In a world where compassion and understanding should be at the forefront of our society, a recent incident involving a Queensland real estate agent has sparked outrage and highlighted a disturbing trend in Australia's attitude towards homelessness. The agent's social media post, which appeared to mock a rough sleeper's plight, has been met with fierce backlash, with many Australians condemning the insensitivity displayed towards the nation's escalating housing crisis.

The agent's post, which has since been deleted after a wave of criticism, featured an image of a rough sleeper in a park with the caption, 'Tell me how [you] would market this,' seemingly inviting others to join in on what was intended to be a joke. The post quickly backfired as screenshots circulated online, igniting a conversation about the lack of seriousness with which some Australians are treating the housing emergency.

The backlash was swift and severe, with social media users and homelessness advocates alike calling the post 'disgusting,' 'insensitive,' and 'unacceptable.' The Real Estate Institute of Queensland was urged to take action, and the incident has served as a sad reminder of the harsh realities faced by those without a home.

A real estate agent was criticised for their social media post. Image source: Facebook

Paul Slater, who manages a makeshift tent community in Musgrave Park, Brisbane, expressed his disappointment at the flippant attitude towards homelessness. He emphasized that the country is indeed in 'a housing emergency,' and that those living in tents are not doing so by choice. Slater's work involves setting up tents daily for individuals who have fallen victim to a housing market that has long favored property investors over the needs of the average Australian.

The real estate agent's post, while perhaps not intended to cause harm, reflects a broader issue of a lack of awareness and empathy for the homeless. Slater, despite his own dark sense of humor, found the post concerning, especially in light of the current housing emergency. He pointed out that the growing number of tent cities in Australia is a national shame and a visible sign of a much larger problem.

Mr Slater pointed out that the growing number of tent cities in Australia is a sign of a much bigger problem. Image source: X (Twitter)

The statistics on homelessness in Australia are grim. On any given night, 122,494 people are experiencing homelessness, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, and this number is likely an underestimate. Among those affected, one in seven are children under 12, and nearly one in four are young people between 12 and 24. The waitlists for social homes are staggering, with 60,000 in NSW and 40,000 in Queensland, reflecting a crisis mirrored across the country.

Slater's message is clear: as a society, we must hold our governments accountable for the current state of affairs. Housing is a fundamental human right, yet thousands are left to sleep on the streets due to policy failures, underfunding, and inadequate social housing infrastructure. He calls for empathy towards those experiencing homelessness and urges people to help rather than ridicule.

The incident with the real estate agent serves as a wake-up call for all Australians to reflect on our values and how we treat the most vulnerable members of our community. It's a reminder that behind every tent, there is a human being with a story, struggles, and a need for dignity and respect.

Source: ABC News (Australia)/YouTube​

Key Takeaways

• A Queensland real estate agent faced backlash after appearing to mock a person sleeping rough in a social media post.
• The incident highlighted the insensitivity towards Australia's growing housing crisis and the plight of the homeless.
• Paul Slater, an advocate for the homeless, emphasised the severity of the housing emergency and criticised the lack of investment in social housing.
• It was noted that on any given night, 122,494 Australians experience homelessness, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

We at the Seniors Discount Club invite our readers to share their thoughts on this issue. Have you witnessed similar instances of insensitivity towards homelessness? How do you believe we can address the housing crisis in Australia? Your insights are valuable, and together, we can advocate for change and support those in need. Email us at [contact email] or leave a comment below to join the conversation.

 

[Rob44]

" and a visible sign of a much larger problem" which is simply that Australians will always vote for a government that cuts the income taxes that could be used to pay for building public housing as well as for public health. And of course AFL stadiums are more important, anyway.

 

[JimmyFlatrock]

From the article
"The incident with the real estate agent serves as a wake-up call for all Australians to reflect on our values and how we treat the most vulnerable members of our community. It's a reminder that behind every tent, there is a human being with a story, struggles, and a need for dignity and respect."

There are too few of us pushing to have policies that exacerbate the housing crisis halted or amended or grandfathered. The politicians of any persuasion will not do it unless pushed. They won't do it, without being shoved, because of a couple of reasons.

The shallower one is because some don't have the guts to do it.

The more deeply entrenched reason is the policies in place are there to enhance the wealth of themselves and others of that generation. The selfish ideology, in respect of this, remains the same across the political spectrum of major parties.

They are absolutely failing a great many Australians and not just the homeless. Huge slabs of the following generations are being negatively impacted by one greedy generation who can't see past their own dollar dung-heap. That generation is being viewed as a 'Scrooge McDuck' sitting in his house counting his piles of loot, yes loot, not fairly-earned money, but loot accumulated by virtue of unfair or inequitable government policies.

