Durbanites encouraged to get to know the city's homeless

Durban residents have been challenged to step into the tattered shoes of the city’s homeless.

The Denis Hurley Centre has invited residents of Durban to “get to know the homeless” at its Dare2Share event on Friday.

According to research conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council‚ “4,000 people live rough in the Durban CBD”‚ while one in three street people have been homeless for more than five years.

“Those of us used to more comfortable living arrangements will have the chance to share the city after dark with some of the homeless people who are on the streets every night‚” said Raymond Perrier‚ director of the centre.

“There will be an opportunity to share food‚ to share music and most importantly for fellow citizens to get to know each other. Those who want to‚ can roll up their sleeping bags and share the night with the homeless‚” he said.

The centre has arranged a secure venue next to its premises for the sleepover.

Perrier said the sleepover part “is optional”.

There is an entrance fee of R100 and participants are also challenged to raise R1,000 to assist the centre in its work.

- TimesLIVE