Hundreds of Tasmanians braved freezing conditions on Friday night, sleeping without beds to raise awareness and funds for the state’s growing homelessness crisis.
The annual Sleep Rough event, organised by Hobart City Mission at PW1, saw participants endure a night in the cold as an act of solidarity with those experiencing homelessness across Tasmania.
Event organisers have announced the fundraiser has already generated more than $220,000, which will be directed toward frontline support services providing shelter and practical assistance.
Sleep Rough organiser Em Marriott highlighted the critical timing of this year’s event.
“So many Tasmanians have no safe and secure housing and are turning to Hobart City Mission as a lifeline, so it’s more important than ever to join the fight against homelessness,” she said on Friday.
The fundraiser comes amid unprecedented demand for housing services, with over 5,000 applicants currently on the Tasmanian Housing register – the highest number ever recorded in the state.
Housing Services Program Manager Ewan Higgs described the mounting pressure on emergency accommodation services.
“We’ve seen a real spike in demand recently and we’re turning people away every night,” he said.
“We’re a small organisation helping Hobart’s most disadvantaged, no matter how complex their needs, and that cohort is growing.”
Donations remain open until the end of June at sleeprough.com.au, with organisers hopeful of reaching their $300,000 target.
