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University of Queensland

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Library Guides: ChatGPT and other generative AI tools: Overview

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How to cite or acknowledge generative AI tools in your assignments and publications.

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Answer FIA2

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Sleepbus

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Sleepbus.org

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Proof is one thing, but where sleepbusLIVE is next level, is in the connection it will create. We want you to know everything, and with sleepbusLIVE, you will.

Select your project under the Projects tab in the menu at any time to see where your bus is up to in the build process. Once built, the project will transfer over to the sleepbusLIVE page which will show exactly where the bus is operational and data collected for that bus will be displayed in real time.

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sleepbus® provides a safe, temporary overnight accommodation service, getting people off the street by offering an immediate, first stop, cost-effective solution for our society's most vulnerable; catching them early until they can get back on their feet. sleepbus® is an Australian Registered DGR not-for-profit charity.

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SBS

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Over the weekend, online forum Reddit started an interesting conversation thread about the real needs of homeless people.

'Ex-homeless people, in your opinion what's the best way to really help the homeless?'

While those living on the streets are varied people with individual needs and require different support such as counselling, mental health treatment and even childcare services, many of the contributions spoke about the benefits of proper shelter; safety, hygiene, security and comfort.

Australian entrepreneur, Simon Rowe knows about these challenges. When he was in his 20s, he found himself behind on rent and evicted from his home. For four months, he lived in his car and saved up money for a months' bond while driving to caravan parks to take advantage of their facilities. Since then, he has gained over 20 years business experience and owned many successful hospitality and retail outlets.

Being impacted by the affects of homelessness and having a professional background in business management, Simon Rowe has now founded a not-for-profit 'Sleepbus', a big cross-country sized bus which provides safe accommodation to those sleeping rough in Australia.

One Sleepbus includes 22 individual 'sleep pods', USB chargers, televisions with auxiliary channels running adverts for pathways out of homelessness, 2 toilets, 22 personal item lockers, under bus storage, 8 pet kennels and a high-tech security, lighting and intercom system. With these basic facilities, Sleepbus aims to end the rough sleeping situations in Australia by providing homeless people with comfort and security. Their Mantra is 'Sleep Changes Everything', in which Rowe is hopeful that the ability to have consistent 'proper nights' sleep' can help people to transition into the community.

Simon Rowe has launched a GoFundMe campaign to assist with the costs of a $50,000 Sleepbus which will provide a safe place to sleep to over 8,000 people. He has already raised more than $42,000 of the total goal and hopes to build more buses throughout the country. The first Sleepbus will be in Melbourne.

Filthy Rich & Homeless season 2 airs over three nights starting on Tuesday 14 August 8.30pm on SBS. You can also stream the show anytime on SBS On Demand. Join the conversation with #FilthyRichHomeless.

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'Sleepbus' gives homeless people a comfortable place to sleep

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There are over 100,000 homeless people in Australia. Entrepreneur, Simon Rowe was one of them 20 years ago, which is why he has designed a state of the art shelter facility which aims to end the rough sleeping arrangements that many homeless people face.

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non-profit charity sleepbus "safe sleeps" homeless

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sleepbus® provides a safe, temporary overnight accommodation service, getting people off the street by offering an immediate, first stop, cost-effective solution for our society's most vulnerable; catching them early until they can get back on their feet. sleepbus® is an Australian Registered DGR not-for-profit charity.

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Sleepbus for the homeless has never had a homeless person sleep in it.

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Sleepbus for the homeless has never had a homeless person sleep in it.

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Daily mail

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Homeless people have complained they have been unable to use the bus

Figures show most of the money raised in previous years went on paying staff

The charity is raising more money for a bus aimed at domestic violence victims

The charity commissioner has received several complaints about the charity

Sleep bus director Simon Rowe had strongly rejected the claims

A bus built to provide homeless people with a safe place to sleep, and funded through charitable donations, is under investigation amid claims it's failing to deliver on the promised service.

Sleep Bus claims to be able to provide 8030 sleeps a year for the homeless, but those living on the streets claim they have rarely seen the bus since its launch three years ago.

Director Simon Rowe started-up the charity in 2015 with a GoFund Me page that raked in more than $144,000 and remains open.

He is listed as a director alongside family members Ethan and Harrison Rowe.

Mr Rowe told Daily Mail Australia the Melbourne bus was still being tested across the city and homeless people were using it.

