I totally stand by restricting what people can do with handouts.

                  Personally, I wouldn't give any. If you need food, come to the soup kitchen. If you need accommodation, come to the shelter. If you want to be independent, you fund it.

                  • papachris on 09/04/2019 - 19:34

                    @SlickMick: Wow! And compassion is dead, along with your soul…

                    • SlickMick on 10/04/2019 - 22:52

                      @papachris: That's quite a judgement. My soul is just fine actually. We just disagree on what compassion is, and how to best help someone who wants to be helped, and how to best deal with someone who doesn't want help but just a handout.

      • GregMonarch on 08/04/2019 - 14:07

        1. Most people that work are often also repaying things like home and car loans, putting money into retirement funds, investments, or education funds for their child's future, etc. Whereas most Centrelink recipients know there's another deposit from Centrelink coming in 2 weeks, see no value in saving, and so spend everything they have left before it arrives. i.e. They dispose of their income more readily, because they see no value in those other things which working folks do ("Meh - my kids can always get Centrelink too.") So, gee, I wonder what possible bias the Business Council could have in all this? ;-)

        2. $39 a day and still afford haircuts? Yep.

        Example: I get a short back & sides standard mens cut, then neaten around my ears every week or two, so I only need one every 3-4 months. My usual hairdresser works from home and charges $15; the local TAFE has free or discounted haircuts about the same, and the local store sometimes has free cuts by apprentices. Or, with the weird things people do to themselves (tatts, piercings), a shaved head is nothing. In fact it's an interview bonus - say you do it in support of cancer suffferers. There are also youtube videos showing how to cut your own hair. So many options. The real issue is people don't PREFER the alternatives - which tells me they actually do have enough money.

        I'm not just talking haircuts here. It's just one of many examples, where someone can either get by, doesn't really NEED to pay as much, or doesn't need to pay for it at all. You learn to live within your means. If '$39 a day' were all there is to it, why aren't we seeing people chasing others down the street with fake afflictions begging, like in China? Or dying of starvation on every Sydney/Melbourne street corner? Why are the only beggars we see at Central Station the occasional busker (not really a beggar anyway), and the multiple drunks/druggies with a hat on the ground (too lazy to even ask)?

        Obviously there's either more money than 'just $39' coming IN that we don't know about, or ways they're eliminating many expenses going OUT (or both).

      • Splashtash on 08/04/2019 - 19:36

        Been there, done that ;) budget, don’t live in inner city unless u can afford it

        • Miss B on 10/04/2019 - 22:05

          If you're on Newstart you lose it if you move to an area they deem to have lower employment prospects. Also moving costs money.

    • dangerdanger on 07/04/2019 - 22:00
      +3

      Centrelink and the pension are often below the cost of living, dude.
      After you've spent money on rent, your kids, utilities, there isn't much left over even for food sometimes…

      • Diji1 on 07/04/2019 - 23:13
        +2

        Centrelink and the pension are often below the cost of living, dude.

        The full payment of aged and disability pensions are set to the poverty rate.

        Unemployment benefits are far, far below this.

        • INFIDEL on 07/04/2019 - 23:18
          +3

          Many pensioners struggle on their higher payments.

      • GregMonarch on 08/04/2019 - 12:47

        I usually keep out of such things, but I'm sorry - this is just false. It's HOW you live/use what you have that dictates your cost of living. There are always ways to reduce costs, make it go further, etc. For a start, charities will give vouchers to pay your utility bills (and people know how to get those from more than one charity for the SAME bill).

        So much I could say having lived on welfare for years, in a government housing street, where I got to learn all the tricks, deceptions, lies - extra benefits, discounts, freebies, and how they all educate each other how to wring as much out of those as possible. But why go on. Until people see it for themselves they refuse to believe it. Even those involved with unemployed people either miss it entirely or are willingly ignorant, even taking up 'the cause' for them.

        In short: There are some genuine cases of hardship, like when someone makes a big mistake and finds themselves in debt. But even then there are ways to wipe debt, and two weeks later the government gives you another payment for doing little to nothing. When you see people crying poor, but with a mobile phone, smoking, drinking, buying McDonalds & KFC… Common sense should tell us the narrative doesn't match what we're seeing with our eyes.

        Oh, I'm sure there are some doing it tough. But it's a mix of them not knowing all the tricks, and refusing to give up their toys/vices.

        But don't listen to me. I only took part in the very same things for years, lived it, took part in the conversations and education on how to rort the system that goes on… So what would I know.

    • Splashtash on 08/04/2019 - 00:34
      +1

      Centrelink will give u round $480 pf for job seeker. That money is enough to live on for the essentials with a small $20-80 savings depending on how far u want to stretch ya money and what area u live in. Those that complain that u can’t, need to learn how to budget better.

