Housing is a Human Right

Next week, on the 18th June, I will be taking part on the Vinnies CEO Sleepout 2015 for the fourth year. To be frank, it is not a big ask.  I get a sound night’s sleep in a warm sleeping bag amongst good friends with no concerns about my safety or where I will get my next meal. One evening under these conditions hardly equates to the experience of the 100,000+ Australians facing homelessness on any given night - a situation from which it is very difficult to escape. Have you had the frustration of a misplaced wallet with all your credit cards and driver's licence?  For a brief period you will have had the real sense of what it is like to lose your identity as well as access to ready cash and the possibility of nothing to eat. So, imagine if this was your daily routine because this is a homeless persons constant struggle. I worry if this situation will ever be resolved as 60% of the homeless population is under the age of 35.  This dispels the misconception that the typical profile of a homeless person is an inebriated older man.  However, it is a fact that 17% of the homeless are aged over 55 and more than a third of this group are women, vulnerable to the violence that is 'part and parcel' of this lifestyle. As an architect I have a vision that, each night, not a single person in this great country should go without a roof over their head and a warm bed - unless by choice.  Housing is indeed a human right. Please support this worthy cause by going to this link.