'We've been conducting a trial and part of that was having to test the idea to make sure it was going to do what we needed it to do,' he said.

One Sleep Bus includes 22 individual 'sleep pods', USB chargers, televisions with auxiliary channels running adverts for pathways out of homelessness, two toilets, 22 personal item lockers, under-bus storage, eight pet kennels and a high-tech security, lighting and intercom system.

'The one in Melbourne has been going for two-and-a-half years,' he said. 'It's been in various places: Melbourne CBD, it's been out Pakenham way, Rosebud, Geelong, Bendigo - we've used it in all sorts of different places during the trial to make sure that it worked and we were understanding what different areas are like,' Mr Rowe said.

Daily Mail Australia contacted each of the city councils mentioned by Mr Rowe, and a couple of others - Wyndham and Frankston - and none, including Melbourne, had ever granted Sleep Bus a permit to operate there.

Most had never heard of the service.

Daily Mail Australia understands the charity is under investigation by the Australian Charity and Not-For-Profit Commission and Victorian Consumer Affairs over its failure to register for a fundraising permit.

Mr Rowe was under the impression he had the fundraising permit, but would need to check that with his legal team.

While the bus has been used to help emergency services workers since its launch in 2016, few homeless have sighted the bus since contributors slept in it for a media launch that year.

Back then, Mr Rowe claimed the bus was expected to operate in St Kilda - a beachside suburb known for its transient population.

However Port Phillip Mayor Bernadene Voss told Daily Mail Australia the bus had never rolled into St Kilda.

'Council was approached as a potential trial location by The Sleep Bus in 2016, however due to extensive concerns around management of the environment, risk management, behavioural management and support provided to vulnerable individuals on the bus, The Sleep Bus was never operational in Port Phillip,' she said.

'Council continues to work with agencies and advocate for well-designed and appropriately funded crisis accommodation.'

Now that Sleep Bus has gone public with a new fundraiser - a Pink sleep bus aimed at helping domestic violence sufferers - Melbourne's homeless are beginning to question whether the original service will ever be delivered.

Mr Rowe said the bus service had to be revised after being 'inundated' with demand from homeless people upon going active.

'That was a problem during the trial,' Mr Rowe said. 'We sat down with a consulting firm and they sort of said to us 'You only get one shot to do this and so you'd better do it right the first time',' he said.

Mr Rowe said the service had faced difficulties in getting permits from local councils, but the organisation was now gearing up for a 'more national launch'.

'We'll launch more new buses in the new year - a couple in Canberra and those sorts of things. So look, it's been a methodical thing.'

A Facebook page used by a large population of Melbourne's homeless claimed few have actually slept on the bus.

One charity worker, who wished to remain anonymous, stated she had slept on the bus during its launch in 2016, but had never seen it again.

'I guess you can't keep asking for money and not produce any results,' she said.

Others who publicly challenged Mr Rowe's claims on the Sleep Bus Facebook page claim they were subsequently blocked.

In March, Mr Rowe claimed contributors would be able to track exactly where their money had gone.

'This year Sleepbus LIVE will be launched, showing where your money is, how many safe sleeps each bus has provided, how many women versus men, age as well as tracking locations', he told Beauty's Got Soul.

'100% of your donation goes directly to maintaining and providing the sleep bus, and as most people assume, it isn't going to pay for head offices salaries.'

While the Sleep Bus website claims to provide clarity for everything it is doing for the homeless, most of the links still remain 'under construction'.

Its financial information on the Australian Charity and Not-For-Profit Commission provides little insight into where the money is going.

The registered charity's last visible annual report from the year ended June 2017 shows that 'employee expenses' accounted for $130,337 in a year it raised $188, 970 from donations.

Mr Rowe denied he had failed to lodge his financial reports and blamed the commission for failing to publish them.

'I've got an email from the commission saying it is an error on their side and that the financials are there,' he said.

He explained the expenses paid to employees covered servicing the Sleep Bus.

'We have security people on the bus all night at $50 an hour, on 12-hour shifts, seven days a week - that adds up so that's where that money goes, so I don't think that's unusual,' he said.

Concern among Melbourne's homeless and charity workers has reached boiling point as Mr Rowe ramps up his fundraising efforts for the 'Pink Bus'.

Mr Rowe is asking for hundreds of thousands of dollars to fund the bus, calling on well-meaning Aussies to hit up their bosses to make 'big donations'.

The charity has already raised $71,199 of a $100,000 target for the 'Pink Bus'.

