Sleeping in her car on a cold, wet Sydney night gave Jackie Jones and her team a very different perspective on the reality of homelessness.
On October 28, six members of property group Laing & Simmons’ corporate team, including CEO Leanne Pilkington, were sleeping in their vehicles in a car park in Toongabbie.
It was a freezing, rainy night and each team member gained insight into what it must feel like not to have the safety of a home.
“I think it’s almost impossible to imagine what it’s like for people until you’ve tested it,” said Ms Jones, head of operations and strategic partnerships at Laing & Simmons.
“For people who experience this in real life, in those hours in the dark with no TV, no kitchen, no light, no toilet, and not knowing who is looking through your car window, it would be a very lonely and scary time.
“It has really been an eye-opener for us.”
The statistics on homelessness in Australia are confronting: according to 2021 Census figures, approximately 122,000 Australians experience homelessness on any given evening.
But only 6% of those experiencing homelessness were sleeping rough, while the vast majority of homeless people were more hidden.
Most people were couch surfing, sleeping in a car or changing temporary accommodation.
Together we can end homelessness in Australia
Join the A House for All Foundation today
Homelessness is not uncommon; one in ten Australians are now at risk.
To tackle this problem, a new national initiative, A House for Everyone Foundationaims to unite the real estate industry to help end homelessness.
Supported by leading industry voices across Australia, the foundation aims to raise awareness, raise funds and build long-term change for people experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity.
The majority of people experiencing homelessness couch surf, sleep in cars or move from one temporary accommodation to another. Image: supplied
The foundation’s first major initiative, A night without a homeruns throughout October and early November.
Australians have been encouraged to join the real estate industry and spend A Night Without Home, whether that means couch surfing, a night at the office, sleeping in the car, sleeping outside, going without home comforts to raise money and awareness.
All money raised this financial year will go to charities working to support people experiencing homelessness as a result of family and domestic violence.
Ms Jones said those who work in the property industry have a unique insight into people’s lives and the importance of having a roof over their heads.
That was one of the reasons why Laing & Simmons felt compelled to participate in A Night Without Home.
“Sometimes you see people who have to sell their house because the bank has foreclosed on them,” she says.
“With the housing crisis at the moment, you see tenants going through one inspection after another, pulling their hair out and saying: ‘we can’t find a home to live in’.
More than 122,000 Australians don’t have a safe place to call home on any given night. Image: supplied
“In our industry we deal with homelessness every day and I think it’s really important that that becomes the top priority – looking at people and saying ‘what can we do to make a difference and how can we make sure this doesn’t become such a problem’?”
Laing & Simmons has 58 offices, primarily around the Sydney metro and regional NSW, and each office supports local community initiatives, whether through sporting clubs, charity groups, schools or youth groups.
The team at Laing & Simmons has raised over $11,000 for A Night Without Home, and they want to make it bigger and better next year.
Only 6% of people who are homeless have difficulty sleeping. Image: supplied
“It was a long night, no doubt, but it was also a pretty special night and despite the fun we had, we all talked a lot about what it must be like to actually be put in this situation,” Ms Jones said.
“I’m so glad we did it.”
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