Updated
April 25, 2020 08: 09: 45
Matthew has slept rough on-and-off for 22 years but this week he stuffed all his possessions into a bag and prepared to make the walk to his new temporary home — a luxury hotel in Central Sydney.
Key points
- The NSW Government is funding hotel rooms for some people facing homelessness, where they can properly follow social distancing rules
- 116,000 people were experiencing homelessness in Australia at the last census
- The Haymarket Foundation hopes the COVID-19 crisis provides an opportunity to systematically change our approach to homelessness
Thousands of people like Matthew who are experiencing homelessness across NSW are being moved into three, four and five-star hotels under a State Government scheme to enable them to socially distance properly.
But the hotel offer is currently only for 30 days.
Homeless services want the government to extend that period and hope this pandemic will set a precedent for it to provide more permanent housing for rough sleepers.
Matthew, who has been told by doctors he has a compromised immune system and is at high-risk during the pandemic, said he wanted to be able to isolate in the hotel but was also worried