If Bikram Lama were alive today, we still couldn’t guarantee him a way out of homelessness. This stark reality was highlighted by a colleague after Guardian Australia’s story about Bikram: “The reality is that, even if I met Bikram right now, I still couldn’t guarantee him a way off the street.” Despite the genuine sadness and goodwill behind thousands of social media comments, most aspects of our crisis support system remain closed off to non-residents like Bikram. If he had a pathway out of homelessness, he might still be alive.
The Covid-Era Success and Its Limits
At the start of the Covid pandemic in 2020, people sleeping rough were identified as highly vulnerable. In Sydney, a coordinated response between governments, policymakers, and service providers successfully housed most of the inner city’s homeless population. However, we soon realized that as many as one in five rough sleepers had been left behind: non-residents. This group includes asylum seekers, temporary visa holders, undocumented people, and New Zealand citizens who arrived after 2001. Due to their visa status, they are denied access to temporary accommodation, social housing, income support, and often healthcare. Many cannot work or face tight employment restrictions, leaving them with little safety net and highly vulnerable to financial hardship and homelessness.
The Consequences of Exclusion
The inability to work, job loss, relationship breakdown, or illness can quickly lead to housing insecurity. Without crisis support, extreme poverty follows. Non-residents in crisis rely heavily on overstretched charities. During Covid, the New South Wales government responded with compassion, offering government-funded emergency accommodation and health support to non-residents for the first time. But after lockdowns ended, we returned to old arrangements. Every day, homelessness, community, and health services encounter non-residents sleeping rough because they cannot get help. There are hundreds of stories like Bikram’s.
No one should die because they are homeless. Rough sleeping is extremely dangerous, with severe health impacts. St Vincent’s research shows that people who have experienced a single episode of homelessness are at a four times higher risk of premature death than the general population. The Guardian’s reporting has exposed how homelessness can become a death sentence.
The Role of Universities
While working with governments on long-term solutions, we must not forget the role of Australian universities and colleges. Many non-residents sleeping rough, like Bikram, are or were international students. It is long past time for tertiary institutions to live up to their duty of care. They have built a sophisticated global recruitment machine, especially from developing nations, but often do the bare minimum for student welfare. Hard-pressed homeless charities are left picking up the pieces.
In my line of work, you do not judge why someone is on the street; you just help. Tomorrow, I will encounter another Bikram: unwell, homeless, at risk. Why does the system require me to qualify lifesaving care based on visa status? A candlelight vigil will be held in Hyde Park at 5pm on Thursday in memory of Bikram Lama and to acknowledge the plight of Sydney’s homeless population.