'Since 2016 he has raised a huge amount of funds and other than some photos of some work being done on a few buses, there is little evidence of it being used for the purposes that was outlined,' one concerned person posted online.

'When a charity has a website that almost entirely funnels to fundraising but lacks basic contact information and an About page, I have questions.'

'Tried to contact them, and find location, about a year ago for a rough sleeper to no avail,' another wrote. 'Disappointing, especially seeing they have received a lot of funding.'

Melbourne Homeless Support Group administrator Chris McSweeney told Daily Mail Australia Mr Rowe refused to answer questions about the bus.

'I've been blocked from the page for asking about the bus,' he said.

'It seems anyone who asks about where the bus is will get blocked or their comment hidden.

'This page has over 6000 members. Most of them are people from Melbourne who have experienced homelessness at some stage.'

Mr Rowe said he had been contacted by a couple of organisations who wanted to know what was happening and he had 'told them as much as (he) could' but had blocked some who become offensive.

'We had to stick to our strategic plan and that's kind of where we're at,' he said. 'Some of them got quite nasty so that's fairly normal.'

Mr Rowe said the service had been reduced in recent times as finances dwindled.

'I've worked my butt off, I've shown everybody with videos, and that sort of thing, where our money goes. We build buses, we get them out on the road.'

Mr Rowe declined to reveal where the bus was currently located.

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Sleep bus for the homeless has never had a homeless person sleep in it

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Homeless people have complained they have been unable to use the bus Figures show most of the money raised in previous years went on paying staff The charity is raising more money for a bus aimed at domestic violence victims The charity commissioner has received several complaints about the charity Sleep bus director Simon Rowe had strongly rejected the claims A bus built to provide homeless people with a safe place to sleep, and funded through charitable donations, is under investigation amid claims it's failing to deliver on the promised service.

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Sleepbus.org

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sleepbus® provides a safe, temporary overnight accommodation service, getting people off the street by offering an immediate, first stop, cost-effective solution for our society's most vulnerable; catching them early until they can get back on their feet. sleepbus® is an Australian Registered DGR not-for-profit charity.

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With the dramatic increase of women (and their children) ending up on the streets due to financial strife, family breakdown and other factors, sleepbus will launch a "Pink" sleepbus. This will be a service specifically for women (and their children).

Although our traditional service can cater for both male and female guests of all ages, there is a need for women to be in a female only environment for their own peace of mind and mental health. sleepbus recognises this and because our model can adapt quickly to meet the needs of people forced onto the streets, a pink sleepbus was a no brainer.

Thanks to the overwhelming support of the sleepbus family, we have raised the funds required to build the worlds first pink sleepbus and we look forward to sharing the build journey with you up until our planned launch of this service in early 2020. That is the power of collective action.
"Community problems are best tackled collectively. It is this power of collective action that is helping to bring sleepbus® to communities around Australia. Get onboard!"
Simon Rowe | sleepbus® founder

Watch the latest progress video below. Enjoy the journey!

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sleepbus® provides a safe, temporary overnight accommodation service, getting people off the street by offering an immediate, first stop, cost-effective solution for our society's most vulnerable; catching them early until they can get back on their feet. sleepbus® is an Australian Registered DGR not-for-profit charity.

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Small business big marketing

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Today we speak to someone who, on a daily basis, tells millions and millions of us where to go and what to do. It's Karen Jacobsen ... The original voice of Siri, in a mind-twisting episode 560 of The (12 year-old, award-winning) Small Business Big Marketing podcast.

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Marketing a Not-For-Profit with Sleepbus founder Simon Rowe | SBBM

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Today we speak to someone who, on a daily basis, tells millions and millions of us where to go and what to do. It's Karen Jacobsen ... The original voice of Siri, in a mind-twisting episode 560 of The (12 year-old, award-winning) Small Business Big Marketing podcast.

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Canberra Sleepbus provides refuge for vulnerable women in need of support | ABC News

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Aust bus and coach

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By: Fabian Cotter, Photography by: courtesy sleepbus.org, Video by: courtesy sleepbus.org
Each year in Australia, fluctuating fortunes have meant multiple thousands of people unfortunately are forced to sleep on the streets unsheltered every night, let alone have some place safe to stay for longer. If indeed 'charity begins at home', what if that home is actually a bus - a 'sleepbus', to be precise?

