Finding and gaining access to free wi-fi is tough, and dealing with the myriad of Centrelink forms and job applications while trying to find emergency accommodation is even tougher.
To help develop solutions for people facing homelessness in the 21st century, researchers at Western Sydney University have joined with councils, charities, libraries and other agencies to find ways to provide emergency digital access to those who need it the most.
"If you're a person facing homelessness or in extreme poverty, being digitally connected can mean the difference between getting out of homelessness, or living on the street," says Dr Justine Humphry, from the Institute of Culture and Society.
"When you're on the streets, not being digitally connected exposes you to increased harm, it means that you can't access emergency services, you can't stay in contact with your family members, and increasingly you can't access government support."
To address this problem, the Making Connections project, funded by the Young and Well Research Centre, met with young people from a range of youth-based homelessness services in the Sydney and Parramatta CBDs.
They brainstormed ideas with homeless youth on ways to address digital access gaps, and came up with ways to improve access to support services and social networks.
The next key step is to gain the support of telecommunications companies to help provide access to voice and data services for homeless Australians in their times of need.
