Changing the narrative: Council says homelessness can't be 'solved'

In a June 13 meeting, councillors voted to endorse the Homelessness Statement of Commitment, which outlines in broad terms how the council plans to deal with the ongoing issue of homelessness.

Councillor Danny Gibson said it was people with the lived experience of homelessness should be the council's focus, and that the statement will provide the tools for action.

"They are the headliners, the people who are at risk of becoming homeless or are already homeless, sleeping rough, not knowing where they're going to take their children tonight or tomorrow night," Cr Gibson said.

"They are the story of why we are doing this."

Cr Gibson went on to say part of the statement was changing the narrative of what it means to be homeless.

"[We've heard] those stories that perhaps go against the misconception that people who are homeless don't work - we saw a story recently of a nurse in George Town who found herself homeless," he said.

Cr Gibson said while he was proud of the journey council had taken thus far - consulting and gathering first-hand accounts and voices - there was much work still to be done.

Chief executive officer of City Mission Stephen Brown said the council had shown a "degree of action", and commended the councillors for consulting with the community to help those experiencing homelessness.

"Seeing people in our community sleeping outside, who have not had access to the very basics is a symptom of the problem which is a lack of a house - lack of a home - which many of us enjoy and appreciate," Mr Brown said.

"We cannot get the society and the community we want without talking about the range of challenges that currently exist."

Mr Brown said City Mission would continue to work alongside all levels of government and other organisations to support people experiencing these challenges.

Councillor Tim Walker, who moved the motion, said that the number one issue was putting roofs over people heads.

In the same meeting that the council voted to support inclusion of Launceston's LGBTIQA+ community, Cr Walker said this also applied to the homeless community.

"When we look at what we've been talking about today, this is about economic and social inclusion and equality," Cr Walker said.

"You don't actually solve homelessness, you address it; it's an ongoing problem and most likely to get worse before it gets better."

Cr Walker went on to say that that he would push for this with or without the support of state or Federal Government, despite them having the financial resources to properly address the issue.

"The state government, for example, announcing building a multi-storey car parking facility at LGH: I can't imagine that costs any more or any less than building a multi-storey apartment building," he said.

"It's time for Launceston to put its best foot forward to keep this issue firmly on the map ... to find a significant solution."

Councillors unanimously voted to ratify the statement, with Cr Walker urging council to make a more "material contribution" to the issue.

In agenda papers for the June 13 council meeting, council officers said the budget for the 2024-25 financial year includes $190,000 for homelessness-related activities.

A draft of the statement was released for a four-week public consultation in March.

A 2023 State of the City of Launceston report said there was approximately 150 known community members sleeping rough, but stated "we don't know localised data on 'real' numbers of people experiencing homelessness".

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics has shown steep increases of homeless people, people sleeping rough or staying temporarily in other households or severely crowded dwellings.

The number of people sleeping rough in Launceston has grown from 30-40 in 2020 to an estimated 150 in September 2023, according to the report.

City Mission: 6335 3000

Housing is a Human Right: 1300 369 711

Homes Tasmania: 1300 665 663