Winter in Canberra is famously unforgiving. As overnight temperatures plummet well below freezing, most of us retreat to our comfortably heated homes. But on Alinga Street, just a short walk from the warmth of the Legislative Assembly, a 53-year-old rough sleeper named Rachel crawls under a mountain of rubbish. She huddles inside a sleeping bag, wrapping her feet in plastic bags just to survive the bitter cold and avoid dying of exposure.
She is our fellow Canberran, yet we routinely fail her. Rachel says she must plead with 20 or 30 passersby just to get a simple cup of hot water.