      Most people in these situations can’t budget at all. Some have priorities of 50-75% of funds towards drugs/gambling, ect.
      Australia has sooo many services for everything.
      People are over supported and most complain constantly. We get too much so why not be picky?

      I wonder if the true homeless are the ones you see in the states however I have never lived there so can’t say.

      Majority of the homeless are your couch surfers. Your mates, friends and family members asking to sleep over for a few nights on a regular basis.
      So I suggest to all of you if u have someone asking to stay at urs from time to time, ask them how they are doing and talk to them for support. Some people may not admit it but need assistance.

      • INFIDEL on 08/04/2019 - 00:55
        +1

        That level of support ($39/d) has not increased in 25 years. Prices have increased in that time.

        If you can find accommodation, food, transport etc in major capitals of Australia (near work) & still pocket $20-80 savings… I think you are not in the same reality as most.

        Yes budgeting is difficult when living day to day with uncertainty, likely without much positive experience of it growing up.

        Uncertainty drives people to risky behaviour (drugs, gambling, etc) to get some pleasures. So hard to break those habits.

        And people doing it tough spend a higher proportion of their income on discretionary spending than the wealthy.

        Agree that chatting can be a great help - valuing the other person. Can also be good for the one initiating the communication.

        Yes - lots of reports that couch surfing is a popular with some homeless. But it's transitory.

        So glad you're signing up to teach budgeting at these days of helping! I've done it elsewhere - learnt a lot.

    • kiteo on 08/04/2019 - 09:11

      When my parenting pension cuts out, if I end up on the current rate of Newstart, my family and I will be homeless - again. Simple as that. It's a flat and inexorable truth.

      PS - I have 2 degrees including in IT. The truth is stranger than fiction, ie News Ltd.

    • Taita on 08/04/2019 - 15:24

      There was a time when even though I had a good job I still found my self homeless and penny less. After a short stay in a refuge and even after renting my own place, there were lots of times when there was not enough for food, let alone haircuts. I found out that centrelink payments are based on my future estimated earnings and so were benefits like shelters, low cost housing rentals, free counselling services etc. With a well paying job yet zero dollars in my hand and no place to spend the night, my experience was not very good. I had to wait a month for any money to come in my account yet, I was required to pay for my stay even at a church refuge because technically I was employed and my annual income was above any cut-offs. Surprisingly the 2nd day after being homeless I was able to get a credit card lol as that's based on my income, not asset. Im glad I had that as the first few months I had to use the card before I was paid at work. I can't complain though as I was lucky and had it much easier than many others I met at the shelter.
      The point is, people find themselves in situations like homelessness for many reasons.

  • easternculture on 07/04/2019 - 22:10
    -7

    im due for a haircut. guess ill have to wait till 2 July

    • ozhunter68 on 07/04/2019 - 22:44
      -1

      I see the funny side,….but some others don't.

    • cypher67 on 07/04/2019 - 22:58
      +2

      I'll donate the bowl

    • Splashtash on 08/04/2019 - 09:00

      Or u could learn to cut it urself ;) saving travel time

  • bossmode on 07/04/2019 - 22:16
    +4

    Has anyone got a direct link to volunteering for the QLD event? I’d love to be a part of this and help the cause.

  • Jaduqimon on 07/04/2019 - 23:36
    +6

    1/3 of my tax goes into welfare from the breakdown i receive from the ATO. I think I've done my part.

    • INFIDEL on 07/04/2019 - 23:40
      +4

      Your Hero medal is in the mail.
      Nothing more for you to do😉
      But donations to a charity helping in this area are tax deductible!

    • [Deactivated] on 08/04/2019 - 01:14
      +1

      I created the universe in roughly seven days, I'm over helping out too.

      • INFIDEL on 08/04/2019 - 01:48
        +1

        I used to believe that story when I was a child. Now I understand it was far more complex & wonderful.
        Strange what we believe when we don't understand😉

        • SlickMick on 08/04/2019 - 11:54

          I never believed until I understood.

          There's a lot of deception out there.

    • INFIDEL on 08/04/2019 - 02:00
      +3

      You do realise little of that goes to those this service will benefit!

      It is mainly paid to the elderly (some with millions in assets), families, the disabled, & on administration.
      Wealthy people can receive a few of these welfare payouts. The Tax Office also gives discounts or payouts on top of these direct Welfare payments - usually benefiting the wealthy.

      The largest amount goes to seniors as pensions, support, aged care

      Benefits to families are next:
      Family Tax Benefits is large
      Child Care Fee Subsidies take up a lot ($6B)

      NDIS is starting to consume a fair chunk

      Unemployment & sickness benefit, along with a similar amount for carers - are tiny in comparison

      (See figure 1)
      https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Depart…

      • belongsinforums on 08/04/2019 - 05:27

        All this plus defense forces, which is a huge unemployment scheme

    • freakatronic on 08/04/2019 - 06:49
      -1

      Keep working hard and contributing value to society. You're doing more than the whinging, poo-flinging socialists who think everything should be given them for free.

