Many are one step away from homelessness

Friday, 1 July 2016

A period of illness, the loss of a job, a sick child - any of these can turn a life upside-down.

Many are just a step away from being homeless.

Daniel Bindner, 40, who was found dead in a cardboard recycling bale on Tuesday, had his life unravel in just weeks.

The father of three quickly found himself sleeping rough after losing his job and breaking up with his partner.

His story isn't unusual.

'We traditionally used to think people in financial struggle were either very low paid or beneficiaries, and that's no longer the case,'  Hamilton Budgeting Advisory Trust manager Fiona Jarden said.

'We are seeing people who appear to be middle-income earners, who seem to be fine, but they're very vulnerable to changes such as a job loss. They only need to miss a pay or two, they're behind and things can start spiralling out of control.'

The People's Project leader Julie Nelson sees it all the time. And not all of the homeless are on the street. They may be staying with family, or on a friend's couch. 

'You're made redundant tomorrow, your commitments are really high - anyone could end up in a position where they've lost their house, lost their tenancy and, sometimes, everything.

'You see they've walked past [the project's offices] several times before they've come in. When they do come in, there's that feeling of, hey, I've actually got nothing and I've got nowhere to live. I'm not even on the benefit and I don't know how to manage that.'

And it's not just a local phenomenon.

'Worldwide, it is said many people are just one paycheque away from being homeless. Homeless people have been chefs, painters, and health care workers. Many have lost their jobs, disconnected from their support systems and whanau, and are in debt. Many have suffered horrific life trauma or got lost navigating the social systems. Most have lost hope in being able to fix the problems that lead them to the street,' the project says on its website.

'What we're seeing, more and more, is it doesn't take much for people to get into a lot of financial strife,' Jarden said.

'It could be a loss of job, an illness that isn't covered by ACC or a sick child, where one parent has to give up their job. And, all of a sudden, they can't service their mortgages and pay their bills.'

And the shock can prove fatal. 

'When they get hit by it, it's such a massive hit, they just can't see their way out of it. If you're a hard worker and you've lost your job, it's not the way you think in your head that life should be. So it absolutely destroys your belief system and it's really traumatic.'

Jarden tells stories of people who are close to suicide because of it, people who were once living a comfortable life with a stable job, of families who find themselves at breaking point.

'And as soon as you have that stress in the family situation, you just haven't got the tolerance for each other, either. Especially if something they feel is out of their control, they're much more likely to be niggly or reactive. They seem to be more short with each other.

'It's huge on families and it affects the children as well.'

Jarden's recommendations to avoid financial disaster is to avoid debt and plan for shocks.

'If people have enough put away enough to survive for three months, that is a huge thing for people. It just gives them a bit of time, rather than find that, all of a sudden, they're in a terrible situation.

'And anyone can get caught at any time. It's not just people mismanaging their finances, but people who are vulnerable to a change in life.'

To chat to someone about how you might be able to save up enough for a safety net or to take control of your finances, contact the Hamilton Budgeting Advisory Trust on 07 838 1339.  

If you have found yourself without a stable home, contact the People's Project on 07 857 1590.