On any given night, 116,000 Australians are without a home. Homelessness Week (1–7 August 2022) is a strong reminder of the importance of affordable housing.
City West Housing resident Brett never thought he would be homeless, but a horrific motorcycle accident in 1997 would forever change his life. He suffered a severe traumatic brain injury and lost all memory of the crash. Brett spent months in recovery and needed to relearn to walk, talk and eat.
Although Brett successfully relearned those basic skills most of us take for granted, his brain injury has had lasting and serious effects. “I went from being a skilled technician running a pathology laboratory to being unable to resume work and maintain an income.”
Brett’s life had turned upside down. Now he can be very forgetful, finds it hard to control his mood, and can become overwhelmed when required to use his planning or organisation skills.
These difficulties led to Brett experiencing homelessness for almost a year.
Brett struggled to find or keep a roof over his head. He spent this time living in backpacker accommodation, a boarding house, couch surfing and sleeping rough. To keep his spirits up and to earn money, Brett would busk – playing guitar and singing his own songs. “At least music made me happy.”
One day Brett heard about an event in Sydney with the aim of connecting people experiencing homelessness with services and support. There he connected with a social worker who gave him advice and assisted with applying for housing.
After spending a couple of months in an expensive, water-damaged private rental riddled with mould, Brett’s social worker helped him to apply for an affordable rental through City West Housing.
In 2015 Brett moved into one of our apartments in Zetland, which brought greater stability to his life. “I know I’m incredibly lucky to be in affordable housing and more should be built to make this dream possible for many others at risk of being homeless.”
Are you eligible for a home with City West Housing? See the answers to frequently asked questions about eligibility.
