Homelessness Week Shines Light on Locals Doing it Tough
Fletcher Street Cottage Manager Jenny Ryan, Byron Shire Mayor Michael Lyon, Byron Community Centre General Manager Louise O'Connell and Creative Capital Director Brandon Saul at Fletcher Street Cottage
Homeless hub Fletcher Street Cottage has had 1,963 visitors since opening on April 12th. Homelessness Week 2022, on August 1st to 7th, raises awareness of the impact of homelessness. This week is a time to reflect on the importance of housing as a solution and how we can make a difference as a community.
In Australia, there are over 116,000 people experiencing homelessness on any given night. The housing crisis before the floods in the Northern Rivers has now led to a housing catastrophe. With rough sleepers and those affected by the floods, Fletcher Street Cottage is inundated with people seeking help.
“We need to have growing awareness in the community about the impacts of homelessness and the potential solutions,” says Jenny Ryan, Homelessness Projects Manager.
Since opening, the cottage has offered 2,136 breakfasts, 619 showers and 337 laundry washes. Breakfast is prepared and served every weekday by Breakfast Coordinator Chris Neill and his team of 50 volunteers. The opportunity to have a meal, a shower and do some washing gives people the dignity they deserve.
“Fletcher Street Cottage plays a significant role as one response, offering basic relief opportunities,” says Jenny. “It is also a safe haven where people are welcomed and can connect with community support staff to meet their immediate needs.”
Fletcher Street Cottage provides support for people at risk of homelessness and those already sleeping rough. Community Support Workers Dayna Suchoparek and Ianna Murray have provided 482 support appointments. This includes 173 instances of emergency relief and 40 referrals, as well as advocacy, counselling and support.
“We are fortunate in the Byron Shire to have a strong coordinated approach through our End Rough Sleeping Collaboration,” adds Jenny. “This also enables us to have collocated services, supporting easy access for visitors to broader supports.”
Visiting services include My Momentum, Social Futures, Orange Sky and the Homeless Health Outreach Team (HHOT), as well as a hairdresser and podiatrist. The HHOT staff have sourced funding through the North Coast Primary Health Network to secure a visiting GP, also to be co-located at the cottage, to support physical health needs.
Thanks to the support of generous donors, a third Community Support Worker Anna Jones has joined the team to help with increased demand. Omar Amin has also started at the cottage, replacing Ianna, who has been with the Byron Community Centre for 2 and a half years, and passes on a wealth of knowledge.
Homelessness is not ‘rooflessness’. Only seven percent of people in Australia without a home are sleeping rough. The majority of homelessness in our region is hidden - people in crisis accommodation, rooming houses, insecure housing, overcrowded dwellings or couchsurfing.
The theme for Homelessness Week this year is: ‘To end homelessness we need a plan’. Homelessness is a complex issue with no single solution. It requires long-term collaboration across agencies, sectors and the community.
Managed by the Byron Community Centre, Fletcher Street Cottage is solely funded by community donations and needs support to keep its vital services going. The cottage provides a solution to part of the plan to end homelessness, but increasing affordable housing across our region is critical.
Give hope to the homeless and make a tax deductible donation: www.fletcherstreetcottage.com.au
The Byron Community Centre is an independent not-for-profit organisation that provides essential services including meals, advocacy and counselling, as well as arts and social programs for the benefit of the whole community. For more information: www.byroncentre.com.au.
Fletcher Street Cottage provides support and services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. It is a welcoming, safe and respectful place for rough sleepers to come and enjoy a meal, have a shower and do laundry, find connections and access broader support.
Open from Monday to Friday, with a breakfast service from 7am to 9am, access to showers and laundry from 7am to 12pm, additional office support from 9am - 12pm, and appointments available with Community Workers and visiting services.
For more information: www.fletcherstreetcottage.com.au