Jewish House reaching out to couchsurfers
Not all homeless people live in hostels or on the street.
Rabbi Mendel Kastel launches the program
Almost 18,000 homeless Australians sleep on someone’s couch each night.
Sydneys Jewish House has launched a website to help those who bed down in a friendly’s home and who statistics show that their next sleeping place could well be on the streets.
The CEO of Jewish House Rabbi Mendel Kastel spoke to MPs, Ministers and local councillors at the launch of his Couch Surfer Services launch in the NSW Parliament last week.
The program is designed to increase awareness of the downside of couch surfing and assisting couch surfers to maintain safe arrangements and good relationships with their hosts, in order to avoid street homelessness, and assist them in their journey to finding long-term, secure housing.
Almost 50% of couch surfers are between 15 and 24 with 60% being women. 91% are unemployed.
Signs were displayed for seven days in a number of locations all across Sydney, including Bondi, Haymarket, Chatswood, Paramatta, North Sydney, Martin Place.
To see Jewish House at work, visit: couchsurfer.org.au
