An elderly homeless man died while sleeping in his car outside a homeless men’s shelter after overnight temperatures plummeted.
Dominic, aged in his 80s, was found dead inside his white Landcruiser, which was parked outside St Vincent’s Men’s Crisis Center in Adelaide’s CBD early Sunday morning.
Devastated friends believe Dominic succumbed to the freezing temperatures, which dropped to 3°C overnight.
The surprised shelter staff described Dominic as a kind and reserved gentleman.
“You know, I really cried because he was a very polite man,” Thomas Gaye said. 7 news
‘He comes here and sleeps in his car. He can get in there, but, you know, he stands his ground like a lot of guys do.
Dominic, who had all his belongings packed inside his vehicle, was known to have a bed available at the shelter, an offer he often declined.
He chose to sleep in his car outside the facility because it was where he felt safest.
Dominic, 80, decided to sleep in his Landcruiser (pictured) because he felt safer in the car. All his belongings were inside, which can be seen in the rear window.
Dominic was found dead in his car on Sunday morning in central Adelaide. The temperature dropped to just 3°C overnight.
“Not everyone is perfect there (at the shelter). You’re rubbing shoulders with all kinds of life,” said Jay Kellett, a client at the shelter.
Another resident had just left the shelter to catch a bus and recalled seeing someone desperately banging on Domini’s car window after making the sad discovery.
The Landcruiser was later towed away by police and will be returned to Dominic’s next of kin.
Dominic’s tragic death highlights the urgent need for more permanent housing for Australians who have been forced to sleep rough or who rely on shelters to sleep at night.
The federal government has announced a plan to tackle homelessness and the lack of social housing, which will come into effect on Monday (July 1).
Worth $9.3 billion, states and territories must match the money provided by Anthony Albanese’s government for the five-year deal.
New South Wales will receive $2.82 billion (the largest funding), while Victoria will receive $2.36 billion.
Dominic was found dead inside his car outside St Vincent’s Men’s Crisis Centre in Adelaide’s Whitmore Square (pictured)
The ACT will receive the least amount of allocated funding: just $157.4 million.
The Northern Territory was allocated $290.2 million, despite the top end having 12 times the national average for homelessness.
Additionally, Australians receiving Commonwealth Rental Assistance will receive a ten per cent increase on the maximum amount awarded, which was announced in the May federal budget.
But Australian Council of Social Service chief Cassandra Goldie said the increase would mean a single person would earn just $9.40 extra a week if they received the top rate.
Ms Goldie also said people would still be in “deep housing stress” if they received JobSeeker or Youth Allowance as they would still be paying half their rent.