When a business or organisation's mission statement is so impactful that it could better off used as a societal clarion call for a lost and wistful nation, arguably it is time to take note.

"Welcome to the family!" Spotswood, Melbourne-based Sleepbus - winner of the 2017 Telstra Victorian Charity of the Year award - starts its introduction to the masses.

"When people work together, their strengths magnify. Family bestows them with a collective power to withstand all kinds of hardship. This is why family is extremely important," it explains.

"Sleepbus is a non-profit organisation bringing safe overnight accommodation to people sleeping rough in Australia. Our accommodation is not a long-term solution; we don't offer counselling, we don't give money, we don't provide the Ritz. What we do provide is a safe night's sleep; we get people off the street," it succinctly explains.

"Sleepbus is distinct yet complementary to existing efforts from other organisations supporting Australians experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness. Our work aims to fill a 'gap' rather than overlap or replicate activities that support the urgent needs of people in Australia."

At the heart of the matter is its beautifully simplistic mantra, one that is often forgotten or taken for granted by many of the time-poor and rat-race-challenged among us these days: 'Sleep changes everything.'

"Our mission [is] to bring safe overnight accommodation to people sleeping rough in Australia," it continues.

"Our vision [is] to end the need for people sleeping rough in Australia," and that: "Our family ... will use its collective power to help people find pathways out of homelessness."

So what inspired Sleepbus founder and CEO Simon Rowe [ spoiler alert: he and his family do much of the fabrication work on the buses themselves! Let's just let that sink in for a moment] to start such a benevolent entity that offers dignity and grace each night for often dejected and despondent 'guests' whom have nowhere safe, clean, comfy and simply nice to sleep?

"In short, I found the tiredest man I had ever seen and my kids told me to do something about it," a justifiably busy Rowe explained to ABC magazine, recently.

"I am extremely proud of my boys [now 21 years old] who have dug in, worked hard, helped me when I needed it and been a massive supporter of what I'm trying to do - that's pretty special," said Rowe.

"After all, all of this is their fault," he laughed.

"Because of the effect 'the tiredest man I had ever seen' had on me, my boys [15 at the time] challenged me to do something about it and this set in motion a complete life change for me; from the business and corporate arenas to the charity sector and bus building - and I wouldn't change it for the world," he explained.

THE FLEET

The sleepbus.org bus fleet currently consists of: 1x Scania 1995 three-axle; 1x Volvo 1995 three-axle, 1x Mercedes-Benz 1992 two-axle, 1x Motorcoach 1992 two-axle, 1x PMC two-axle (as a workshop) - it drives, but not registered; 1x Mercedes-Benz 1990 two-axle as a stationary laundry bus (no engine or gearbox); and a Hino two-axle as a future medical bus to be called 'sleepbus Health'.

"I'm not sure what bodies they are - they are sleepbus ones now," he joked.

"The workshop bus drives and we obviously use this for our workshop to keep us out of the weather," Rowe explained.

"We also get our depot for free, but the landlord may need to move us to other locations from time to time, so it was important that our set-up was mobile and we could just drive to the a new location and just keep going, so no setup required.

"The laundry bus is set up to just plug into an extension power cord and garden hose and the commercial laundry fires up! We just have to tow that if we have to move, which hasn't happened yet."

THE STRUCTURE

So how many people are involved at the core of Sleepbus and what are their connections exactly, you might ask - all family members, or people from all walks of life just wanting to get involved? And what drives them as a team to make a change?

"I would say every charity starts just like we have, with family and friends around the dining table. That's us - and family don't complain about working for free," Rowe chuckled innocently.

"We run very lean, by design, so it's just three of us and a graphic designer.

"I do all the work," he responded when asked about whom does the modifications and fabrication work on the buses.

"I'm 100 per cent hands on. I designed and built the prototype sleepbus and the rest we have now [by] myself, with help from two sons.

"The only fabrication work we farm out now is when the side of the bus is cut out and the sleep pod access doors are welded in," he said.

"It is just far more cost effective doing it ourselves; to have a third party build this for us [we were] quoted at $200k plus and we can do it for less than $100k," he explained.

"I was a business person and corporate consultant before doing this. I have an architectural background also, so the design part was easy enough for me," he added.

"I'm not bad on the tools and just worked the rest out as I went.

"I have zero bus mechanical/engine/running gear knowledge and rely on friendly bus company workshops for help with this, like Dom from Kastoria and Lynette from the Dineen Group - both here in Melbourne, Victoria," he stated.

