Creative ways to solve Australia's homelessness crisis

It's clear, even to harbourside mansion dwellers, that there's an accommodation crisis right around Australia. Not a shortfall, not a "blip", a bloody crisis!

Unemployment is (reportedly) down, there are people urgently seeking work, but if and when they find a suitable job, they cannot take it because there's nowhere nearby to live. And there is a limit to a daily commute.

Yes, we desperately need much more public housing and there are commitments from the Government to build the same, but where, when and how much? Whatever, this will take years or decades to complete, although the quantity will be substantially insufficient. In the meantime, people are living on the street, in cars, tents, couch surfing; nowhere conducive to supporting a normal livelihood.

What does it cost to build a modest home? It seems like about $50,000 to $90,000 for an unpretentious kit home, some on a concrete slab, others raised. But where to put them, with land prices far exceeding the house prices? And how much are the construction costs? And high-rise accommodation is impractical in many rural settings, where the actual work is located.

Why not source used caravans to start with, while commissioning the manufacture of thousands of basic vans that can be located near available jobs? Perhaps in so many disused workshops and facilities that were directly or indirectly involved in vehicle manufacture. The Government could tender for solar-powered caravans that would support small families for much less than $100,000 each.

Furthermore, they'd be self-sufficient, and wouldn't need to be near power points such as those in caravan parks. And if no water was available "on tap" the vans' tanks each contain a couple of hundred litres. Showers and toilets are included, but like all environments, it pays to be water-frugal.

Large areas of public land could be set aside temporarily for "trailer parks" in some industrial areas and arrangements made with showgrounds and acreage landowners to be compensated with $15 or $20 a day, given that there'd be no need for services, just a patch of ground to locate each van.

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My family and I travelled in comfort in a caravan around Australia (twice) in most weather conditions, and apart from refilling water tanks from time to time, and emptying toilets at public dump points (which are generally plentiful, but which can be built inexpensively), we was self-sufficient.

I suppose that "electrifying" a caravan for routine power needs would be in the order of $10,000, including large lithium batteries and 240v inverter, with no ongoing energy costs. Admittedly, a generator for a few hundred dollars would be required to run the airconditioner (found in every caravan) or to recharge batteries in the event of prolonged rain or cloud, but we're the lucky country for individuals' solar power generation.

Of course there's a lot to consider, but there are other benefits. In the event of flooding, move temporarily. Changing jobs? Move.

This may not sound luxurious to people with homes, but it would be life-changing for those sleeping rough.

There are many hurdles to clear, but compared with the theoretical public housing development, this would be faster (in some cases immediate), far cheaper, and more flexible than the alternatives.

To the impoverished and disadvantaged, it would be their sanctum sanctorum.

How often do you hear politicians, especially the hawks, declaring that the government's first and most important priority is to keep us safe? Not just from nuclear warheads. Suicides and starvation make one just as dead.

Some people still think of caravans as those unwieldy boxes being towed 50 years ago. No longer.

Caravanners are often despised by motorists with almost the same intensity as the latters' justified antagonism towards arrogant road-hogging cyclists!

It's said that the greatest barrier to filling job vacancies is the inability to accommodate the required workers in a hyper-saturated and unaffordable rental market.

And homelessness in Australia is increasing at an alarming rate, according to demographers and virtually all lucid social commentators.

Remember, many homeless people would love a base from which to work locally, within a reasonable distance from a job. To say nothing of having a bloody home!

Many people who might be unfamiliar with caravanning may misunderstand what's involved in that style of living. This is not a lecture, but an indication of the functionality of a self-sufficient portable house.

I've travelled around Australia twice, more or less, in 2017 and 2018, to date stamp it. And this is what we used and the actual costs involved.

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My original selection was a single axle 18'6" caravan (5.64 metres, but caravans are always specified in 'feet'), 7.1 metres from the drawbar (tow ball) to the spare tyre.

Weight is about two and a quarter tonnes empty, plus about 470kg load. As well as the extra load in the car, if touring. There are lots of factors regarding various weights and loads in caravanning, but these units would ideally be stationary for fairly prolonged periods.

I paid just under $60k on the road in 2016, which included:

Queen-sized bed with innerspring mattress;
Three burner gas hob, plus one electric hob (never used) and a grill;
Hot Water System;
Microwave;
185 litre fridge/freezer;
Shower, basin and separate toilet;
Small front loading washing machine;
Cafe seating and table (can be extra bunk);
Roof air conditioner;
Swing mounted TV and terrestrial antenna;
Sound system;
12V lighting throughout;
Heaps of storage under the bed with hydraulic lift, under sink, big drawers, eye level storage cupboards, above bed head, and various nooks and crannies;
Very big windows, including one at the front;
Two x 90 litre water tanks;
One 90 amp hour gel battery;
Two 9kg gas bottles;
Tunnel boot.

Microwaves and air conditions need external power of course. Hot water, cooking and fridge we ran on gas.

For the sort of long-distance travelling, we intended to do, we substantially upgraded our van because of our need for self-sufficiency. And "running costs". And convenience. And the removal of gas as the primary source of energy.

Yes, we spent a lot, but for long-term, long-distance travelling, not just as a little home. Those extras cost about another $30k, so our fully equipped van still costs under 100k.

A government facility could pump them out like the warplanes were pumped out in World War II. Don't underestimate the nature of this crisis. Let's see the Government solve three major problems simultaneously: labour shortages, homelessness and loss of manufacturing.

Government-backed purchase options may be life-changing for many. It may represent the only opportunity many people have of escaping the lifelong rental market, if low-interest loans are made available by the Government.

Don't expect support from real estate agents, or others with vested interest in keeping rents high and growing.