The local community has again rallied behind homeless Camillo woman Kay, after she faced yet another set back when heartless individuals trashed her personal belongings.
Local residents, led by local woman Jordan Dobson, rallied to find funds to allow Kay to have a five-day motel stay in January.
The temporary stay gave Kay the chance for something most of us take for granted – a good night’s sleep in secure shelter – and she used the time to persist in her attempts to find temporary accommodation through not-for-profits and charity groups.
But, as has been the case for the six months Kay has been without a home, her attempts were met with long waitlists.
After her motel stay was over she was back on the streets and the hopeless struggles of living rough were awaiting Kay on her return.
Two weeks ago, while she was visiting a friend, Kay’s tidily kept, meagre belongings, were destroyed.
“She came back and her stuff was trashed,” said Jordan.
“I had bought her a soft drink can and a fruit cup, and they had poured that all over her belongings, everything had been gone through, little valuables were stolen. She was so distraught,” she said.
“I put something on the Camillo community page asking if anyone had seen anything,” she said.
“A lady called me and said, “After reading your post I thought enough is enough. I’ve got Kay, I’ve got her stuff, and she can stay at mine – I have a room for her,”” said Jordan.
But Kay’s network of generous local support is not typical of those living with housing insecurity.
As demand on shelter services stretch to capacity, many are facing increasingly desperate situations, and opportunities to come good are thinning.
Samantha Drury, CEO of St Bart’s – a not-for-profit that provides transitional housing and accommodation to those experiencing homelessness – said they had to pause referrals in mid-2021 due to extreme demand on their services.
“The waitlist for our Women’s Service is more than six months, the waitlist for our Men’s Service is around five months and our Family Service waitlist is between six and 12 months,” said Ms Drury.
“These wait times are indicative of what other providers in the homelessness sector are currently experiencing.”
St Bart’s, which is funded by donations and philanthropic support, has been a crucial lifeline for many women experiencing homelessness, but it is unable to meet the current demand.
“St Bart’s has supported approximately 200 women through the service to get back on their feet,” said Ms Drury.
“The demand for our Women’s Service has remained very high since we launched it in 2014, particularly over the past two years during the pandemic, and we have consistently maintained an occupancy rate between 90 and 100 per cent,” she said.
“This has been due to the high demand to access this service and the extended stays of some women in the service due to there simply not being enough social housing or affordable private rental options available for them to transition into,” she said.
“The affordable housing crisis in Perth is real and we are seeing firsthand how rising rents and home prices, low vacancy rates in the private rental market and an under supply of social and affordable housing stock are impacting people – not just those who have experienced homelessness in the past but also those who now find themselves under real housing stress and at risk of homelessness,” she said.
If you or your business would like to make a fully tax-deductible donation to St Bart’s, please call 9323 5100.
To donate to Jordan Dobson’s fund for Kay, visit gofundme.com/f/help-kay-get-a-break
