Chris Scroggy and Rick Cuthbert are calling for donations of caravans that they can fix up for crisis accommodation for people in need. Photo: Supplied.
The extent of homelessness in the Narooma/Bermagui area has prompted well-known business identity Chris Scroggy (Scroggy) to do something about it.
Over the past year he has distributed 14 caravans to people without homes.
Save Haven Caravans are going to people from all walks of life and all ages.
Scroggy has lived in the Far South Coast for 40 years. He and his wife Robyn ran Quarterdeck Restaurant in Narooma for 20 years and now run Sweetwater, a bar, eatery and retro shop in Central Tilba.
He is making videos and posting them on social media to raise awareness, attract donations of caravans, and help reach people in need of the caravans.
A year ago, he had no idea of the extent of homelessness around him.
He was looking for rental accommodation for two friends in their 70s who had been evicted, when one day a woman from Narooma came to visit him. The following day another came from Bermagui.
They said the same thing: “Are you Scroggy? I was told you may know someone with accommodation”.
Some friends enlightened him about the dire homeless situation. Next, he was introduced to some social workers in the area who opened his eyes to the number of people without homes, particularly the number of women aged over 60 living in cars.
“It was then I felt I had to do something,” Scroggy said. “I felt God putting his finger between my shoulder blades to do something.”
So far Chris Scroggy and friends have distributed 14 caravans to people who were homeless. Photo: via Facebook.
He joined forces with Tilba’s Rick Cuthbert and Smiley McGill to fix up a caravan that a Bermagui family donated.
Their first client was a very sick 60-year-old man who was living under two tarpaulins in the bush.
“I took it upon myself to make a video about the situation because most of us don’t see it on the South Coast,” Scroggy said.
People hear about his need for caravans through the video and word of mouth.
Scroggy said Safe Haven Caravans did nothing compared with the work the Social Justice Advocates of the Sapphire Coast did providing crisis accommodation. Safe Haven Caravans donated one caravan to the Bega Valley not-for-profit.
“We are a very small group of seven older people who are still working,” Scroggy said.
One donated caravan was worth around $25,000 and often the caravans only need a clean.
“The people donating the caravans have experienced it themselves and are sometimes in difficult socio-economic circumstances,” he said. One caravan came from a woman with two children who had lived in a car for 14 months.
Finding who needs a caravan is more difficult. Often homeless people are not on Facebook or do not have mobile phone reception. Scroggy said women were particularly difficult to help because they were used to being the nurturer.
Social workers also help connect them with people in need.
Scroggy knows a group of people all living in rental accommodation in Bermagui. Each said they were one email away from being homeless, given the town’s lack of accommodation. There was only one rental property available that week.
He said a big part of the problem is short-term rentals.
Real estate agents have told him about the high volume of holiday rentals on their books. That does not include properties on platforms like Stayz and Airbnb and properties owned by land bankers. All charge high rents.
“The biggest employer in this area is tourism and hospitality which is also the lowest paying sector, so they can’t afford high rent,” Scroggy said. “Here we are with all these houses, and we have people living in tents and caravans. It isn’t the Australia I knew.”
He knows of one family with three young children who were evicted after seven years and are now living in a tent at Brou Lake. The father continues to work two jobs yet cannot afford the rent for somewhere to live.
He said platforms like Airbnb are diluting the community. For example, in one cul de sac of nine houses, only two are permanently occupied. “You don’t know who is going to be in your street where your kids are playing.”
Local businesses are also impacted.
“Everyone in business is struggling because they don’t have the staff, so the businesses are closing and there is fiscal collapse,” Scroggy said.
He said communities needed to follow the lead of France and Spain and tell the government to take action against platforms like Airbnb.
“Wealthy people are renting their properties to wealthy people at the cost of our friends and family.”
