A homeless father who went public with his grim living conditions to raise awareness about the conditions has been ordered to move on by his local council.
Peter Woodforde, 58, is among four men living in the gazebo at the back of the Salvation Army office on Reservoir Road in Modbury, Adelaide’s north-east.
Mr Woodforde has been living in the makeshift shelter for the past 18 months after several councils forced him to move on.
The father, who has a teenager daughter, went public with his living situation in May to raise awareness about the dire conditions.
The City of Tea Tree Gully has now claimed the Salvation Army did not have approval set up the temporary accommodation and the group have been ordered to move.
Peter Woodforde, 58 (pictured) is among four men living in the gazebo out the back of the Salvos office on Reservoir Road in Modbury, in Adelaide’s northeast
The men living at the site with Mr Woodforde are aged between 30 and 80.
Mr Woodforde said the group have been given until the end of August to move out of the area, following complaints from locals about the tents set up near residential houses.
He said he fears the men are running out of options to find another place to live.
Mr Woodforde asked those who are voicing their concerns to be compassionate to those doing it tough.
‘Until people are put in this situation, how much thought process do they put into it before they open their mouth and say something?’ he told 7 News.
‘If it happened to them tomorrow or to somebody they loved, how devastated would they be?’
Mr Woodforde previously said his kids would be devastated if they saw him living in a gazebo wrapped in tarps.
Mr Woodforde claims the men who are between 30 to 80 years of age will need to find another place to live following complaints from residents nearby
Mr Woodforde’s teenage daughter, who lives with her mother, had earlier told him it ‘hurt her’ to know her dad was struggling.
A Salvation Army spokesperson said the men have been provided with basic amenities such as food, a place to shower, and facilities to do their washing.
‘The Salvos are working proactively with the North Western Homelessness Alliance to support these community members,’ a spokesman said.
The men will need to move out of the tent, however a legal notice has so far not been issued to them, to indicate when exactly they will need to find an alternative form of accommodation.
City of Tea Tree Gully Mayor Marija Ryan said previously the council is trying to find a place where the men can stay until they are provided with emergency accommodation.
Emergency accommodation shelters for rough sleepers including St Vincent’s De Paul, are operating at capacity in Adelaide.
The charity has been forced to turn away as many as 15 men a day who have requested assistance.
The Hutt Centre, an organisation that provides a range of support services for homeless people in Adelaide, experienced a 25 per cent increase in the number of people needing assistance in April, compared to the same time last year.
The SA Housing Authority, a government agency that assists people in the state to access affordable housing, estimates the average waiting period for public housing for category one applicants is around 18months.
Category one applicants are those who require housing immediately because they are very likely to be homeless for a long time.
A SA Housing Authority spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia they are working with homelessness agencies to help the men find accommodation.
‘We are aware of the circumstances of these men and over several weeks, the Adelaide North and West Homeless Alliance been working closely with them, the council, and local community services to offer assistance to meet their most immediate needs, including access to food and sleeping bags, while sleeping rough,’ the spokesperson said.
‘Most of the men are actively supported and engaged, and are actively working with services to realise a housing pathway.’
The spokesperson said they are also working through ways to provide support services, such as mental health, for the men to ensure they can find long term. housing
‘We would be more than happy to discuss with any council, ideas around how to support people sleeping rough in local areas,’ the spokesperson said.
City of Tea Tree Gully CEO Ryan McMahon told Daily Mail that the council is working with the state government to provide adequate services to the homeless.
‘It’s a fine balance to support the homeless who are living adjacent to residential backyards, whilst preserving the interests of local home owners,’ he said.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Salvation Army for further comment.
Mr Woodforde (pictured) fears the men will struggle to find another place to live, with homelessness shelters and emergency accommodation services running at capacity
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