A homeless father who went public with his bleak living conditions has been ordered by the local council to raise awareness.
Peter Woodforde, 58, is one of four men living in the gazebo at the rear of the Salvation Army office on Reservoir Road in Modbury, northeast of Adelaide.
Woodforde has been living in the makeshift shelter for the past 18 months after being forced to move out by several councils.
The father, who has a teenage daughter, went public with his living situation in May to raise awareness about the dire conditions.
The town of Tea Tree Gully has now claimed that the Salvation Army did not have approval to set up the temporary accommodation and that the group was ordered to move.
Peter Woodforde, 58 (pictured), is among four men living in the gazebo at the rear of the Salvos office on Reservoir Road in Modbury, in Adelaide’s north-east.
The men living there with Mr Woodforde are aged between 30 and 80.
Woodforde said the group was given until the end of August to move out of the area, following complaints from locals about tents being set up near residential homes.
He said he fears men are running out of options to find another place to live.
Woodforde asked those who voice their concerns to be compassionate to those who do so harshly.
‘Until people find themselves in this situation, how much thought process do they put in before opening their mouth and saying something?’ he said 7 news.
‘If it happened to them tomorrow or to someone they love, how devastated would they be?’
Woodforde previously said his children would be devastated if they saw him living in a gazebo wrapped in tarps.
Woodforde says men aged between 30 and 80 will have to find somewhere else to live following complaints from nearby residents.
Woodforde’s teenage daughter, who lives with her mother, had previously told him it “hurt” her to know her father was struggling.
A Salvation Army spokesperson said the men have been provided with basic services such as food, a place to shower and washing facilities.
“The Salvos are working proactively with the Northwest Homeless Alliance to support these community members,” a spokesperson said.
The men will have to leave the store, although so far they have not been issued any legal notice stating exactly when they will have to find alternative accommodation.
Tea Tree Gully town mayor Marija Ryan previously said the council is trying to find a place where the men can stay until they are provided with emergency accommodation.
Emergency shelters for rough sleepers, including St Vincent’s De Paul, are operating at maximum capacity in Adelaide.
The charity has been forced to turn away up to 15 men a day asking for help.
The Hutt Centre, an organization that offers a range of support services to homeless people in Adelaide, saw a 25 per cent increase in the number of people needing assistance in April, compared to the same period last year.
The South African Housing Authority, a government agency that helps people in the state access affordable housing, estimates that the average waiting period for public housing for category one applicants is around 18 months.
Category one applicants are those who need housing immediately because they are likely to be homeless for a long time.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted the South African Housing Authority, The Salvation Army and Tea Tree Gully City Council for further comment.
Woodforde (pictured) fears the men will struggle to find somewhere else to live as homeless shelters and emergency accommodation services operate at maximum capacity.
