‘We can’t look away’: Inside the movement striving to end homelessness

Jamie Bennett believes that homelessness is everybody’s problem, and that the real estate industry has a duty “not to look away”. 

As general manager at Stone Real Estate, he understands that real estate is about homes, and if people don’t have safe, secure housing, everything else falls apart, including family, health, education and work. 

“In our industry, we can’t look away – we have a responsibility to be part of the solution,” he said. 

“At Stone, we talk a lot about, ‘we grow together, we hurt together’.  

“Tackling homelessness is exactly that, it’s not someone else’s problem, it’s ours as a community.” 

Mr Bennett said he had seen the impact of homelessness up close – locally, through community work, and while travelling overseas, where it’s often even more confronting. 

“You can’t unsee it,” he said. 

“And when it’s in your own community, it lands heavier.  

“It’s easy to say, ‘that won’t happen to me’, but the reality is, for many Australians, it’s one bad break away.” 

The stats were alarming. On any given night, 122,000 Australians have no safe, secure place to call home, and one in 10 Australians are now at risk of experiencing homelessness. 

While many often associate sleeping rough with homelessness, that only accounts for 6% of those affected. 

Most homelessness remains hidden – taking the form of couch surfing, living in cars, or moving through temporary accommodation with no guarantee of security. 

The situation has led to the formation of a new national initiative, A Home for All Foundation, which is uniting the property industry to help end homelessness. 

Supported by leading industry figures across the country, the foundation aims to drive awareness, raise funds and build long-term change for people experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. 

“Those stats stop you in your tracks,” Mr Bennett said. 

“One in 10 means this isn’t a fringe issue. It’s our neighbours, our colleagues, our kids’ school friends.”  

To raise awareness and funds to help end homelessness, members of the property industry will be spending ‘A Night Without Home’ throughout October. 

There are different ways to get involved and take the challenge, whether it’s couch surfing, doing an office overnighter, sleeping in the car, sleeping outdoors, going without home comforts or fundraising your own way. 

Participants can enter as a team or an individual and are encouraged to fundraise, with funds going towards the foundation. 

The support will help the efforts of reputable charities in tackling homelessness. 

Mr Bennett and the Stone Real Estate corporate team will be sleeping outdoors overnight and going without the usual comforts of a warm bed and climate control, as a reminder of what many Australians live with every night. 

Members of the extended Stone Real Estate network are also being encouraged to do office-level challenges. 

“We’re entering as a team, because that’s how we approach everything at Stone, no one stands alone,” said Mr Bennett. 

“It’s our first time, but it won’t be our last.” 

Stone Real Estate also gives back to their local communities in other ways. 

The company has 70 offices across New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, and New Zealand, and each office partners with local schools, sporting clubs, and charities, Mr Bennett said. 

At a network level, the company backs initiatives that align with their values, from supporting mental health programs to community development.  

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