Del Thomas

Homelessness

Sunday 19th Oct Australia is in the midst of a severe housing crisis. I volunteer at a refuge for young people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. As a renter, I've  personally been impacted by the crisis. I remember when I was young you could walk into a real estate office and they'd give you four or five sets of keys to go inspect some rental properties. An hour or two later you would return and pick a place and move in the same or the next day. These days real estate agents make applying for rental properties a living hell. Even when you're working it's next to impossible to find suitable housing. Affordable housing is another story. Sadly, unless you're financially blessed, it's a thing of the past. Imagine what it's like for someone out of work and down on their luck. Imagine how they are made to feel. Their self worth and confidence is shattered. How can they be expected to trust a system and a society that looks away as they fall through the cracks. Nedd's Uncomfortable Challenge, for me, is about bringing these people into sight. Being their voice in a noisy world that can't hear them and, more often than not, refuses to listen. Share