"Kastoria and the Dineen Group have been the biggest supporters through this journey. They have always gone above and beyond to help me, despite my lack of knowledge. They have always taken my call. Very grateful," Rowe said.

OCCUPANT RESPONSE

How would Rowe describe the reaction from the people who use the bus? And were they regulars from certain areas, or did Sleepbus drive around to different places and look for people who need help?

"We found during the trial of our prototype sleepbus over two years that people are very grateful for a safe, warm place to sleep for the night," he explained.

"This approach hadn't been done anywhere in the world before, so we had to test and see if: a) it worked; and b) people used and liked it.

"Not only did we find that it worked and was well received, we also found positive side effects to the service: better physical and mental health of our guests," Rowe stated.

"Simply not having to sleep outside in the elements and worrying about your safety through the night ... it makes a huge difference," he explained.

"We try to stick to set locations, so people know where to find us. So 'regulars', 'one-time users' and 'semi-regular' are normal.

"We work with other charities to find out where we should be, and being a bus - not a building - we are able to go where we are needed."

WHERE NEXT?

According to Rowe, the sleepbus.org goal for this year is to launch four sleepbuses for the areas of Melbourne, Queanbeyan, NSW; Canberra, ACT; and Maroochydore, Queensland - and the Hino 'sleepbus health'.

"We hope with the momentum of these services and the publicity that is generated we can raise the necessary funds to build more Sleepbuses for operation in Sydney, Byron Bay (NSW), Brisbane, Gold Coast (QLD), Adelaide (SA), Perth (WA) and more in Melbourne," Rowe stated.

"What is needed for this to happen, as with all things, are the funds and suitable buses - all of which we are confident we can bring in.

"The pandemic has certainly caused tremendous financial strain on people and families, the biggest cause of homelessness, so the need is [there] and will continue to increase for some time to come.

"On the other hand, speaking for the Victorian government, every rough sleeper here has been offered hotel accommodation. Obviously this can't last, but it has been a fantastic initiative.

"Covid permitting [Victoria was heading back into a snap lockdown as this was written] we will launch the Queanbeyan Service in March 2021; the pink sleepbus services for Canberra and Melbourne in June/July and the Maroochydore and sleepbus health services towards the end of the year.

HURDLES AND HICCUPS

The top three challenges - global pandemics aside - that Sleepbus faces are: raising funds to build buses, finding sponsors for the services, and finding suitable buses that are of roadworthy condition and not full of rust, Rowe explained.

"I say biggest challenges because they are; however, to date we have managed this ok. We've had great support and, fingers crossed, this will only increase with momentum and increased awareness of the Sleepbus charity and the service it provides," he added.

"I think 'sleepbus health' will be a fantastic add-on initiative to Sleepbus for our guests and, going well, we will look to build additional sleepbus health vehicles for other states."

So does Rowe take pride in all he and the sleepbus team have achieved?

"I'm not sure I'm at the proud state yet; there's still a lot to do," he answered. "I have pretty high standards and lofty goals."

SLEEPBUS.ORG MANTRA

"Sleep changes everything. Sleep plays a vital role in good health and wellbeing, and getting enough quality sleep can help protect a person's mental health, physical health, and safety.

"For those sleeping rough, getting a good night's sleep is near impossible and can contribute to long-term homelessness and more.

"We believe that sleep changes everything. With a good night's sleep, we think the pathway out of homelessness will be a little easier to find."

BUS ORIGINS

1. Laundry Bus - Dineen Group

2. Original prototype sleepbus and now Canberra Pink sleepbus - Dineen Group

3. Melbourne Pink sleepbus - Kastoria

4. Queanbeyan sleepbus - private individual donor

5. sleepbus health - private purchase; previously Red Cross blood-donor vehicle (from the 1980s)

6. Workshop bus - ex-Winton Raceway, ex-Bendigo Transit bus

7. Maroochydore sleepbus - Buslink Queensland

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By: Fabian Cotter, Photography by: courtesy sleepbus.org, Video by: courtesy sleepbus.org Each year in Australia, fluctuating fortunes have meant multiple thousands of people unfortunately are forced to sleep on the streets unsheltered every night, let alone have some place safe to stay for longer.

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sleepbus. 12,829 likes · 89 talking about this. sleepbus® provides a safe, temporary overnight accommodation service, getting people off the street; catching them early until they can get back on...

