By CHERIE DONNELLAN
“COUCH surfers” and people with temporary living arrangements are among a growing population of the “hidden” homeless in Geelong, according to a welfare worker.
Barwon Housing and Homelessness Support Service’s Andrew Edgar said others in the categroy included people sleeping in cars or “overcrowded” houses.
“People don’t consider (as homeless) those who sleep in temporary conditions, on floors of people’s houses, on a couch, crashing longer-term at a friend’s or neighbour’s house or even in sheds,” Mr Edgar said.
He told the Independent earlier this month that Census figures of 585 people without permanent, comfortable accommodation in the city could represent as little as one third of the actual homless population in Geelong.
“Homelessness is transient and hidden in nature, so collating data is inherently difficult.”
Mr Edgar urged Geelong residents to participate in a new campaign, Anywhere But a Bed, to understand the plight of those “sleeping rough”.
The campaign included an appeal for participants to sleep at home anywhere but in bed on 5 August to “highlight the circumstances and choices that people experiencing homelessness have to make and are faced with”, he said.
The event would mark the beginning of National Homeless Persons Week.
Mr Edgar said more information was available at abab.org.au.
