Homeless people living in the Redlands share their stories

Among them was Lewis, who has had both of his legs amputated. 

Lewis uses a wheelchair that has no arm rests, is unstable and has unreliable brakes.

Having been denied accommodation at a homeless shelter because of his disability, he stays with friends when he can, but last week he was spending Monday night on the street.

Speaking to Redland City Bulletin near the Cleveland train station about 7pm that evening, Lewis said he was unable to stay in his two-storey rental after having one leg amputated in August.

“I’ve slept at a few friends’ places, but I can’t do that anymore at the moment,” he said.

“Sometimes I go and pay for a cheap movie and sleep in there for a couple of hours, or wherever I can find to sneak into and lay my head down for a while.”

Night Ninjas, a Redlands-based organisation that helps people who are homeless, supplemented the t-shirt and jumper he was wearing with a blanket, a second jumper and a thick, waterproof jacket.

They are also trying to help him with paperwork to get a new wheelchair.

“I have been out of hospital about three weeks now and I have flipped the wheelchair about 10 times,” said Lewis.

“I ended up in hospital about another three times just flipping the chair.”

He said it hurt to flip the chair, but at least he got to sleep in a bed.

“I am starting to think jail might be a good place to go and stay,” Lewis said.

“At least it’s a bed and out of the cold.”

ANOTHER homeless person who came to get warm soup and provisions from Night Ninjas last Monday was Nicole.

She and her partner Don have labelled fundraising sleepouts in which Redland City Council Mayor Karen Williams and business leaders took part as insulting.

Nicole said they did not even have a place to legally pitch their tent while community leaders had warm gear and fires.

“We’re sleeping between a shed and a fence with some corrugated plastic sheeting and some cardboard over the top of us,” she said.

“We are coexisting with rats.”

Sipping on warm soup provided by volunteers from Night Ninjas in Cleveland last week Monday night, Nicole said when she called Redland City Council for help, she was put through to a homelessness helpline.

She said she had searched for services for homeless people in Redlands, but found out only about a sleepout initiative in which Cr Williams had taken part. 

“It’s insulting,” Nicole said.

Cr Williams said she took part in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout to raise funds and awareness of homelessness.

She offered to meet Nicole and do what she could personally to assist her.

Since 2006 sleepouts have raised more than $24 million.

Having caught glimpses of the fundraising sleepout on a relative’s television before going to sleep outside, Nicole scoffed at the cardboard tents, fires and swags.

“I want to be their kind of homeless for the night,” she said. 

“It was insulting in every way and really hard because that was one of the coldest nights we’ve had.

“I was actually shivering that night and they’re all sitting around in their swags in front of their fires on every news-break going ‘how wonderful we are’.”

DISCOVERING the Night Ninjas services to homeless people for the first-time, Aaron said he struggled with a mental illness.

“It’s been a downward spiral,” he said. 

“Just slowly, slowly slipping deeper and deeper into that dark hole.”

Aaron said he had been homeless for about six weeks and was sleeping wherever he thought he would not get into trouble.

He said the system failed people.

“If I came over on a boat and landed here they’d put me on Christmas Island in a detention centre and I would have a roof over my head,’’ he said.

“But because I’m an Australian citizen and I’ve got drug problems and a mental illness that isn’t diagnosed, I am left to steal from shops and sleep wherever I can.”

Discovering the Night Ninjas service for the first time, Aaron said he struggled with a mental illness.

“It’s been a downward spiral since then,” he said.

“Just slowly, slowly slipping deeper and deeper into that dark hole.”

Aaron said he had been homeless for about six weeks, initially staying with friends, but by last week was sleeping wherever he could.

“Wherever I don’t get into trouble with the law, where I don’t get picked on by others, where it’s warm – not too many places like that,” Aaron said.

He said the system failed people.

“If I came over on a boat and landed here they’d put me on Christmas Island in a detention centre and I would have a roof over my head.

“But because I’m an Australian citizen and I’ve got drug problems and a mental illness that isn’t diagnosed, I am left to sleep wherever I can sleep out of the cold, out of the wind, out of the rain.

“It’s very sad.”

Night Ninjas founder Alix Russo said on Monday last week she was aware of 12 people, couples or families who were homeless in Capalaba, about 15 in Cleveland, three in Alexandra Hills, one in Victoria Point and one in Redland Bay.

The previous week volunteers served food to 26 people from their table which they set up every Monday evening near Cleveland train station.

“Some people are roughing it in their tents. Some people are utilising infrastructure like in the industrial estates where they can go between buildings,” said Ms Russo.

“I know a guy who sleeps at the cemetery. His parents have died, there’s a mental illness involved and he likes to be near them.”

Ms Russo said other people slept in big rubbish bins, bushland or cars.