Skye

Yesterday I went to a vigil for people who have died while homeless.

Queensland has recently seen a few extremely vulnerable, multiply marginalised people pass away within spitting distance of homelessness services.

Queensland's local governments are claiming that the enduring homelessness is an individual issue and that everyone who is willing to accept a home has one.

This is a lie.

After over 20 years of working in homelessness and social housing I am yet to meet someone who has freely chosen to be homeless.

I have met countless people who live with immense trauma, including trauma that is triggered by both substandard living conditions and by reasonably benign features of some forms of housing.

I have met countless people who have been consistently and repeatedly traumatised during their attempts to get help from services and/or community.

I currently grieve the obscenely early death of a lived experience collaborator who remained one of the most generous and hopeful people I have ever met despite decades of systemic let-downs, trauma, and structural violence.

After over 20 years of practice, two-thirds of a PhD about homelessness, and my own lived experiences, I am convinced that we end homelessness one person at a time. By listening, disentangling that person's particular contributors to their homelessness (*mostly as THEY understand them), changing the systems, and healing our collective trauma.

After over 20 years of practice, two-thirds of a PhD about homelessness, and my own lived experiences, I am currently cynical about whether this is something that the people who hold power are willing to do.

In part, this is my grief speaking. But I am not yet sure how to speak otherwise.

Image: The phenomenal living experience advocate Irene Schynol speaking at yesterday's vigil for people who have died while homeless.