The body of a woman who died while sleeping rough in the Adelaide parklands was not found for three weeks.
The 48-year-old woman, discovered by a man who knew her, was found in a tent in the eastern end of the parklands along South Terrace at 2pm on 22 May.
A spokesperson for South Australian police confirmed patrols had been called to the area to investigate. Police believe she had not been seen for several weeks prior.
She is believed to have made the decision to travel interstate at the start of year but had since returned to South Australia. Police do not consider her death to have occurred in suspicious circumstances and are currently preparing a report for the coroner.
The woman’s death is considered to be the twelfth death of a person sleeping rough this year known by the Toward Home Alliance, a group of services headed by Lutheran Care charged with running outreach programs to those sleeping rough around Adelaide.
The service has arranged housing for 210 people in the past year. According to a list compiled by SA homelessness services, there were 279 people considered to be “actively homeless” – that is, sleeping rough or in temporary shelter – as of 30 June.
Shaya Nettle, a senior manager at the Toward Home Alliance, said in a statement the woman was “well known to and supported by a number of our staff and partners” who “were deeply affected by the news of her death”.
“The THA team had supported the woman intensively over the last year, including into accommodation and supports before she made a decision to return interstate, early in 2022. She returned to SA later in the year,” she said.
The organisation said the “vast majority” of the other 12 deaths had occurred after they had obtained permanent or temporary housing.
“Whilst this is extremely sad and sobering, it’s also heartening that the very vast majority of the identified 12 who have passed … died under-roof in their own home or supported accommodation, and often surrounded by people who cared for them,” she said.
“This can seem small, but in knowing the range of challenges many have faced through their lives, it does represent an important sense of dignity in their end-of-life transition.”
The organisation declined to offer additional detail as the “matter is before SAPOL [the SA police]”.
South Australian authorities declared a “code blue” – a warning of significant cold weather that could cause a risk to rough sleepers – in late May. Another “code blue” was called in early June.
The alert prompts response teams or services to react and coordinate with one another to ensure people sleeping rough are safe. This includes longer operating hours at drop-in centres, emergency accomodation and more frequent patrols by outreach teams.
News of the tragedy comes after state, territory and federal housing ministers met for the first time in five years to address the national housing crisis that has seen private rents rise and wait times for social housing increase.
There are 16,000 people on the waiting list for social housing in South Australia alone, with 3,600 people classed as priority one.
Homeless Connect SA offer support for people sleeping rough in South Australia on 1800 003 308. Crisis support services can be reached 24 hours a day: Lifeline 13 11 14; Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467; Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800; MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78; Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636
