Homeless Persons Union Support Lived Experience Voices!

Support the Homeless Persons Union Victoria to amplify peer voices at their upcoming Speak Out at the Melbourne Town Hall.

The HPUV is recording voices and experiences of intimidation felt by Melbourne’s rough sleeping community from the City of Melbourne’s private security firm for their upcoming Homelessness Speak Out.

The union needs your help so it can compensate rough sleepers for their time and for sharing their experiences.

City of Melbourne councilors have not attempted to engage with the city’s homeless community on the impacts of their security guard program. This is our chance to make sure they do.

With this fundraiser, the union will purchase 20 x $50 VISA cards to share with those recording their lived experience. Any remainder funds will be used to support the Homeless Person's Union work.

The recordings will be played to councillors inside the Town Hall during the second half of the Speak Out event. All are welcome.

Homelessness is a big issue across Australia today and we need to make sure our governments and councils employ a human-rights approach to the problem, not a path of criminalisation for vulnerable communities.

Please support this fundraiser.

Background:

Homelessness has become a big issue in our city and in our country. We know that many people are suffering on the streets or in other places because our governments aren't doing the right thing to make sure people have a safe place to call home.

We also know that family violence, including violence towards children, is a really big problem, and many people have to leave their home and become homeless. There aren't many places for people to go.

We know that our Indigenous community has experienced homelessness in large numbers for a very long time. This is a stain upon our country.  

The City of Melbourne plans to spend $2 Million over the next year employing security guards to target begging and drinking in public. People that are unhoused in the CBD are being targeted and forced to constantly move on. But move on to where?

The City of Melbourne’s security guard program is an anti-homeless, criminalisation agenda that disproportionately impacts our homeless community. The City of Melbourne should be using this $2 million to invest in housing, services and employment instead. 

The Homeless Persons Union Victoria calls on all Melbournians who are concerned with this agenda to join them at their Homelessness Speak Out on Tuesday October 21, 4:30pm, at Melbourne Town Hall.

For event details:

Facebook @hpuvic

Instagram @homelesspersonsunionvic

The HPUV is also collecting signatures for their petition to STOP the security guard program, please sign here: https://chng.it/84vzrD2tL7

Watch a video of support from 3CR program Bunjil's Fire here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYMdZVsfgN0

Thank you for your support.