Wesley Village tenant shares story of experiencing homelessness

Philip Clarke, 66, is one of Wesley Village’s residents. He’s the driving force behind the community newsletter, and helps organise activities. Clarke previously ran a business overseas, but after hitting a rough patch, had to use everything he had to wind it up and come home.

“I found myself hitting 60 and having lost everything, and having to start again and nowhere to live except my father's sofa.”

It took a while for it to sink in that he was homeless, without the means to change that.

“It's kind of a bit embarrassing, because you've got to that stage and got nothing to show for it,” he said. “You come home to your own country, and you're basically getting close to retirement, and people are not interested in employing you.”

The pension is now his main source of income, although he supported himself with some interior design contract work too.

Affordable housing communities like Wesley Village were “terribly important”, Clarke said.

“Places like Wesley Village, I know there's a huge waiting list for this place. Because there's just so many older people that are in need of somewhere affordable to live.”

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