Sans domicile: what does it mean to be without a home?
A home can be described as safety, security, and stability. But a home is also much more than that.
The Mandarin for published this essay.
This year, Synergy’s Partners will participate in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout to raise money for the St Vincent de Paul Society to support Australians in need. Our experience will not be the same as that of someone homeless, but it is an opportunity for us all to be more educated on homelessness. It’s a way for us all to be more aware of those whose experiences are unlike our own. It is a moment where we can contribute to improving a stranger's life.
Beyond participating in the event and raising money for Vinnies, I am reflecting on what it means to be without a home. To understand what this means, I thought it might be worthwhile starting with the question, ‘What is a home?’ A question I think many of us take for granted.
A home can be described as safety, security, and stability. But a home is also much more than that. Home is where the heart is. It is family and community; it is a smell and a feeling; it is comfort and warmth; it is familiarity and welcome. Safety, security, and stability are the foundation – but to be without a home takes so much more from us.
I live in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). It is an affluent and educated community. Yet the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reported that in 2019-20, 4,100 clients were assisted in the ACT by Specialist Homelessness Services. If we include other types of homelessness, estimates suggest there are about 1600 people in Canberra at any point who are experiencing homelessness.
The top three reasons for seeking assistance were financial difficulties, housing affordability stress, and housing crisis. About 54% of those supported were homeless on the first presentation, 9 in 10 at risk of becoming homeless were assisted into housing, and almost half (46%) who were already homeless were assisted into housing.
In 2020, a year marked by bushfires, a pandemic, and job losses, the pressure on affordable housing in our region increased markedly, and that pressure has continued into 2021. Rapidly rising property prices put significant pressure on our community's low- and middle-income earners, putting additional strain on social housing and those who help vulnerable individuals and families like Vinnies.
Many people have a passionate connection to their homes, seeing them as far more than simply a place or a structure. A home can mean memories and images, desires and fears, and some combination of past, present, and future. As we get older, our attachment to our home often becomes even stronger, even when the place itself no longer provides us with the support that we need. It isn't easy to walk away from our relationships, our memories, and our connection to our past.
Our homes are also extensions of ourselves
Our homes are a projection of who we are and what we stand for. We invite people into our homes, and when we do, we share something intimate about ourselves with others.
But for some, memories of ‘home’ are not always positive or cherished. Home is not a safe, secure, or stable place. Home is marked by abuse and violence.
In Australia, three in every four people using homelessness services are women and children, many of whom are fleeing family violence. Children under 18 are estimated to comprise 27% of the homeless population.
What does ‘home’ mean for these women and these children?
Our perception of homelessness is that of people sleeping rough, but this accounts for a smaller proportion of our homeless population. The hidden homeless include those in supported accommodation, couch surfing, sleeping in their cars, boarding houses, and many in severely overcrowded conditions. If we who have homes are to make a difference, we need to expand our understanding of what it means to be homeless.
Homelessness is a complex problem
Social and economic pressure, significant life events like mental or physical illness, divorce, and domestic violence can quickly leave people without a home.
But it does not mean that these people are without hope. Vinnies, and many other charitable organisations, provide those in need with hope and opportunity. They start by providing safety, security, and stability, but they also create hope through relationships, connection, self-esteem, pride, and skills. Vinnies do this through small but important acts such as individual support programs, beds, meals, financial and budgeting, night vans, and mental health support.
Your donation to the CEO Sleepout goes to these services delivered by dedicated and caring staff and volunteers to those in our community with the most pressing needs.
My understanding and insight into homelessness is limited. The CEO Sleepout is my opportunity to think more about our community and those in need.
I hope that more of you will think about what it means to be sans domicile and give what you can to help someone you do not know to have a home.
Our objective is simple and compelling: we want to change the lives of Australians experiencing homelessness.