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Sleepbus will be sanctuary for sunshine coast homeless

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Sleepbus will be sanctuary for sunshine coast homeless

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ABC News

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Queensland's first sleep bus has arrived to offer emergency beds to homeless people on the Sunshine Coast, as support agencies struggle to help an avalanche of people caught in the housing crisis.

The Maroochy Neighbourhood Centre raised $200,000 for two sleep buses after a homeless man was killed in 2019

Queensland's first sleep bus will house eight people each night in pods with toilets, air conditioning, wifi and charging stations

Charities are seeing an increase in homelessness as rental prices increase

The $100,000 bus has been financed from community donations through a campaign that began when homeless man David Collin was killed in his sleeping bag at Maroochydore in 2019.

Mark Ellis, the community development coordinator at the Maroochy Neighbourhood Centre, felt compelled to provide safe beds in an area that has no homeless shelter for men.

He said although the bus was not a long or even medium-term housing solution, it would give some respite to people in crisis.

"Because they're so, so sleep deprived, you know, a few nights' good sleep in a bed, their mental health will improve, which will improve their physical health," Mr Ellis said.

'I'm not a bum'

Peter McNeill hopes to be one of the first to sleep in the bus when it opens on January 21.

Mr McNeill said he had been homeless for nearly five years after quitting his Bunnings job due to ill health.

He said Ross River fever from a mosquito bite developed into chronic fatigue, leaving him unable to work for more than an hour or two without needing to lie down.

"There's some people out there who think, 'Oh, you're just a bum, but I'm not a bum. You know, I'm not ... a well person," he said.

Mr McNeill was on the public housing wait list and had been offered rental assistance, but he was unable to find an affordable rental in the current market.

He described the bus as "absolutely brilliant" and "a blessing from God".

"It'll give me the luxury of feeling safe when I'm sleeping," Mr McNeill said.

How it works

The Maroochydore bus has eight double pods which can sleep eight single people or more if there are couples or relatives.

It will be parked in Maroochydore at a council-approved spot, and doors open between 8.30pm and 10.30pm for "onboarding", with wake up from 7am.

Sleep buses usually fills their spots on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Melbourne founder and chief executive of Sleepbus, Simon Rowe, said dogs would also be allowed.

"We have one rule, which is the quiet enjoyment rule.

"So, we don't care what your condition is, what you've got with you, a pet, whatever - we just need your name and you can have a quiet night's sleep."

Mr Rowe converted the bus himself after it was donated by transport company CDC.

The sleep pods have air conditioning, reading lights, USB charging points, a small toilet and even an iPad for sleepers to catch up on TV programs.

Volunteers will be required to clean the bedding, but Mr Rowe said he'd had 50 people signing up wanting to help.

The bus will also have a volunteer caretaker who will sleep onboard in another pod.

"So, they stay on the front of the bus in their own cabin, it's quite a big cabin, they've got security cameras so they can see what's going on," Mr Rowe said.

He said all the guests would also have a little walkie talkie.

"So, if they want to communicate, they can do that."

Great need

The blue bus will be open to anyone who needs a bed, but a pink bus for women has also been ordered and will arrive mid-year.

Mr Ellis said the need for emergency housing was continuing to grow in the region, with many unable to afford rent increases.

"I had a 73-year-old woman come in on December 22. She had been homeless for four months," he said.

"To the department's credit, the next day, she was actually housed because a 73-year-old woman sleeping rough on the street is not on."

Mr Ellis said government investment in housing was needed.

"I think the federal government needs to actually start looking at it seriously and pump some serious money into it, otherwise ... we've got a serious problem as it is but it's going to get even worse."

Sleep buses gain momentum

The Queensland bus follows others in Melbourne, Canberra and neighbouring Queanbeyan in New South Wales.

Mr Ellis said the Maroochydore fundraising efforts had inspired other communities and sleep buses had been ordered for Hervey Bay, Byron Bay and Taree.

"I feel like a proud dad really. To see the bus here and having a few of the people that have experienced homelessness coming and having a look at the bus is a great thing."

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Community with no homeless shelter buys a bus instead

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Queensland's first sleep bus has arrived to offer emergency beds to homeless people on the Sunshine Coast, as support agencies struggle to help an avalanche of people caught in the housing crisis.

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ABC News

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A charity trying to help 770 people who are sleeping rough on the Sunshine Coast will be the first in Australia to create both men's and women's shelters in the form of buses, thanks to an outpouring of community support.

