Homelessness surging in country

The National Letters

IT is obvious that there is a surge in homelessness in the country.
The number of people sleeping outside shops and buildings is prevalent nationwide.
Recently during the Covid-19 lockdown period, 10 families where identified as homeless sleeping around the 4-Mile area of Boroko, National Capital District.
These homeless mothers and children responded to the surveillance, Covid-19 team that they have been residing there for years before the pandemic.
These fatherless families have no place to go and call 4-Mile their home.
From Microbank down to the Nasfund building at 4-Mile is one of the locations which you will see a group of young and old men sleeping on the pavement.
Just drive during the odd hours between 11pm and midnight and you will see them.
The number has been increasing on a weekly basis.
Others have seen it as a norm and have followed suit.
The OSK building and Best Buy in Mt Hagen are also places in which you will notice homeless people, as well in West Goroka in the Eastern Highlands.
It is important that our government through its responsible agencies should take proactive actions to address this issue.
When overlooked, it would be overwhelming and cumbersome to address later on.
Proper and structured social safety nets need to be researched, planned, structured and implemented at the earliest.

Maru Igabi

4 comments

  • Enable the vagrant act and those sleeping at these areas need to be locked up so they learn and avoid using those areas again

  • These people can always return to their motherland, ples ground em stap. I totally agree, enforcing the vagrant act may minimise this problem.

  • Simple as 1,Prime minister just introduce the vagrant Act in all the major TOWN in PNG,,now that you a in POWER do it or face it later…..what kind of advises have you been advised on this issues….need quick attentions…….you do this and will see lawlessness or crime rate will decrease in PNG MARK MY WORDS….OVER TO YOU MY PMJM…

  • Some people they pretend and mean to be homeless, can government find ways to restrict such people but those who are genuine must be helped. Also government must look for some strategies to minimize such future necessary increase in homeless people in the Towns and Cities. Respective MP’s in the country should build a better environment for their local people first before they move on to national level… STOP JUMP A STEP, or will still have such simple lickage.

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