Post by bear on Jun 20, 2021 12:59:53 GMT 7
Canberra homelessness set for reprieve with sleepbus launching for rough sleepers
Sleepbus founder Simon Rowe has started the first pink bus in Canberra to help women and children sleeping rough on the streets. Picture: Elesa Kurtz
ACT women and children at risk or experiencing homelessness have been given a major helping hand with an innovative service launching in Canberra to address the gap between sleeping rough and long-term housing solutions.
National organisation sleepbus has started operating one of its buses in Canberra to help get people off the street and provide them with a safe place to sleep while they seek permanent solutions.
Founded by Melbournian Simon Rowe, sleepbus held an open day at Tuggeranong Uniting Church on Saturday to showcase the pink bus, a service specifically for women and children.
Mr Rowe spent years developing the concept with prototype testing in 2016-17 after what he described a "profound" experience with a homeless man in St Kida.
Sleepbus founder Simon Rowe has started the first pink bus in Canberra to help women and children sleeping rough on the streets. Picture: Elesa Kurtz
He said the system, which is also based on his research showing that sleep was the biggest issue for homeless people, was the first of its kind in the world.
"It's the first ever pink bus (nationally) to go operational. We had one set to go in Melbourne but Covid has stalled things," he said.
"We've had many women and children presented to sleepbus and wanted to see if we can do one just for women and children.
"Many think domestic violence is the reason but there are so many reasons people are on the streets. From financial reasons to other family issues."
While the organisation also runs buses that cater for everyone, the pink bus has an all-female volunteer crew.
Each sleepbus has up to 20 secure and climate-controlled sleep pods in twin cabins that have lockable doors and toilets.
Security and CCTV, under-bus storage for belongings and cosy places for companion animals are also key features of the buses.
The organisation aims to launch six more buses - general and pink - in the future that would cater up to 127 people per night.
"There are quite a few people in the CBD that's sleeping rough," Mr Rowe said.
"It's busy times ahead for us as we're really starting to hit our straps and communities rallying behind us."
In March, the organisation launched a general bus in Queanbeyan and it aims to have 319 buses across the country that would provide up to 2.3 million safe sleeps per year.
Sleepbus works with bus companies around Australia to purchase vehicles for conversion with the full cost being about $100,000 each.
"Sleep is the biggest issue for homeless people because for people without without permanent housing, sleep is difficult to come by," sleepbus stated in its information kit.
"When there's no way to secure your personal belongings, it's too dangerous and frightening to be in a truly restful sleep."
Despite the ACT growing by about 11 per cent between the 2011 and 2016 censuses, homelessness fell in Canberra while it rose 13 per cent nationally.
Nearly 1600 people were homeless in the ACT compared with 1738 in 2011, an 8.1 per cent decrease. When measured as a rate per 10,000 head of population, the ACT drop from 48.7 to 40.2 in 2011-16.
At the time of the 2016 census data release, Deputy Chief Minister Yvette Berry previously said that more work needed to be done to help those sleeping rough.
"Rough sleepers are a small percentage of the homeless population but are often people with complex needs and who face particular disadvantage in their lives," Ms Berry said.
Across the country, more than 116,000 people were estimated to be homeless with 7 per cent categorised as rough sleepers.
www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7302877/service-rolls-in-to-help-women-and-children-sleeping-rough/
Sleepbus founder Simon Rowe has started the first pink bus in Canberra to help women and children sleeping rough on the streets. Picture: Elesa Kurtz
ACT women and children at risk or experiencing homelessness have been given a major helping hand with an innovative service launching in Canberra to address the gap between sleeping rough and long-term housing solutions.
National organisation sleepbus has started operating one of its buses in Canberra to help get people off the street and provide them with a safe place to sleep while they seek permanent solutions.
Founded by Melbournian Simon Rowe, sleepbus held an open day at Tuggeranong Uniting Church on Saturday to showcase the pink bus, a service specifically for women and children.
Mr Rowe spent years developing the concept with prototype testing in 2016-17 after what he described a "profound" experience with a homeless man in St Kida.
Sleepbus founder Simon Rowe has started the first pink bus in Canberra to help women and children sleeping rough on the streets. Picture: Elesa Kurtz
He said the system, which is also based on his research showing that sleep was the biggest issue for homeless people, was the first of its kind in the world.
"It's the first ever pink bus (nationally) to go operational. We had one set to go in Melbourne but Covid has stalled things," he said.
"We've had many women and children presented to sleepbus and wanted to see if we can do one just for women and children.
"Many think domestic violence is the reason but there are so many reasons people are on the streets. From financial reasons to other family issues."
While the organisation also runs buses that cater for everyone, the pink bus has an all-female volunteer crew.
Each sleepbus has up to 20 secure and climate-controlled sleep pods in twin cabins that have lockable doors and toilets.
Security and CCTV, under-bus storage for belongings and cosy places for companion animals are also key features of the buses.
The organisation aims to launch six more buses - general and pink - in the future that would cater up to 127 people per night.
"There are quite a few people in the CBD that's sleeping rough," Mr Rowe said.
"It's busy times ahead for us as we're really starting to hit our straps and communities rallying behind us."
In March, the organisation launched a general bus in Queanbeyan and it aims to have 319 buses across the country that would provide up to 2.3 million safe sleeps per year.
Sleepbus works with bus companies around Australia to purchase vehicles for conversion with the full cost being about $100,000 each.
"Sleep is the biggest issue for homeless people because for people without without permanent housing, sleep is difficult to come by," sleepbus stated in its information kit.
"When there's no way to secure your personal belongings, it's too dangerous and frightening to be in a truly restful sleep."
Despite the ACT growing by about 11 per cent between the 2011 and 2016 censuses, homelessness fell in Canberra while it rose 13 per cent nationally.
Nearly 1600 people were homeless in the ACT compared with 1738 in 2011, an 8.1 per cent decrease. When measured as a rate per 10,000 head of population, the ACT drop from 48.7 to 40.2 in 2011-16.
At the time of the 2016 census data release, Deputy Chief Minister Yvette Berry previously said that more work needed to be done to help those sleeping rough.
"Rough sleepers are a small percentage of the homeless population but are often people with complex needs and who face particular disadvantage in their lives," Ms Berry said.
Across the country, more than 116,000 people were estimated to be homeless with 7 per cent categorised as rough sleepers.
www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7302877/service-rolls-in-to-help-women-and-children-sleeping-rough/