A Queensland charity has turned to buses to house homeless people

The buses will sleep 40 but more beds are needed with at least 769 people sleeping rough in the region

The charity managers were shocked at how quickly they raised $100,000 for the women's bus

The Maroochy Neighbourhood Centre raised $100,000 for a women's sleep bus in just three weeks, following a longer campaign for the men's bus.

"It shocked us," the centre's chief executive, Michael Henning, said.

"When one of the major donors fronted up with a cheque I just cried."

The neighbourhood centre says it will be the first organisation in Australia to provide bus accommodation for men and women, with similar but separate projects in Canberra and Queanbeyan.

The sleepbuses, built in Melbourne, will provide 20 pod beds with toilets, supported by security and volunteers to keep occupants safe at night.

"They have mattresses and pillows, they have a little TV, and a USB port so they can plug in their iPads or mobile phones to charge up," Mr Henning said.

He said he had already received "really good quality" donated sheets and towels and was organising a regular cleaning service with the Orange Sky Laundry charity.

Better than swags

Sunshine Coast man Mark Wadeson became homeless three years ago and said while charities did their best to provide swags for the homeless they were often uncomfortable.

"We called them body bags because there was never a spot to tie the ends to hold it up, so the plastic would cover your face and you would feel suffocated," Mr Wadeson explained.

Mr Wadeson said that he was not able to start recovering from cancer until he was given accommodation.

He has since run for council and is studying health science at the University of the Sunshine Coast.

"The amount of times you wake up at night with people going past, or moving to avoid council, reduced your sleep," he said.

Mr Wadeson said a sleepbus would have changed his life on the streets.

"It's not a permanent solution for a person but a stepping stone that gives them some rest to get themselves together," he said.

He added that the bus would also give homeless people "a sense of belonging", which was vital for mental health.

More help needed

Maroochy Neighbourhood Centre worker Mark Ellis had been campaigning for more emergency accommodation for several years, with no men's shelter in the region and only a handful of options for women and children.

He said while he was "stoked" about the sleepbuses, he believed there was a need for "a lot more" emergency housing with 769 people sleeping rough on the Sunshine Coast with about 300 of them in Maroochydore.

"It'd be great if we could actually sit here and say we've got housing for everyone. But that's a long way off," Mr Ellis said.

Donors during pandemic

Mr Ellis and Mr Henning both said that while they expected to raise the money they were stunned at how quickly some larger, anonymous donors came forward.

Katherine Raskob, the chief executive officer of Fundraising Institute Australia, which counts around 80 per cent of Australian charities as members, said she was not surprised that the sleepbus fundraising had been successful.

She said charities had expected to lose up to a quarter of their donations during 2020 but many attracted the same or more funding, especially those with causes related to the pandemic such as homelessness and mental health.

"Because I think Australians could recognise, you know, the impact on health, social welfare," Ms Raskob said.

Mr Wadeson said he hoped more people now had empathy for his friends still living on the streets.

"Anyone can end up homeless and with the current environment more people have realised how easily it could happen to them," he said.

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'It shocked us': Sunshine Coast charity stunned at generous donations to sleepbus project

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A charity trying to help 770 people who are sleeping rough on the Sunshine Coast will be the first in Australia to create both men's and women's shelters in the form of buses, thanks to an outpouring of community support.

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Sunshine Coast business helps sleepbus find a closer place to park | 7NEWS

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A sleepbus for the homeless has arrived on the Sunshine Coast | 7NEWS

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It's not ok to let someone sleep on the street and that's why we're doing something about it.

Every time I'm invited to an event to share the sleepbus story, people always ask; why?

At the beginning, after I saw the tiredest man I had ever see, my children told me I should do some thing about people sleeping on the street; so I thought I would. I created sleepbus to end the need for people to sleep rough in Australia. A safe place for people doing it tough to take a breath and provide an opportunity to workout their pathway out of homelessness.

If you're thinking about what you might do to help those on the street, may I ask that you take a look at not just what we're doing, but how we're doing it; we're having a crack and with your help we can end the need for people to sleep rough in Australia. Get onboard.

Simon Rowe | sleepbus Founder

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sleepbus® provides a safe, temporary overnight accommodation service, getting people off the street by offering an immediate, first stop, cost-effective solution for our society's most vulnerable; catching them early until they can get back on their feet. sleepbus® is an Australian Registered DGR not-for-profit charity.

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