Everyone wants a safe and comfortable place to sleep

Katherine has a homelessness rate of 33 times the national average, but what does that actually mean? How do people cope day to day when there isn’t enough housing, particularly when they live remote? Where do they sleep, and how do they take care of themselves and their loved ones?

“Many people are sleeping rough with little or no shelter options” said Donna Warland the Regional Manager of Anglicare NT in Katherine.

“We focus on how we can make the day to day more comfortable, because being homeless in Katherine is really tough. It’s hot here during the day and the nights can be cold – and that’s the dry season – in the wet season it’s even hotter, humid and wet. In this climate being homeless for any length of time has a significant impact on people’s physical and mental health”.

People want practical solutions now

Sometimes quick fixes are necessary, and the homelessness team in Katherine have created a quick fix to directly and immediately support people to feel safe and protected.

“We see the challenges people face everyday, and through consultation with people experiencing homelessness, we’ve come up with a quick fix to help people today. People can’t wait for public housing because the houses just aren’t there – they’ll be waiting for years” said Donna.

“We’re providing protected waterproof free-standing swag tents, along with swag kits that have a frying pan, water bottle, cup bowl plate combo and billy can for their camp sites. Many people camp down by the river, and these kits are designed to help them”.

Support and education at the right time

Anglicare NT runs three housing and homelessness programs in Katherine: Katherine Family Accommodation Support Service, Stronger Homes and Youth Accommodation Support Service.   

“Through our programs we see the realities of living rough in Katherine. This is why we’ve put together his and hers toiletry bags and have been distributing amongst the people we meet through our programs. We know this is what people want, because they tell us” said Donna.

“We also know that when people have spent a lot of time homeless, they need support to set up their new lives and stay on track. The right support at the right time is vital for people to break the cycle of homelessness”.

Election priority for Anglicare NT

Anglicare NT is a significant provider of housing and homelessness services throughout the NT. Through this work we can speak confidently on what is needed to help people who are homeless.

These are our NT election asks relating to housing and homelessness:

• Increased wrap around programs on the ground to meet demand
• Affordable and appropriate housing for all Territorians
• Focus on engaging young people at risk of homelessness
• Commitment to increasing the Public Housing Portfolio