A high school student has collaborated with a leading agency to create an app which aims to locate and direct outreach services to Illawarra rough sleepers.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
"This is a plea to the community to ask them to help the Homeless Hub in identifying people in need, so we can ultimately administer support to them," The Illawarra Grammar School year 12 student Sam Aubin said.
Mandy Booker, general manager of Wollongong Homeless Hub and Wollongong Emergency Family Housing said she had identified a gap in the ability to accurately locate and direct assertive outreach service delivery to the region's rough sleepers.
Therefore, the Wollongong Homeless Hub mobile app was launched last week.
During recent weeks, WEFH worked with Sam, 17, to develop the technical side of the application.
"It's evident that in times of emergency, it's often those without secure accommodation and financial security that are most affected," he said.
"Yet, because of the non-discriminating nature of the current crisis, those in most need are often overlooked."
Sam started volunteering with WEFH last year when they worked towards developing a map to locate water access, food options and toilets for those sleeping rough.
"We were just about ready to complete these features when COVID-19 changed our scope and the need for us to accelerate the next feature of outreach support became a priority," Ms Booker said.
The app functions as a centralized data source, displaying a range of operational free or low cost food venues in the Illawarra.
Also, the app facilitates members of the public to input the location of rough sleepers and assist WEFH in administering support.
"This unique feature will change the way outreach is delivered and allow the Hub's service delivery to be responsive and timely," Ms Booker said.
According to WEFH, unlike city areas the region's homeless community are often spread over various suburbs, making traditional assertive outreach programs difficult to deliver.
By downloading the app, members can participate in connecting vulnerable community members by dropping a virtual pin on the map, which will provide an outreach point for the WEFH team to deliver face-to-face contact with the person sleeping rough.
The free app aims to complement WEFH's assertive outreach program Connection Point, aimed at connecting and locating rough sleepers that may be falling through local service gaps.
"During COVID-19 our frontline workers have been providing outreach support and have assisted people into temporary accommodation that had previously been sleeping rough," Ms Booker told the Mercury.
"With this app we hope that the community comes onboard by downloading and identifying areas where they may see people sleeping rough.
"It's hard to stay home and isolate when you don't have access to a home."
You can download the app here.