HOMELESSNESS is more than just living on the streets beneath a cardboard box or on a park bench according to Mallee Family Care Specialist Homelessness Service (MFCSHS) team leader Mary Ruane.
The definition also extends to couch-surfing, where people who may have become homeless stay temporarily in a series of other people’s homes, typically making use of improvised sleeping arrangements.
As part of Homelessness Week 2016, Australians are being urged to recognise that those experiencing homelessness are a valuable part of our society and must be supported.
“There is a misconception in the community that homelessness doesn’t exist and many just don’t feel it is an issue,” Ms Ruane said.
For more on this story and more Homelessness Week coverage, grab a copy of Monday’s Guardian (August 1).