      • Jaduqimon on 08/04/2019 - 06:50
        +1

        yep and those people complain about the cashless card thats in trial lol

      • kiteo on 08/04/2019 - 09:17

        WELL. I guess you want me to starve, hey.

        • freakatronic on 08/04/2019 - 09:27

          That's right. It's a binary system in which you're either a billionaire or a withered skeleton in the gutter. There are only two ways to live.

    • Ozymandias on 08/04/2019 - 11:59
      +1

      I'd strongly (but politely) disagree with that sentiment - your tax contribution is part of your overall minimum contribution to living in a social democracy. You also have little control over where your money goes and to who, whereas this is a direct, tangible benefit to those in need. Please consider extending 'your part' to include actionable compassion rather than merely a small portion of a small portion of your income that most people also pay. And don't forget, it's likely to make you happier and financial contributions are tax deductible.

      • belongsinforums on 08/04/2019 - 22:29

        I wouldn't say 30% is a small portion

        • Ozymandias on 08/04/2019 - 22:54

          Eh, remove 'small' from it then. Either way I don't buy that taxes are somehow a stand in for personal philanthropy.

  • whooah1979 on 08/04/2019 - 00:23

    Why is this a deal?

    The few last deals offerings freebies to those in need got ozbargained by those that wasn't in need.

  • tanastra on 08/04/2019 - 02:41

    A rich country with lots of tax money wasted or cheated by greedy operators that really knows how to suck the money out of public purse eg: royal commission into nursing homes , next would be NDIS abuse etc .
    Those money could have been used to provide good housing project to the homeless people . Eg: Singapore govt housing project For the low income as the government there understand that housing or home is one of the most important basic human need, especially in the “developed country !!”

    • INFIDEL on 08/04/2019 - 03:01
      +3

      You do realise Singapore & Australia are very different countries, especially politically.

      From my little understanding, tiny Singapore tends to dictate high rise developments. (My client had their horse stables there compulsory acquired for high rise development.) Here private ownership & development of houses has dominated - the suburban sprawl.

      Singapore doesn't have States to negotiate with, which have different constitutional powers to the Federal Government. Often the governments may be from opposing political parties. Public housing is seen as a State issue.

      Public housing funding has dwindled, spent on other pet projects. Those without housing don't have much voice politically.

      So it's complex here & probably politically dangerous to push Singapore style public housing. It's too socialist for this time. Developers may be persuaded to include social housing.

      As for the spending on public inquiries - don't worry, politicians would have spent it elsewhere anyway.

      Homelessness is not necessarily solved by providing homes. There are other issues at play. There are so many empty buildings - I liberated a few years ago.

    • MessyG on 08/04/2019 - 19:22
      +1

      Okay hold up. The people sucking the money out of the public purse are the 'not for profit' nursing home providers who are taking government subsidies to provide substandard care to the elderly. The Royal Commission into nursing homes is absolutely needed for this reason.

      And we need an investigation into NDIS for the same reason - too many dodgy operators with no experience with the disabled setting themselves up as disability support organisations and then reaping heaps in government funds.

      And we already tried housing projects in Australia in the seventies. They became ghettoes and made the problem worse. People need to be integrated not all shovelled together.

  • [Deactivated] on 08/04/2019 - 03:13

    Everyone seems to assume every homeless person is homeless by misfortune and needs help. Two of my friends went homeless for a few years (under bridges included) and just needed to get free, is how I understood it. Like Nimbin or the Kibbutz in Israel.
    Don't help unless they agree.

    • INFIDEL on 08/04/2019 - 03:33
      +4

      Homelessness is about not being able to make the choice to not be homeless.

      A few chose to do it (like I have when I was helping homeless people), but that's not homelessness.

      Just because you knew someone who chose to live rough, does not mean they did not have a mental health or other serious issue which drove them to that situation.
      Some run away or join cults to escape a life they couldn't handle at that time. If they could learn effective thinking skills (eg basic CBT) to better deal with anxiety etc, or sought assistance, a better outcome may be possible. That may have fitted your friends situation. Others are escaping an unbearable situation of abuse.

      Many get trapped in homelessness - not having a suitable history or funds to get accommodation, etc. But getting what is required to have a home (work, money) is very difficult without somewhere stable like a home.

      All homeless people I came in contact with in my work had a mental health diagnosis & been hospitalised in a juvenile mental health facility.

      Few would ever choose homelessness as their preferred lifestyle!

      And of course don't impose your helping on others without their permission & participation. Best to build rapport first & get to know them. Otherwise it just devalues & patronises their lives, possibly leading to dependence.

      Helping is all about the other person, not you.

      And people attending these days aren't necessarily homeless, just needing a little help.

