“I first became homeless at 13”
Justice & Advocacy
“I grew up and went to school in regional towns. I’m good with horses and cattle. I’m not arty or musical, but I can do a lot on the land. Nearly anything. But I’ve been living on the streets on and off for a long time,” says Harry
I grew up and went to school in regional towns. I’m good with horses and cattle. I’m not arty or musical, but I can do a lot on the land. Nearly anything.
But I’ve been living on the streets on and off for a long time. I first became homeless at 13. A year later I was hooked on heroin. I got off heroin after 20 years. That was a long while ago now. It’s not normal for a 13 year old to be on the streets. Or for a 14 year old to be hooked on heroin. A lot of bad things happened.
Heroin is addictive. So is ice. It costs about $50 for a point of heroin. Same for ice. A “point” is a dose. You end up spending all your money on expensive drugs, so you don’t have enough money for food. You can’t afford to care for yourself. I know. I’ve been there. You also end up stealing so you can afford to buy them. Ice has changed since COVID — people are finding cheaper and cheaper ways to make it. Drugs aren’t good for you.
Living on the streets is stressful. There is no privacy. Sometimes things build up inside me and I start swearing loudly to myself in the city. Later on I think, “You made an idiot of yourself, you goose.”
I was in a park recently and starting to get cranky at someone when I heard my mum’s voice behind me. I turned around and there she was. That was embarrassing — your mum catching you getting cranky at someone. I quickly pulled my head in. It was very embarrassing.
I don’t see my mum often because she lives in another town. She was here for a medical appointment.
My mum made a lot of mistakes. Young kids often end up on the streets when their parents make bad choices. I’ve pushed away the anger I used to feel towards her. I’ve let it go. I get that there were reasons she made such mistakes. She taught me some really good things, like always to clean up after myself.
I try not to see problems. I try and see people. I think to myself that there are factors behind people’s problems.
I’m good at reading people. My brain does it automatically. I know straight away when people come and speak to me whether they are good people or have ill intent. It’s nice when people stop to say hello, or buy me a meal, or give me a little change.
I missed out on learning a lot of important life skills. I find it hard to save money. When I live in a house, I always pay my rent though. Always.
I’ve been on the streets again for the last 12 months. I’d like a break. I’m on the list for crisis accommodation, but the problem is that the turnover in crisis accommodation is very slow. People are spending a long time in crisis accommodation because there aren’t enough rentals for people to then move into. The housing crisis is terrible. We need more crisis accommodation. We need more rental accommodation.
I sometimes get a sandwich from the [Anglican] church up the road — it’s good.
Editor’s note: Homelessness Week 2023 will be held between Monday 7 August and Sunday 13 August. To join in or host an event or to download resources, please visit the Homelessness Australia website.
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