Liverpool Council has rejected claims it is not doing enough to help local homeless people.
It has released a statement by the chief executive officer, Mr Carl Wulff, rebuffing accusations it has an out of sight, out of mind attitude towards the homeless.
The statement includes a detailed list of what council has done for homeless.
Local residents will converge on Bigge Park at 1pm tomorrow (Tuesday) for a rally to highlight the plight of the local homeless community and to demand Liverpool City Council act to help those in need.
“Liverpool Council takes the issue of homelessness very seriously,” Mr Wulff said.
“It is complex and distressing and comes about from a huge range of factors – including domestic violence, lack of affordable housing, access to employment and education, and mental health. None of these are factors over which local government has the primary influence – however, we have the capacity to be the convenor of service providers within our area, to advocate, resource and support, all of which we have been doing.
“I commend the fantastic work that our staff have done to relocate everyone sleeping in the shelter, (except one who declined the offer) and thank the organisations we have worked with to deliver this outcome. In particular we worked closely with two workers from St Vincent de Paul and a Social Worker from the Department of Human Services and also in consultation with Wesley Mission and the Mental Health Unit at Liverpool Hospital.
“A gap in service delivery in Liverpool was identified following the assistance sought for homeless people in Bigge Park. St Vincent de Paul has since employed a local Outreach Worker. Council is continuing to work closely with St Vincent de Paul and other services to ensure a timely and coordinated approach to addressing homelessness in Liverpool.
There have been some reports of homeless people in carparks throughout the LGA. Any reports that are received are referred immediately to the relevant service agencies (as above),” Mr Wulff (pictured) said.
“In the past 12 months Liverpool City Council has undertaken the following initiatives:
- Convening the Liverpool Community Kitchen and Hub Advisory Group and providing ongoing support agreed to in a formal memorandum of understanding signed by respective service provider partners. Beyond provision of breakfast and lunch 3 days per week (up to 120 meals per session) the hub service model provides holistic services for people who experience social disadvantage and exclusion by offering case management, advocacy and support, referrals to housing and social services agencies and bodies, and social and recreational activities. In essence, the model seeks to address underlying causes of homelessness as well as trying to offer immediate practical assistance.
- In January 2015, with the emergence of homelessness as a public issue in Bigge Park, the hub model was extended to offer support to those sleeping rough in the ‘Shell’ and to find alternative accommodation for all of those using the facility. This extended to the co-ordination of all NGOs, charitable and faith-based organisations in their provision of mobile free food services to maximise coverage within the city area. Ongoing support is provided by convening the Mobile Free Food Services Working Group;
- Development and dissemination of a local Emergency Relief and Assistance Card to provide a comprehensive list of contact details of support services and organisations;
- Delivery of a Homelessness Street Count in February 2015;
- Successfully negotiated the launch in July of The Exodus Foundation (Bill Crews) mobile food service within Liverpool. The service operates four times per week (lunch and night time) and offers up to 400 meals per session.
- Development of a draft Homelessness Policy and Homelessness Strategy and Action Plan 2015-2017, both of which will be taken to Council for endorsement;
- Provided $5,000 funding through the Community Donations Program to the Liverpool Community Kitchen and Hub for the delivery of healthy cooking workshops and activities.”
The United Services Union, which represents local council workers, says it is supporting efforts to have increased funding allocated to provide housing, food and other assistance to local people who have been forced to live on the streets.
USU general secretary Graeme Kelly said the city’s homeless population included more than 200 children last financial year, while the soundshell in Bigge Park had provided a home for about a dozen people each night before being closed off.
“Bigge Park, in the very heart of Liverpool and close to health, transport and other services, had provided a relative safe haven to many rough sleepers in the area,” Mr Kelly said.
“Rather than provide improved funding or services to assist these people doing it tough, Liverpool City Council installed an artwork that closed off the stage, forcing the homeless people who had sheltered there to move into more dangerous areas.
“Council staff have reported to the union that at least some of those people displaced from Bigge Park, including both men and women, have been located sleeping in the concrete stairwells of a local parking station.”
Mr Kelly said council had an “out of sight, out of mind” approach to the city’s growing homelessness problem.
“Currently, Liverpool only has one homelessness shelter that can house just eight men, with no facility to support women or children,” he said.
“Council is also failing to utilise existing community organisations, with a homeless shelter that requested council inform them when they locate homeless people in the area not receiving one report in the last two years.
“Local charities have also confirmed that they are feeding an increasing number of people who are unable to afford stable accommodation.
“It is time for Liverpool City Council to act, with genuine support for the services needed to ensure those people doing it hardest in our community have the help they need.”
Tomorrow’s rally will start at 1pm near the College Street side of Bigge Park.
