Homeless Persons' Legal Service Documentary
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A documentary by Elaine McKewon, Eleanor Bell, Thi Huong Mai, Tim Lorkovic, Smriti Sharma, Elena Razzoli and Mirza Natadisastra.
Introductory text by Emma Kemp
Australia now has a once in a lifetime opportunity to address the persisting problems of homelessness in society, said federal Housing Minister Tanya Plibersek.
At a recent New Approaches to Homelessness forum at the State Library of New South Wales, Plibersek called the current situation for homeless people a "national disgrace", but said the government will utilise the ideas of the Australian community in order to find the right solutions.
"We don't think for a moment that all the wisdom lies in the hands of the government, there is much wisdom in the Australian community about the resolutions for homelessness," she said.
A central focus of the forum was the Homeless Persons' Legal Service (HPLS), a joint initiative of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre and the Public Interest Law Clearing House that provides free legal advice to homeless people.
Since its launch in 2004, the HPLS has grown to incorporate nine clinics throughout Sydney, and partners with high-end law firms including Allens Arthur Robinson, Baker & McKenzie, and Minter Ellison.
These big names have been quietly providing their services on a pro bono basis to NSW's most needy, using their skills in a social justice framework by visiting the homeless at their shelters. The service encompasses a range of issues including victim's compensation, housing evictions, fines and social security.
According to 2001 census figures, nearly one-third of Australia's homeless and one-quarter of homeless youth live in NSW. Plibersek said the HPLS was an invaluable means to overcoming the often incessant cycles of homelessness, and served as a powerful reminder to society that "we're all in this together".
"I think it's pretty clear that one of the main contributing factors to homelessness for many people are incurring debts, losing social security payments or getting into trouble in some way financially.
"Bringing the corporate philanthropies into this area is an important way of getting services to help homeless people...doing all of that out of public purse is difficult," she said.
A documentary produced by UTS journalism students was shown at the forum and outlines the work undertaken by the HPLS along with the responses of homeless people to the initiative. Elaine McKewan, one of the producers of the documentary said because of the complex range of issues confronting homeless people and the often intimidating nature of up-market corporate environments, legal problems often go unaddressed unless services are provided where homeless people frequent.
"One thing that struck me is that homeless people have a strong sense of 'not belonging'. Many go to homeless shelters not just for crisis accommodation but for the sense of community," she said.
"So it's critical that lawyers come into the shelters where homeless people feel welcome and are already getting help with other issues."
She said mental illness was often the starting point to people becoming homeless, and could lead to a range of legal problems that prevent them from returning to long-term housing.
Co-ordinator of the Homeless Persons' Legal Service (HPLS), Elisabeth Baraka, says that while the HPLS provides people with individual legal council, it also encapsulates a 'big picture' approach that aims to change or reform systemic problems in policies that affect a large number of people in the same area. Baraka said lawyers have embraced the unique chance to use their skills in a social justice context.
"It provides and opportunity for two groups of people to interact in a way they wouldn't usually have an opportunity to.
"So it enriches the lives of the lawyers because they get to hear the stories of the people that they're actually helping and they also get to help people in a very real way with some sort of tangible, concrete result," she said.