Negative stigma hits homeless people hard

By TESS PRICE

Advocates for the homeless are urging Victorians to take a more caring approach to those less fortunate as 26,000 young people deal with homelessness. 

The Council to Homeless Persons hopes its marquee awareness campaign, Youth Homelessness Matters Day held on April 5, will begin to reduce the stigma associated with homelessness.

CHP consumer programs manager Ian Gough said it was difficult to address the issue of homelessness while communities held on to entrenched negative views.

“It’s a community thing,” he said. “Let’s empathise more and put ourselves in other people’s shoes more.”

Despite a ranking in the top five for per-capita income, Australians remained largely unsupportive of those struggling on our streets, he said.

In photojournalist Jane Cowan's series on rough sleepers published on the ABC,  the lack of support for the homeless is highlighted as a pivotal issue.

“The one thing people don’t understand about homelessness, is the intense loneliness,”  Ms Cowan said.

Big Issue seller Andrew said he sometimes worked outside the local Woolworths in the wealthy suburb of Toorak. He said he rarely visited the area because of a lack of local support.

Despite having the reputation of a suburb filled with high income earners, most in the area would rather look away than engage, he said.

“They’re tight around here,” he said. “Most people don’t care.”

Local resident Carolyn Newton said she often saw homeless people outside the same Toorak supermarket and admitted she was fearful, even though had never seen any violent incidents.

“I can’t really explain it,” Ms Newton said. “I just don’t feel comfortable.”

Mr Gough said this lack of support was a crucial barrier to combatting the issue. “People don’t want to put up their hands as homeless,” he said.