Ruth Rory has travelled eight hours by bus to Katherine from the remote Northern Territory community of Borroloola.
She's in town to visit family and see the doctor after attending a funeral.
She has been sleeping at a public toilet block.
"That's my only shelter," Ms Rory said.
"Sometimes I go to the post office to sleep, just to get away from the rain."
The 49-year-old said she wanted more accommodation for remote visitors.
"It's not fair for everyone that is sleeping out on the street," she said.
"For them, and for myself, we need a shelter."
For decades, Katherine has battled extreme rates of homelessness, recording 31 times the national average.
Jason Fuller, from the remote community of Barunga, is among them.
"I sleep everywhere," he said.
"I sleep on the tents, I sleep at ANZ bank on top of the stairs and I sleep at the library door."
He said Katherine desperately needed more accommodation.
"You know in Darwin, Salvation Army has a hostel in the city ... but they haven't got one here," he said.
'Feasibility study' due to begin this year
The township of Katherine, about 300 kilometres south-east of Darwin, is a major regional hub servicing dozens of remote communities, spanning an area bigger than Tasmania.
It's where thousands of people come to see a doctor, buy groceries, spend time with family and visit the bank.
However, many visitors from remote communities are priced out of hotels and short-term rentals, and don't have a place to stay.
The Northern Territory's Department of Families, Housing and Communities has committed to investigating the "viability and benefit" of building a short-term accommodation facility in Katherine.
"Applications to deliver the feasibility study into short-term accommodation options in Katherine has now closed and are being assessed by Territory Families, Housing and Communities," a department spokesperson said in a statement.
"The study is on track to begin this financial year."
Case manager says solution can't wait
Dean Jones said a short-stay accommodation unit could not come fast enough.
He's the senior case manager at the Katherine Salvation Army, which runs the Doorways Hub drop-in centre for people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
"How many feasibility studies do you have to have?" he said.
"Just do it."
Every morning from Monday to Friday, Mr Jones and his team offer toast, soup and cups of tea to people such as Ms Rory and Mr Fuller, as well as access to washing machines and showers.
Mr Jones said about 100 people came through the door every day.
"We get asked non-stop for accommodation," Mr Jones said.
"There's nowhere medium to short-term for anyone to stay at all, apart from Corroboree Aboriginal Hostel, which is always full."
'There is an accommodation crisis'
Alice Springs-based doctor and medical researcher Simon Quilty, who spent eight years working at Katherine Hospital, said the need for a local short-stay accommodation facility in Katherine was "obvious".
"I just find it appalling that the Northern Territory government is wasting time doing a feasibility analysis," Dr Quilty said.
"We don't need a feasibility study — there is an accommodation crisis."
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows First Nations people are consistently over-represented with chronic disease when compared to non-Indigenous Australians.
The vast majority of rough sleepers in Katherine are Aboriginal people.
"People often have to travel into town to see a doctor," Dr Quilty said.
"And not only that — family often visit because they have loved ones in hospital.
"There's simply no accommodation options available for people who travel on short notice for these kinds of needs."
Securing housing life-changing
Leonie Kingston said having secure housing has changed her life.
The Katherine woman used to live in a home with about 10 people, but now has a flat of her own after spending five years on a housing waitlist.
"I couldn't wait to move out," she said.
"You see a lot of homeless people around here — there's nothing here in Katherine".
Ms Kingston said she considered herself lucky.
"It's really quite hard, especially when it's wet season" she said.
"Some people have got nowhere to stay and they sleep out on the streets.
"To me, I feel sorry for them, especially when it rains."
