New statistics show 340 people “sleeping rough” asked for help from a local homelessness service in the last financial year.
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The data was collected by the Department of Health and Human Services from homeless service agencies across 50 Victorian local government areas, including Greater Bendigo.
Some 7387 Victorians who did not have shelter or were living in an improvised dwelling presented at government-funded homeless services.
Haven; Home, Safe spokeswoman Sue Masters said sleeping rough was rarely a lifestyle choice.
“Very few people choose to be homeless. In the majority of cases homelessness is a short-term situation,” she said.
Recent research showed many who became homeless because of a crisis – such as unemployment, financial stress or family violence – could be forced to sleep rough, according to a DHHS spokesperson.
People slept rough in a number of ways.
“Typically in Bendigo people sleeping rough are in their car or have pitched a tent in bush land,” Ms Masters said.
They might also live in improvised buildings or dwellings, some of which were not intended for human housing.
Others squatted in vacant properties, or had no dwelling and were living in the open.
Ms Masters said homelessness was often not as visible in the Bendigo region because people would try to find shelter where they would not capture any attention.
“Typically in rural and regional areas there is a greater stigma around homelessness. People who are homeless are much more likely to be sleeping rough in the bush or in parks, rather than on the city streets as they do in Melbourne,” she said.
Despite their low public visibility of those sleeping rough, Ms Masters said a steady stream of people accessed Haven services throughout the year.
She said members of the public who came across someone they believed to be sleeping rough should contact Haven; Home, Safe on 5444 9000, via their Facebook page or by dropping into the organisation’s Forest Street offices.
“That way we can make an approach and see if they require assistance,” Ms Masters said.
“Our service provides people with short-term crisis and emergency accommodation while we work with them to access longer term housing options.
Haven also refers clients to other agencies and services in Bendigo for food and healthcare where required.