‘Largely invisible’: how real estate throws light on homelessness – realestate.com.au

Every day the Obrien Real Estate buyers team helps their perfect houses, places that become shrines of safety and shelter.

But for a heartbreaking number of Australians, a safe place to call home was not a reality.

According to figures from the census from 2021, on a certain night, more than 122,000 people experienced homelessness with the vast majority of normal visibility, banking or living in cars.

To tackle this homelessness crisis, the Obrien Real Estate team will put their weight behind the new A home for all foundation.

It is a crisis that the real estate industry was well placed to solve and Obrien is one of the numerous real estate and property groups that set the right example.

“On Obrien Real Estate we believe that having a safe house is the basis for everything else in life: stability, well -being and opportunities,” said Marketing and Events Manager Gemma Milma of Obrien Real Estate.

“Knowing that more than 122,000 Australians go without this basic need drives us to take action.

“We want to use our voice to increase the consciousness and our network to raise money and collaborate with the wider real estate industry to be part of the solution.

“We don’t just want to talk about the problem; we want to help to lead meaningful change and inspire others in our industry to do the same.”

Homelessness in Australia has been much less visible than most of us accepted.

“The biggest misunderstanding is that homelessness is only what we can see,” said Mrs. Mintern.

On a certain night, more than 122,000 Australians have no safe place to call home. Image: delivered

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“Most people I think it is going to continue to sleep on a park bench or in a doorway, but that only represents a small fraction of the problem.”

The sobering statistics confirm this hidden reality: 94% of people who experience homelessness lived in uncertain situations, such as banking, living in cars or moving between temporary accommodation without security.

“The single mother who works tirelessly, just to keep a roof over the heads of her children, surfs the younger bank from friend to friend or families who live in unsafe, temporary accommodation,” said Mrs. Mintern.

“These stories are largely invisible, which means that the scale and urgency of the problem are often underestimated.”

This is why the collective action of the real estate sector was so crucial and Mrs Mintern believed that the sector had the responsibility to take the lead.

“We believe that the real estate industry plays a unique role in solving homelessness,” she said.

“Together we have the insights, networks and resources to stimulate real change. Tackling homelessness is not just a social problem; it is a housing problem and our industry should be part of the solution.”

Only 6% of people who experience homelessness sleep roughly. Image: delivered

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Obrien’s dedication will be shown by the first major campaign of the foundation, A night without home.

The initiative that takes place in October has invited participants to experience the challenges in a small way with which those without a safe place to sleep are confronted by bringing a night away from their usual comfort.

“As a launch partner, we will participate by keeping the office guided sleep-outs to increase both money and consciousness,” said Mrs. Mintern.

“Our team will experience in a small way what it means to go without the comfort of a bed for one night.

The majority of people who experience homelessness is surfing on the couch, sleeping in cars or going from one temporary accommodation to another. Image: delivered

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“The goal is to not only raise money, but also to promote a deeper sense of empathy and understanding. If this foundation only inspires a few people to take action in any form, I think we will achieve something really meaningful.”

Obrien has a strong legacy of returning, mainly through their foundation, which has supported more than 20 different groups and jointly donated more than $ 250,000 directly and indirectly.

This focus of the community was emphasized earlier this year when the foundation led its first charity ball, so that an impressive $ 25,000 for the Monash Children’s Hospital was collected.

“At home is the core of everything we do,” she said.

“This partnership enables us to expand that goal outside our customers and the wider community, so that more Australians have the opportunity to experience the safety of not just a house but a house.”