Posted
The link between a person having a major health problem such as cancer and becoming homeless is increasing, according to homeless support groups.
Among
this group are people who have good jobs, but when diagnosed with a
long-term illness and using all their sick leave, lose their job and
find themselves unable to pay the rent or the mortgage.The Everybody's Home Campaign is a coordinated call for increased public housing for people in need, representing more than 20 Australian organisations.
Spokesperson Kate Colvin said people with chronic illness were overrepresented in people who were homeless.
"Perhaps 20, 30 years ago homelessness was most common for people who had another difficulty in their life," Ms Colvin said.
"Now we see someone who has had an ordinary job but through illness doesn't have employment any more and they can't find a place they can afford — that's the sad reality now in Australia."She said this shift was something that surprised most people.
"Australians expect that if we ever get seriously unwell there will be houses we can afford and if we can't afford the private market there will be social housing," Ms Colvin said.
"We need government to invest so that very reasonable expectation is being met by government investment."
Colleen, 62, became homeless nine months ago after intensive chemotherapy for Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
Now she sleeps in her car in Coffs Harbour.
"Before the cancer I was a prolific painter, I was an art teacher at a primary school, I was a prolific bush walker. I was a very healthy person, a very happy person," she said.
Colleen was no longer able to work once she started chemotherapy treatment, and fell out of the private housing market.
"My whole life's changed since having cancer," she said.
A lack of affordable housing
Ms Colvin said people could wait years for public housing to become available."Even with a serious illness like cancer you might be on a priority list, but it might take over a year to be housed," she said.
Colleen has been told she is on a priority list for public housing but has not been told how long it will take before she has a home.
"The cancer's in remission but I'm not supposed to have any stress and I find living in my car extremely stressful," she said.
"Last night I had two young fellas at the back of the car and shaking the car, so I didn't get much sleep."
Cancer Council Australia CEO Sanchia Aranda said while she was not aware of specific data showing an increase in homelessness linked to cancer, research showed there were inequalities when it came to financial status and cancer outcomes.
"The poorest among us are 30 per cent more likely to die after a cancer diagnosis than the richest," Professor Aranda said."We often hear of individuals mortgaging their homes to afford treatments and that financial strain can impact individuals' treatment decisions.
"We also know that cancer can impact an individual's ability to work and this loss of income can mean they also lose their ability to pay for essentials, like rent."
Coffs Harbour Neighbourhood Centre coordinator Anna Scott said governments needed to start looking for solutions, such as raising the Newstart allowance and building more affordable housing.
"We need to see more one-bedroom dwellings being built so they're affordable for people who are single," she said.
"Housing affordability is a big question.
"I think Local Government, State Government, and Federal Government all need to work together to tackle this because it's a big issue and it's not going away."
A mix of people becoming homeless
Photo:
Todd has been living out the back of the Coffs Harbour Neighbourhood Centre for five months. (ABC Coffs Coast: Liz Keen)
Todd has been homeless for five months. He has a rare form of degenerative, terminal cancer and has had more than 200 tumours removed over the past seven years.
He also has sensitive skin that is affected by UV light, so while he is homeless he also needs to avoid the sun.
He has never been homeless before and he does receive a Newstart allowance, but he cannot find a room or a flat that he can afford.
"When it comes to $600 a fortnight, $300 a week, if you take $170 out for rent it doesn't leave you with much," Todd said.
He lives in a camp with about 15 other people.
"It is stressful at times but there are some wonderful people who really help out," he said.
"Like all of life, you have some good and some bad [people] and you just have to make the most of it."
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, homelessness has risen 14 per cent since 2013.
The Coffs Harbour Neighbourhood Centre has helped 250 people who are homeless already this year.
Todd and Colleen both sleep near the centre and rely on the centre for food, blankets, advocacy, and support.
Coordinator Anna Scott said the centre was not only seeing an increase in people needing help, but an increase in the diversity of clients.
She said more women were ending up homeless after losing income when they retired or became ill.
"A lot of people I've seen recently are living on Newstart and they've lost their jobs in order to focus on their health."
Getting healthcare while homeless
The Everybody's Home Campaign's Kate Colvin said people who were homeless were less likely to eat healthy food, to exercise and look after their health generally, so their health became worse."People are more likely to access emergency medicine and not have the kind of ongoing relationship with a GP that may make it more likely to pick up something that develops, like cancer," she said.
Neighbourhood coordinator Anna Scott said getting medical help was complicated for people who were homeless, because getting to appointments or paying for medication was challenging for people who did not have stable housing.
"We've had people who have medication that needs to be refrigerated, we can refrigerate it for them but we're only open 9–4 Monday to Friday, so people just don't buy medication.
"Medication and belongings also get stolen very quickly when you're homeless," she said.
Photo:
Anna Scott said the the Neighbourhood Centre has seen more than 250 homeless people already this year. (ABC Coffs Coast: Liz Keen)
Todd is on a trial medication that should shrink the 90 tumours he currently has, but he's just been told that medication is no longer free, so he will have to stop taking it.
Now, as the cold weather sets in, Colleen is due for her next three-monthly check to see if her cancer is back, and she is delaying the visit, because she just can't face hearing any more bad news.
"I was so fit and strong I actually got through the six-hour doses of chemo I had for eight months," she said.
"I don't feel that strong now, or that fit. I feel quite weak actually, because I'm sleeping in my car."
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