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Yet another call to "support the homeless and finally eradicate homelessness" (The West, 7 Dec 2010). This time, in a letter from David Whelan ("We must help").
I don't know about, We must help. As a civilised country we should help. Perhaps a pedantic difference there.
Yes, we should help to support the homeless. The homeless are still Australians, they are our fellow citizens. Charity begins at home, and all that.
Okay, not all of the homeless are Australians. Not all of the non-homeless are Australians, so "fellow citizens" may be an inaccurate claim. Still, it would feel nice to support the homeless. It may also make the streets just that little bit more comfortable for the rest of us. So...
How can we help the homeless? With food, shelter and protection.
Does that mean that we should provide a house and a bed for everyone? Should we attempt to eradicate homelessness? No way!
Some people are homeless for a good reason. It may be that they are between jobs or between houses or between supportive families. Some may be so antisocial that they cannot live with other people. Others may have been thrown out by families who, for whatever reason... have thrown them out.
Not everyone wants to live in a house. Not everyone wants to live with other people. We need to make homelessness acceptable -- for both the homeless and for others.
Somewhere to sleep: There are nooks and crannies, there are bridges for shelter. Homeless people are forced to hide themselves where they can to get a place to sleep.
Formalise the situation... Set aside nooks and crannies where the homeless are allowed to sleep. It may be purpose-built areas. It does not have to be a house. Allow the comfort of sleep with the knowledge that there are even better options.
What about using carparks? Especially the ones which are empty overnight: After midnight, roll out temporary shelters -- something as good as a doorway -- and allow people to sleep there.
Something to eat: This is the easiest. There are already soup kitchens in operation. Keep up the good work; extend it.
Somewhere to shit and shower: The first is essential -- for the homeless and also for the people who will walk or work or visit in the area. The second is for those who want it. So build public toilets, with showers, near the sleeping areas.
Somewhere safe for belongings: Homeless people may not own much but that will make the little, even more precious. Provide safe lockers.
Physical safety: The streets are dangerous. Even for people with a home to go to. If you are on the streets 24 hours a day, it is very hard to avoid the dangers. Include police patrols in the safe sleeping areas... Homeless people are allowed to sleep there; criminals are not allowed to prey there.
Homeless people should have protection from criminals, just as everyone else has. And if homeless people are criminals, they should be dealt with by the law, just as everyone else is.
We need to accept that there will always be homeless people, for a variety of reasons. It would be nice to provide a home for those who want it, for those who could handle it.
Meanwhile, we should support the homeless. Being homeless is problem enough. If we care, we can help.
Being homeless is not a crime. Homeless people should not be punished by harassment, starvation or disease. They should not -- simply because they are homeless -- be unprotected from crime.
If you are homeless, it may not be the best of all possible worlds. On the other hand, neither should it be an unbearable hell on earth.
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