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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Christopher Knaus Chief investigations correspondent

‘People are dying waiting for a house’: how Australia’s healthcare system leaves rough sleepers with nowhere to turn

Nigel Pernu in a Melbourne laneway, standing beside a 'no entry' sign
Nigel Pernu, who has been homeless, now helps rough sleepers in Melbourne by encouraging them to seek specialist healthcare. Photograph: Christopher Hopkins/The Guardian

Nigel Pernu knows all too well the damage homelessness wreaks on a person’s health.

He slept rough for six months after six heart attacks left him hospitalised long-term in Adelaide, leading to an opioid addiction.

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