Local residents and community organisations gathered at Cook Street Plaza on Thursday 6 August for Lithgow’s annual Homelessness Week event, raising awareness of the circumstances that can leave people without safe and secure housing.
Organised by Lithgow Community Projects (LCP), the afternoon brought local services into the heart of the community, giving people an opportunity to learn more about homelessness, available support and the work being done locally.
Services attending included Lithgow Information and Neighbourhood Centre (LINC), headspace Lithgow, Lives Lived Well and local church groups. The Rapid Relief Team supported the afternoon with free sausage sandwiches and drinks. A drumming circle added to the welcoming atmosphere, inviting locals to sit down, pick up an instrument and join in.
One of the most thought-provoking activities was provided by headspace Lithgow. Participants were asked to imagine having to leave home urgently because of domestic violence, natural disaster or another crisis, and to choose just 10 personal and household items to fit into a backpack.
The exercise reinforced an important message, that people do not choose homelessness as a lifestyle, and changing circumstances can make someone vulnerable much more quickly than many realise.
Young people leaving out-of-home care can be particularly at risk as they move into independent living without the family and financial support many others rely on. Mental health challenges can contribute to housing instability, while experiencing homelessness can itself have a significant impact on mental health and wellbeing.
Older women are also increasingly vulnerable, particularly those who have spent time outside the paid workforce caring for family, with less opportunity to accumulate superannuation or own property. Relationship breakdown, domestic violence, rising rents and limited retirement savings can leave these women at risk of homelessness later in life.
Several people attending commented that they had not previously understood how complex homelessness was or how easily people could become vulnerable.
This year’s theme, Homelessness Action Now, reinforced the need for secure and affordable housing, early intervention and strong partnerships across government, community services and the wider community. LCP does important frontline work providing Specialist Homelessness Services, crisis accommodation and support for women and children escaping domestic and family violence; however, resources for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness in the Lithgow LGA and the Central West remain very limited.
