Almost 1,500 homeless Australians die prematurely each year. This family hopes the death of their loved one won’t be in vain

Jamaine’s aunt and uncle, Colleen and Michael. ‘He was a really good person,’ Colleen says of Jamaine, ‘everyone loved him’. Photograph: Christopher Hopkins/The Guardian

After 11 months of sleeping rough, it was the little things Jamaine liked. Showering any time he wanted, cooking on his own barbecue. Locking the front door.

When the 29-year-old made it into social housing in March last year, his time sleeping rough stayed with him. Unused to a proper bed, he slept on the couch. He kept his shoes on at night in case he was asked to move on.