Government polices that advantage one group of people is the single reason we have inequality with wealth distribution in this country. It's simply biased crap to say one generation has worked harder than another.

Fair suck of the sauce bottle. How much is enough!

The serious issue with this is, it is 100% not sustainable and the repercussions are coming. The truly selfish might say I don't care, I won't be here.

 

[marni]

“that favoured property investors”. Without the mums and dads who have a nest egg and provide rentals - we would be in a much worse state. There just are not enough. Three bedroom one bathroom houses being built. Everyone seems to build large houses on small blocks

 

[natalielocket]

Instead of sending Tax Payers money overseas, it should be spent here to build more affordable housing for Australians who can`t afford to buy their own

 

[marni]

Instead of sending Tax Payers money overseas, it should be spent here to build more affordable housing for Australians who can`t afford to buy their own

Ohh I cannot agree enough. When you send pensions overseas our businesses are not getting Australian dollars to help them keep staff and their doors open. We do not get the GST nor payroll tax. There are now Cambodian retirement villages advertising for Australians to come and use their pensions to live there. On another page there were third world hospital patients complaining about their services, so we can only presume they will come back to use our hospitals without contributing

 

[Rob44]

From the article
"The incident with the real estate agent serves as a wake-up call for all Australians to reflect on our values and how we treat the most vulnerable members of our community. It's a reminder that behind every tent, there is a human being with a story, struggles, and a need for dignity and respect."

There are too few of us pushing to have policies that exacerbate the housing crisis halted or amended or grandfathered. The politicians of any persuasion will not do it unless pushed. They won't do it, without being shoved, because of a couple of reasons.

The shallower one is because some don't have the guts to do it.

The more deeply entrenched reason is the policies in place are there to enhance the wealth of themselves and others of that generation. The selfish ideology, in respect of this, remains the same across the political spectrum of major parties.

They are absolutely failing a great many Australians and not just the homeless. Huge slabs of the following generations

Government polices that advantage one group of people is the single reason we have inequality with wealth distribution in this country. It's simply biased crap to say one generation has worked harder than another.

Fair suck of the sauce bottle. How much is enough!

The serious issue with this is, it is 100% not sustainable and the repercussions are coming. The truly selfish might say I don't care, I won't be here.

100% agreement except for ,"are being negatively impacted by one greedy generation who can't see past their own dollar dung-heap". Yes; I have a vested interest in maintaining my dung heap, bought when house prices were affordable, just, on a single income. That was before and just after the time when the Thatcherite loser-pays, and fatuous, economic theory was imposed in the UK, New Zealand and Australia by respectively Madam Thatcher, David Lange+Roger Douglas and Bob Hawke+Paul Keating, and followed rabidly by John Howard and successors. Hawke also enabled consolidation of newspaper and media ownership by Rupert Murdoch into what is very much a right-wing propaganda machine, and we voted for it, repeatedly; we are suckers for cuts to income tax.

As for the one greedy generation; some of my generation fit that bill, others don't but when we see the government-guaranteed Old Aged Pension disappear into the political smoke-screen of rabid fantasy about private superannuation, property (bricks and mortar) might seem the better long-term investment for old age.

It is time the gutless ALP started acting according to the how and why Labour Parties were formed to act, back in the early 1900s.

 

[JimmyFlatrock]

100% agreement except for ,"are being negatively impacted by one greedy generation who can't see past their own dollar dung-heap". Yes; I have a vested interest in maintaining my dung heap, bought when house prices were affordable, just, on a single income. That was before and just after the time when the Thatcherite loser-pays, and fatuous, economic theory was imposed in the UK, New Zealand and Australia by respectively Madam Thatcher, David Lange+Roger Douglas and Bob Hawke+Paul Keating, and followed rabidly by John Howard and successors. Hawke also enabled consolidation of newspaper and media ownership by Rupert Murdoch into what is very much a right-wing propaganda machine, and we voted for it, repeatedly; we are suckers for cuts to income tax.

As for the one greedy generation; some of my generation fit that bill, others don't but when we see the government-guaranteed Old Aged Pension disappear into the political smoke-screen of rabid fantasy about private superannuation, property (bricks and mortar) might seem the better long-term investment for old age.

It is time the gutless ALP started acting according to the how and why Labour Parties were formed to act, back in the early 1900s.

Nothing wrong with looking after one's own dung-heap. I too bought (built) on a single income with no assistance and it was tough. Also nothing wrong with taking advantage of government policies to grow wealth. And, there weren't many wealth creation ideas for most beyond bricks and mortar.

