Australias Homeless "The Last Chance Motel"

[BoatBoy]

Did anyone see this last night on 4 corners?

Last Chance Motel Links to view it are to the right

The Last Chance Motel

Reporter: Sarah Ferguson
Broadcast: 21/09/2009

What do you do when you've lost your job, lost your home and you have three kids to feed? You end up in a motel cooking, eating and sleeping in one room at the taxpayer's expense. These are Australia's new homeless.
In a gritty and at times confronting documentary, reporter Sarah Ferguson goes inside the lives of these people. They once had jobs and homes, now hit by the triple whammy of the global financial crisis, a rental market that's almost non-existent and government neglect of public housing, their situation is bleak.
"I've always had this picture in my head of a homeless person... they've got torn dirty clothes, they're not shaven, they're sort of sitting out on the corner looking for a handout… I'm not in that category but I don't have a home for my family and it's really embarrassing." David

Some would have us believe that there is no shortage of houses or rentals in Australia, but there obviously is.

 

[dunno]

Well a shortgage of housing for homeless people on bugger all income...

 

[Rockstar]

Some would have us believe that there is no shortage of houses or rentals in Australia, but there obviously is.

We are currently letting our flat to a friend (student) at half market rate but otherwise would obviously not rent to a stranger who can't afford to pay. Would you? problem is that the market is set by what most renters can afford to pay. Like I just alluded to in another thread - who is responsible for the fringe problem? And who is responsible to fix it? And can it be fixed properly?

 

[Propertunity]

No-one likes to see people hurting, but they do - for all sorts of reasons some of their own making and some not.

As an investor I'd like to know where these motels are located

Looks like it could be a good deal for yield and room rate payments guaranteed by the government.

 

[BoatBoy]

Looks like it could be a good deal for yield and room rate payments guaranteed by the government.

What I couldn't figure out was that the hotels had $88/night signs up which is $616/week for a room.
Even if they were $50/night that's still $350/week, surely there are houses available for $350 ?

 

[RumpledElf]

There's houses available for $100pw too, just not anywhere near Sydney

 

[VYBerlinaV8]

I guess if you are in a motel you have:

no electricity bills
no water bills
no gas bills
no rates
no maintenance
no bond

and can move on at a moment's notice.

It is a sad fact that many poorer people purchase items and services at expensive rates, because they can't afford the bulk needed to get the price down to a reasonable level.

The govt has a range of choices when it comes to these people:
* public housing
* subsidise private rental
* give them $$ and turn them loose to fend for themselves
* ignore the problem

Living rough because you made some dumb decisions is one thing, but when kids are involved, it's heartbreaking.

 

[Aaron Sice]

it's heartbreaking - absolutely - but how did they get into this mess and what are they doing to get out of it?

i'm constantly amazed at folk that are so used to banging their head against a wall - which gets them nowhere, but know nothing else and don't think to TRY anything else and/or consider it too risky to do anything else, so, it's all they can do.

not saying that applies here, these folk may have skills no longer required by the market, but still - it leaves one to ponder...

 

[gg1965]

What I couldn't figure out was that the hotels had $88/night signs up which is $616/week for a room.
Even if they were $50/night that's still $350/week, surely there are houses available for $350 ?

I wonder how many of these people are paying their hotel bills with a credit card (and therefore sinking further).

Are you able to pay bond and rent with a CC?

I once looked at a mobile home park (trailer park). This place had mobile homes which sell or rent for much cheaper compared to normal houses and are usually called long stay holiday resorts.

FWIW - there are two located just outside of Canberra on the Federal Hgway and their pricing attracts the lower demographic of society but they are always an alternative. Apparantly a lot of older people retire to these places as they are cheaper.

I wonder if the people at rockbottom think of these places as an alternative - or are these places beneath them?

Curious.



G

 

[farmilor]

these people do not pay for their motel accomodation, Housing Commission do this as their 'temporary accommodation" for one week.

Realll was quite sad watching most of them moving motel/caravan park etc. every 7 days, especially when the young kids where dragged all over Sydney.

Obviously no tenant rights though with that one guy and his fmaily getting kicked out in one day after complaining to the tenancy tribunal about the sheep in the backyard .......

 

[john]

An eyeopening piece of TV. But I am sure that many people on this forum would have experienced financial and other difficulties throughout their lives too. I know I have. Whenever I see stories such as these, I always wonder why they do not try to change the circumstances that have caused their problems in the first place. Jobs and that dirty word 'work' did not get much of a mention on the show. Only the 'unfairness' of their situations and all I want is a nice house and to give my children what I did not have when I was a child. Don't we all, but what is stopping them going the extra mile to find the work and if necessary to relocate in order to do so. Western Sydney would be the last place to be looking for work in tough times I would think. Still I guess the answer to that was there to see too. Smoking cigarettes at $15 a pack (and just maybe alcohol / drugs - we don't know) wouldn't help the budget pay for that bus out of town to somewhere that offered a future. Sorry if this sounds callous but it seems to me that a lot of people just do not seem to want to take responsibility for their actions anymore. They just want someone to fix it and someone else to pay for it.

 

[Leikela]

An eyeopening piece of TV. But I am sure that many people on this forum would have experienced financial and other difficulties throughout their lives too. I know I have. Whenever I see stories such as these, I always wonder why they do not try to change the circumstances that have caused their problems in the first place. Jobs and that dirty word 'work' did not get much of a mention on the show. Only the 'unfairness' of their situations and all I want is a nice house and to give my children what I did not have when I was a child. Don't we all, but what is stopping them going the extra mile to find the work and if necessary to relocate in order to do so. Western Sydney would be the last place to be looking for work in tough times I would think. Still I guess the answer to that was there to see too. Smoking cigarettes at $15 a pack (and just maybe alcohol / drugs - we don't know) wouldn't help the budget pay for that bus out of town to somewhere that offered a future. Sorry if this sounds callous but it seems to me that a lot of people just do not seem to want to take responsibility for their actions anymore. They just want someone to fix it and someone else to pay for it.

I totally agree. I missed the start of the show, so don't know how each of the families ended up where they were, but I do wonder what they would be willing to do in order to improve their lives so they can stand on their own two feet again. I don't have an overall opinion that EVERYONE on long term welfare are like this, there are some genuine people who just can't get a job for one reason or another such as maybe not very smart and don't have any support. However, I do wonder how many won't work in certain jobs because they are "too good" for the job, won't relocate to get a job, or give up cigarettes and alcohol before putting a roof over their head etc. And then some, I think just won't live in a "*****hole" because they feel they are entitled to a brand new brick government house where each child can have their own bedroom etc. Whatever is wrong with the old weatherboard house and kids sharing a bedroom? That house that family got put into at the end is a LOT nicer than what a lot of people are living in that they are paying for themselves!

 

[Aaron Sice]

i'd do whatever i had to to make sure my kids got the best.

even if it meant a smack to the pride - and i'm a leo.

seriously - happiness is what it's about.

 

[Timeshift]

Some would have us believe that there is no shortage of houses or rentals in Australia, but there obviously is.

In Sydney maybe, but I had a property inspection today and got talking to lady from Real Estate office, I happen to mention how the media talk about shortage of rentals but I had noticed a lot of listings in the paper here in Townsville compared to 2 years ago when I first went looking for a rental well appears there's no shortage here in Townsville more like a oversupply she said some office's had as much as 25% of there rentals vacant.

As Dunno said a shortage of affordable housing for homeless people on bugger all income I believe that.