Audi and Mercedes are not brands most Aussies associate with homelessness.
But when Yahoo News ventured into seaside camps in Melbourne’s west, two of these luxury vehicles had someone sleeping rough inside.
Our guide was Ivan, a specialist nurse with Bolton Clarke, a company whose roots trace back to the old Royal District Nursing Service.
“The people in those cars were probably living quite comfortably at the time their lives pivoted to homelessness, and things fell apart financially and personally,” he said.
“Sometimes men are stuck with payments for those vehicles, and they can’t sell them, so all of their money from the pension or the dole goes to that.
“That’s his only asset, so he hangs onto it.”
Ivan (pictured) noticed the windows of an Audi were fogged up. Inside there were signs someone had been sleeping inside for some time.
(Yahoo News Australia)Chain of events that could leave ‘anyone’ without a home
Many find themselves on the street after a relationship breakdown, and some are also left with a mortgage for a home they can no longer live in.
Ivan explained that homelessness can happen to almost anyone.
“Just one bad turn in someone’s life can leave them with no choice but to live in a car park until they can work out their next move,” he said.
Most of Ivan’s clients are older men who are too proud to ask for help. But he has an eye for finding those in need.
Signs people sleeping rough in luxury cars
The condensation on the Audi’s windows was a sign that someone was sleeping inside, and the surface rust on the brake pads indicated it hadn’t been moved recently.
Ivan has learned to look for signs of people in need, like rusted brake pads and fogged windscreens.
(Yahoo News Australia)
He first spotted the Mercedes in May, and while it appears in good condition, it no longer has number plates, and there are sunshades on some of the windows for privacy.
At another site, there is a man who rents out vehicles that have fallen deeper into disrepair. One white van is surrounded by broken glass, and its windows have been replaced with gaffer tape.
Accommodation that’s more dangerous than the street
Some people on the street don’t want to be housed, but Ivan continues to visit and offer support.
“People have trust issues, a history of traumas, mental illness, drug abuse, and they can be afraid of the stigma of having let themselves go,” Ivan said.
One van no longer had windows, and they’d been replaced with gaffer tape.
(Yahoo News Australia)
His first goal is to help clients navigate Australia’s healthcare system, which can be complex for anyone, particularly the mentally unwell and the elderly.
Then he works to get them off the streets before they become sicker, more injured, or their insurance payments slip behind, and their car gets vandalised.
Cheap motels can cost $120 a night, but they can be dangerous. Badly run boarding houses can leave occupants worse off than when they got the keys.
“They’re charging $500 week for a room, with a shared bathroom and kitchen,” Ivan said.
“People you’re co-living with can be straight out of prison, with mental illness and addiction issues.
“So you get bullied, you get mugged, they break into your room overnight.
“It’s hard to find a good one, so some people prefer to sleep on the street.”
Centrelink can’t pay the bills
At a location that Yahoo has opted not to reveal, there was a 61-year-old man named Joey with a 4WD and a caravan worth close to $200,000.
Both he and his vehicle show signs of deterioration he can’t afford to fix. When we approached he was initially suspicious, but quickly became keen to talk.
He left his rental home four years ago after a heartbreak. She was a flight attendant, and he worked on the railways, meaning they didn’t see a lot of each other.
“My girlfriend called me and said, Joey, do you love me? Do you miss me?” he recalled.
“I said, Yes, what do you mean?
“She said, I left you three months ago.”
Doing his rounds, Ivan checks on the occupants of vehicles to see if they need medical help.
(Yahoo News Australia)
He’s lost touch with many of his mates, he’s been married, no kids, although he’s got a sister up north.
He finds free places to camp because caravan parks cost $70 to $90 a day, which is unaffordable on Centrelink benefits.
The highly-skilled tradie wants to work, but he’s acquired a number of injuries, including scarred feet burned during a gas bottle fire, and a severely swollen ankle.
Keeping safe as desperation grows
While Joey has been on the road, he’s seen an increasing number of people he considers to be really down on their luck.
Some spend all their money on beer, and feed themselves at food banks. Others he trusted have stolen the grog from his fridge and run.
He sleeps with a dog and a machete to keep safe from his neighbours, some of whom have long criminal records, mental health, and meth problems.
Still, he hasn’t lost compassion. There was an odd smell emanating from a nearby van, and he had Ivan check on its occupant to make sure he hadn’t died.
He gave food and water to another man who was sleeping in the bush without a tent.
Why moving the homeless doesn’t work
Ivan handed Joey a packet of toiletries and medical supplies and asked him to pass on his card to anyone who needs help.
But then his phone chimed, and there was a more pressing emergency to attend to.
An elderly man had been kicked out of the respite facility Ivan had placed him in.
He’d hoped it would eventually provide him with a spot in its aged care facility, but he’d been acting up, and now faced living on the streets in his 80s.
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As housing prices, temporary accommodation costs, and the cost of living soar, Ivan warns that unhoused people simply cannot be moved on by councils or police.
“I’m dealing with people who are probably in one of the worst situations in their lives,” Ivan said.
“They’re stuck in a cycle, and I’m trying to help them break it.
“Some people aren’t ready to bounce back from whatever trauma put them here.
“But it’s hard to create change and move on.”
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