But, I think the snout has been in the trough for long enough in relation to the multi-property investors I meant.

We also see many young adults relying on family assistance to achieve stable housing, intergenerational wealth, rather than government aid, becoming a pathway to homeownership. Nothing wrong with that at all.

But, it is inequitable as not all young adults are in that birth lottery financial position. And if most of their ability to save for a house goes into the pockets of multi property investors, who continue to drive up house prices and block the home ownership path of many a young person. This disproportionately impacts younger adults and teenagers who don't have the support like my did/do.

Without adjustments/serious change/substantial reform, the gap between property owners and non-owners will widen, impacting future generations. The underinvestment in social and affordable housing will have long-term consequences. If not reversed, future generations will bear significant costs. I also view that outcome will happen as a consequence of the greed, selfishness and lack of guts by some.

And, when those policies, since 1999, are clearly assisting to drive up prices of houses and ones investments move from security of income, to something else that will significantly disadvantage future generations, then something needs to change.

Whatever happened in the past is gone. Thatcher and cohorts are gone. Damage done. Opportunities lost. We need to look at the situation as it is now and act accordingly. That time is right now.

The problem with all this palaver is that whilst government policy makers must balance their personal interests with the broader public good, and, I have no doubt there are altruistic tendencies amongst some, I would bet London to a brick there are key ministers that would be yeah/nah, I can't do that. I think that there are too many that operate in the here and now, rather than consider the next generations.

The shallower one is because some don't have the guts to do it.

Indeed, I was talking about the Albanese government's backdown. Only picking on that one because they are there right now and in a position to make the reforms. And yes, the current PM has investment properties that bring in around $2300 per week. Whether he has ethical tendencies regarding the balance of personal life with the good of Australians, I'll leave to the political forum.

Is he merely waiting for a next term to act? Is that what the, so far, gutless non-action is about?

and followed rabidly by John Howard and successors

Ahhh, such a great and apt descriptive - "rabidly"

 

[IAN3005]

All we hear is words... we want action... fast

 

[Rob44]

We are certainly in the "now" when action is needed, yes. My historical review is merely to put our"now" in its historical perspective of the last 40-50 years of the growth, once again, of the mediaevalism that governs modern economic "thought". i.e the poor are poor because it is their own fault, God having given them free will. Looking back to pre-1979, my generation of oldies was indeed lucky that our parents had seen the Great Depression and WW2, and had voted accordingly, even though in the UK personal wealth and living standards were lower for many than in Australia and New Zealand.

 

[JimmyFlatrock]

We are certainly in the "now" when action is needed, yes. My historical review is merely to put our"now" in its historical perspective of the last 40-50 years of the growth, once again, of the mediaevalism that governs modern economic "thought". i.e the poor are poor because it is their own fault, God having given them free will. Looking back to pre-1979, my generation of oldies was indeed lucky that our parents had seen the Great Depression and WW2, and had voted accordingly, even though in the UK personal wealth and living standards were lower for many than in Australia and New Zealand.

Yes, I sometimes neglect to look back to see the reasons why. That perspective is important in trying to completely understanding where we are today. The housing situation in Australia right now is filled with complexities and I certainly do not understand all.

But I do know that something is very wrong and it's getting worse for our young as so-called leaders are frozen in the popularity stakes that is a part of the political landscape. It is a pathetic weakness and failure of their job profile that they lack the courage to seriously try to fix this complex issue. A train smash is coming.

Where indeed is the strong and courageous statesman type leader the country needs now. Collectively, I doubt Australians will support change without being convinced by straightup no nonsense talk that passes the pub test AND has bipartisan support.

What are the chances of significant reform getting through that ensures a fair go for all.

I think bloody-mindedness will win out as Rob44 indicated, we still vote against the best interests for the country.

Will it be significant reform that happens first or dystopia?

 

[Rob44]

And beware the "stong leader'. Adolf H and Benjy N come to mind, as does a long list of utterly nasty bastards that didn't start with Ivan the Terrible or Alexander the Great

 

[JimmyFlatrock]

Benjy N

and this mongrel is getting away with it as we speak and the world watches, seemingly transfixed, like the bunny in the spotlight. Trump keeps stumm about matters Gaza and prefers to give Biden enough rope to you know what. But the non-adult Trump who see's life as a winners/losers game to be played will support Bibi because he feels "Israel have to win". Trump will crush the university protesters and deport where he can.

Ooooyah - Oops, heading bush again as the motor heads offtrack.

So the real estate people now seem to be taking over the mantle from what used to be the used car salesman's domain. Plenty of nasty stories getting about involving same.