SAFE Shelter for homeless men has experienced almost a doubling in demand for its emergency shelter services this winter. 

“Last year we reported that the shelter had hosted 30 guests by August 1. This year, in same period and operating on the same nights of the week, it has hosted 58 guests,” says the Safe Shelter Management Committee

Safe Shelter operates in St Columba’s Uniting Church’s Lewis Hall in Braddon on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights from 7 pm until 7 am during winter. The shelter is staffed each night by three volunteers who sleep overnight on the hall floor just like the guests. An additional volunteer works until lights out at 10pm.

“Safe Shelter provides just safe sleeping facilities for its guests, most of whom have to decide to walk to the shelter before the doors are locked at 10pm. No food is provided, other than biscuits with hot drinks. We understand that many men sleeping on the streets do not want to risk losing their regular sleeping spot in the city to come to Safe Shelter unless they are quite exhausted,” the committee says.

“The increase in demand for Safe Shelter in 2015 therefore seems to suggest a dire situation for homeless men on Canberra’s streets this winter.”