    • kiteo on 08/04/2019 - 09:20
      +1

      Oh good for you, you have a nice lifestyle and nice friends who wanted to rough it in a little adventure beyond their cosy upbringing, a bit like uni dropouts pretending to do Heart of Darkness in Cambodia. Yes, please do extrapolate your ignorance.

      • [Deactivated] on 08/04/2019 - 21:50

        I am not the sarcastic and ignorant one here bud.
        You made up your story.

  • donotuse on 08/04/2019 - 05:47

    I think we should create a city for the homeless.
    Just like when Mother Britannia built Sydney in 1778.

    • freakatronic on 08/04/2019 - 06:46
      -1

      Let's colonise Africa.

    • dangerdanger on 08/04/2019 - 14:23

      Agree - let it be built on the steps of Canberra's parliament house

  • DiLs on 08/04/2019 - 06:42

    @adonix

  • freakatronic on 08/04/2019 - 06:46
    +1

    "The poor are poor because of the rich"

    I suppose bicycles are slow because of the existence of Lamborghinis.

  • BluebirdV on 08/04/2019 - 07:09

    Does anyone think it would be a good idea to have a seasonal worker program for the homeless? Get them out into regional areas picking fruit?

    • INFIDEL on 08/04/2019 - 08:07

      Some homeless have always moved to get work picking.
      By definition, itinerant workers have no home. They doss down where they find room.

      One old guy I gave a lift to years ago was hitching across the country to next work. He stayed in Salvation Army hostels & loved the life. He proudly showed his newspaper clippings of stories about him! A guy in his 20's picking in Tassie was based way past Cairns.

      But these days, overseas travellers are organised to do the picking (often by backpacker hostels who sell them accommodation) - it's easier for farmers as labour is organised & provided, the pickers need farm work to qualify for extended Visa so may work for less pay. And when the work is done - they move on.

      • Pantagonist on 08/04/2019 - 08:17
        +1

        it's easier for farmers, & the pickers need farm work to qualify for extended Visa, so may work for less pay.

        Yep, it works well for everyone.

        There's already the Seasonal Work Incentives scheme for people on Centrelink who want to work on the Harvest Trail. People can earn up to $5K per annum without affecting their Centrelink payments. Based on the piece rate employment model that's been abused, hitting that amount in a year would probably be tough.

        • INFIDEL on 08/04/2019 - 08:21
          +1

          Sad😢
          Homeless really can't compete with young fit backpackers that are already available & work for little.

          Well I'm off to 7-Eleven😱

          • ssquid on 12/04/2019 - 01:12

            @INFIDEL: Actually it's more like the backpackers can't compete with the illegal aliens, because the farmers know they can get away with paying them practically nothing.

      • Splashtash on 08/04/2019 - 09:02

        Time changes things, so we need to change with it and find a new way to travel and get paid ;) some do it and others accept defeat and complain.

        Perhaps house sitting?

        • INFIDEL on 08/04/2019 - 13:32

          In my experience (when I was a Uni student), house sitting requires good contacts to arrange it & vouch for me. There are sites now. But references & some stability are required.
          But that's the opposite to what homeless people usually can access.

          Couch surfing is easier to access.

          I've met people who house sat for decades, moving from house to house.

    • kiteo on 08/04/2019 - 09:22

      I remember in the rural areas of the Top End once a year, couldn't get accommodation - all full of young healthy backpackers fruitpicking. Good luck.

  • meista on 08/04/2019 - 23:45
    +1

    For those in Melbourne, here's how you can help.

  • INFIDEL on 29/04/2019 - 08:40

    For those who think living on NewStart etc is easy…

    Anglicare has just released it's annual RENTAL AFFORDABILITY SNAPSHOT

    Every year, Anglicare Australia tests if it is possible for people on low incomes to rent a home in the private market. We do this by taking a snapshot of the thousands of properties listed for rent on realestate.com.au. We test whether each property is affordable and suitable for people low incomes.

    WHAT WE FOUND
    This year we surveyed over 69,000 rental listings across Australia and found that there is a chronic shortage of affordable rentals across Australia:

    » 317 rentals were affordable for a single person on the Disability Support Pension

    » 75 rentals were affordable for a single parent with one child on Newstart

    » 1 rentals were affordable for a single person on Newstart

    » 0 rentals were affordable for a single person in a property or share house on Youth Allowance

    » There were no affordable rentals for a single person on Newstart or Youth Allowance in Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, Darwin or Perth.

    (The very few affordable private rentals would likely be far from available jobs & may not be suitable properties for many to live in. Inner city cheap boarding houses - a choice in the past, have usually been demolished for new developments. Share housing is a possible & more economic choice for those able to do that. Dwindling Public housing with very long wait times is the other choice. Otherwise there's the street, crashing with friends & family, charity, …)

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