Homelessness could soon be a thing of the past in one major Australian city. More than 30 organisations have banded together in a bid to get people off the streets by the year 2020.
It’s a cold autumn night in Adelaide’s C-B-D. Dozens of volunteers are walking across the city. Volunteer Renee Jones says they’re seeking the city’s homeless. Specifically, those sleeping on the streets.
Their search finds 143 people sleeping on the streets. That’s a tiny number compared to more than 8,000 people nationally who sleep rough. But Reverend Peter Sandeman, the Co-Chair of the Adelaide Zero Project, says it’s more than aid agencies had previously thought.
He says the volunteers are meeting street sleepers and creating what he calls a "by name" list. An important step, he says, in ending street homelessness altogether – what he calls “functional zero”.
This approach, called the Zero Project, is based on a model used in the United States that has shown promising results. The responses collected will help frontline services provide tailored support to individuals.
Adelaide’s parklands are sometimes home to Indigenous people visiting from remote communities. Peter Sandeman says the project will also look at providing temporary shelter for this group.
Jason Warrior, from the Western Adelaide Aboriginal Specific Homelessness service, says any approach should be culturally appropriate.
Reverend Sandeman says one of the biggest obstacles will be ensuring there’s enough shelter to meet demand.
The Zero Project will first focus on the city centre but, if successful, could be rolled out to other areas.
