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Staff Reporter
A prominent property management executive is set to go homeless.
But it’s all for a good cause, insists Rental Express chief executive officer Chris Rolls, who will join the 105,000 people who are homeless in Australia each day by sleeping rough as a participant in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout.
Mr Rolls said putting a roof over people’s heads is what Rental Express does every day, so helping Queenslander’s without a place to call home seemed like a logical fit for the business.
“The feedback I’ve heard from past sleepouts has been really positive so I’m looking forward to the night and what Vinnies has in store for us,” Mr Rolls said ahead of the June 21 event.
“The reality is you don’t accommodate as many people as we do without considering the other side of the coin.
“One in every 200 Australians is homeless and a quarter of those are under the age of 18. It’s something that’s increasing confronting as we approach the coldest nights of the year.
“I’m not really sure what to expect, but I hope to be thrown out of my comfort zone and walk away with a better understanding of some of the issues surrounding homelessness.”
Last year’s event raised $4.2 million.
Another leading industry figure to participate will be Raine & Horne SA CEO, Kevin Magee. Mr Magee said in a LinkedIn post that a number of facts helped change his views on the homeless, namely:
- Last year 1 in every 39 Australian children aged under 4 slept at a homeless service (30 per cent of homeless people are children)
- More than one in five homeless people are escaping domestic violence and abuse
- It’s hard to get social security income when you have no fixed address (if [you] lose your address for a week it typically takes three+ months for social security support or any income to be re-routed to a pick up point...if you’re lucky)
- It’s hard to get a job when you have no access to a shower, clean clothes, hygiene facilities, etc
- One in two people including children are turned away from homeless shelters every night because they are full
To donate to either Mr Rolls or Mr Magee, please click HERE.
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