Transcript

MARK COLVIN: The incoming Prime Minister Kevin Rudd wants his parliamentary colleagues to do something for the down and out who can't be sure they'll have a bed each night.

Mr Rudd expects his colleagues to visit homeless shelters in their area and find out how many people are turned away.

The operators of homeless shelters like the thought of a visit and some have already sent invitations to local members.

The operators are likely to tell their federal visitors that adding extra beds is not really in itself a solution.

Brendan Trembath prepared this report.

(Sound of train passing)

BRENDAN TREMBATH: In the shadow of Sydney's main train station are refuges like Albion Lodge.

The shelter has 42 beds for men and women with a drug and alcohol problem.

The TV is on and a few men of no fixed address are passing time.

Kay Elson is the Chief Executive of the Haymarket Foundation.

KAY ELSON: We turn quite large numbers away. Probably 10 to 15 a day and a particular concern at the moment is the amount of women. Homeless women that we are turning away. There is a huge demand for women's beds and a shortage of women's beds in the inner city for homeless women.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: That must be difficult. Telling someone who is homeless that they don't have a bed for the night.

KAY ELSON: Very difficult for staff. What they will try and do is find them a place elsewhere but often that is not possible and if the person is highly intoxicated, the only alternative are the police cells.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: Kay Elson was pleased to hear that the Prime Minister elect Kevin Rudd expects his parliamentary colleagues to visit a homeless shelter.

KAY ELSON: And it may not necessarily be that we need more crises centres like we run here. We may need some transitional housing, community housing out there with supports because some of the people that come here actually could survive in housing if they had the supports brought in to help them sustain that.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: Albion Lodge is in the safe Labor seat of Sydney. Tanya Plibersek is the local member.

KAY ELSON: I rang her office first thing this morning as soon a I heard the Rudd announcement, yes, to invite her and have been told that they will get back to us next week and hopefully she will come and have a look for herself.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: This man is homeless and is typical of the people who turn up hoping for a bed for a night.

HOMELESS MAN: Oh, you know, I could stay like at friends places, things like that but I just don't want to take their company. You know. Cause I think that I'm intruding, you know but um, a lot of me friends actually said to us that if we want to stay with them, you know, I can.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: Do you ever end up sleeping rough on the streets?

HOMELESS MAN: Oh, I have in the past, yeah. Like at Kings Cross, Parramatta - cause that is where I am mainly from - Parramatta, Marylands, Fairfield, Liverpool, Blacktown all over Sydney really.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: Kevin Rudd's shelter visit plan is also backed by organisations like Melbourne Citymission.

Claire Nyblom is the General Manager of Youth and Homelessness Services.

CLAIRE NYBLOM: We welcome government MPs coming down to our services to speak either directly with young people themselves or our other homeless clients or service providers.

We are very concerned about the lack of services for homeless people at the moment. We did a survey of one of our services no so very long ago and what we found that over a two week period, I believe we had 360 requests for emergency accommodation and there was approximately 30 beds across the whole state.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: Now turnaway rates are obviously a problem but is it a problem that is going to be fixed just by adding extra beds.

CLAIRE NYBLOM: Well, the provision of beds is one issue and clearly a very important issue. You can not resolve homelessness without providing a basic level of shelter for people.

Melbourne Citymission's view however, is that homelessness is now merely about ruthlessness - homelessness is actually about a whole series of life issues - not least of all is the join up around providing stable accommodation but also with a pathway out of homelessness.

So to that end we would be looking and welcome the renewed emphasis that the Labor government has around employment, education and training.

MARK COLVIN: Claire Nyblom from Melbourne Citymission speaking to Brendan Trembath.