Can you somehow make the bench unusable? I get that might be considered cruel but you shouldnāt be scared in your own home or to be able to step out of it.
Comment on Daily discussion. ššŖšš« Thursday, August 1, 2024
melbaboutown@aussie.zone āØ8ā© āØmonthsā© ago
Iām feeling like shit in so many levels.
Homelessness, mental illness, Australia being unequal for vulnerable people
Thereās an aggressive mentally ill homeless man thatās been coming around my place for ages and now heās sleeping on a bench right outside my window. So I get to be too scared to put my bin out and he gets to freeze because itās not safe for me to approach or help him. Hate the guyās guts (heās aggressively had a go at me before and is virulently homophobic) but I donāt want to watch him freeze or have to deal with him. Iāve been calling the cops for months, psych triage, the local homeless services, nothing has been working. The best I have is from today - Launch agreeing to pass a āsleep siteā on to their outreach team to check. But they donāt come out at night and I donāt know where this scary stranger goes in the day. He also drinks which might exclude him from dorm style shelters (which donāt apparently exist in Australia the way you think of them?) and may also not have the awareness to accept help. Itās just one of those deteriorating revolving door situations that never ever gets solved. Australiaās systems are broken. Very surprising for a so called rich country.
CEOofmyhouse56@aussie.zone āØ8ā© āØmonthsā© ago
melbaboutown@aussie.zone āØ8ā© āØmonthsā© ago
It goes against my beliefs - Iām really not a fan of anti-homeless architecture. Unfortunately I donāt want to give him a yoga mat for padding either because that encourages him to use that spotā¦
Thereās a disused flat nearby with a porch he could move to but I donāt think he knows itās vacant. Also itās still very close to me :/
SituationCake@aussie.zone āØ8ā© āØmonthsā© ago
Itās not your responsibility to make it a hospitable place for him. Youāve already done the right things to get help for him, and now you need to look after your own safety. Make it unwelcoming for him to sleep there, he may move on if youāre lucky.
melbaboutown@aussie.zone āØ8ā© āØmonthsā© ago
Yeah, I absolutely donāt want him here. Heās a threat.
It was just awful to watch someone sleeping in that cold. Really stressful even second hand
Seagoon_@aussie.zone āØ8ā© āØmonthsā© ago
put poop on it
CEOofmyhouse56@aussie.zone āØ8ā© āØmonthsā© ago
If heās a drunk he may not notice
Bottom_racer@aussie.zone āØ8ā© āØmonthsā© ago
Iām a drunk and notice poo (usually).
Seagoon_@aussie.zone āØ8ā© āØmonthsā© ago
some people are so paranoid they would rather die than be sociable or accept help
so many hugs, it sucks but we canāt fix the world
ajsadauskas@aus.social āØ8ā© āØmonthsā© ago
@melbaboutown @LowExperience2368 Huge hugs.
There were signs up around the apartment block where we live recently warning about a homeless guy who had been trespassing, and to call strata and the police if you see him.
Just from the photo, he looked creepy AF!
Apparently he spent a couple of nights in the basement carpark, and cut power to the building's alarm system one night. (The strata managers only found out after they reviewed the CCTV footage.)
And anyone angrily shouting homophobic slurs is always scary and confronting.
So I can definitely relate to how you must be feeling!
You're doing the right thing by trying to help. But I agree it really is shameful how much our pollies have cut the social safety net these past 40-odd years (and both major parties are to blame!). It means people who need help often don't get it.
Take care, stay safe š