Strike It Out told to remove sleeping pods and shower trailers for homeless people in Launceston

Strike It Out's sleeping pods have been returned to the warehouse after the charity did not secure a permit from the local council. (Supplied: Strike It Out)

A Tasmanian charity has had to remove a trailer of sleeping pods designed to help rough sleepers on freezing nights in Launceston, after the council said it did not have permission to put them there.

The tussle between Launceston City Council and charity Strike It Out has been an ongoing problem, with the charity saying the council has been aware of the project since late 2022.

Strike it Out purchased seven sleeping pods in 2019 and fitted them to a trailer so they could be used by people experiencing homelessness in Tasmania's second-largest city, with a second trailer containing two showers also available.

The completed trailers sat empty at Strike It Out's warehouse for over a year.

That was, until the charity's founder, Kirsten Ritchie, decided to set up the shower trailer a few months ago at the old tram sheds, in the Launceston suburb of Invermay, despite not having a council permit.

She said a large group of homeless people stayed near the sheds.

"I'm walking past empty trailers sitting in our yard every single day, and you've got people freezing cold down there," Ms Ritchie said.

She said council had not said anything about the showers, so she went a step further and put the sleeping pod trailer out too about two weeks ago.

But the charity said it had to remove both trailers on Saturday after the council said they would need to go.

Strike It Out later posted a scathing assessment of the council on Facebook.

"Where is the humanity for our community members?" the charity posted.

"The mobile shower trailer is fully registered, compliant and [has] not hurt anyone."

In the past seven days, Launceston's average overnight minimum temperature was 0 degrees Celsius, and the charity said a solution was desperately needed for the icy winter temperatures.

In return, the council has put out a statement taking aim at the "inaccurate narrative being put forward by Strike It Out".

'Multiple complaints from community' about pods, council says

The council told Strike it Out it would need to remove the two trailers due to "multiple complaints from community members about escalating antisocial behaviour, drug use, and infrastructure damage".

The sleeping pod trailer is solar powered to provide the pods with electricity, and there are lockers so people can safely store their belongings.

The sleeping pods are equipped with medical and duress alarms, and there are security cameras on the trailer.

Jesse, who has been staying at the spot for about six months on and off, acknowledged there were sometimes escalations between people staying there.

"I think if everyone can get on board with keeping it a bit quieter too so the houses across the street don't hear it as much," he said.

When the trailers were out, Jesse slept in one of the pods.

"The sleeping pods were great," he said.

"I spent a night in there — you have always have a bit of worries sometimes, but it was good."

Connor and his father have been staying at the spot in Invermay for about a month and a half.

"I'm lucky enough to have my own tent. I got one at a good price from Anaconda, but most people don't," the 17-year-old said.

"I've seen people on the streets over and over again for weeks now.

"I wake up at 7, 8 o'clock and there's still frost."

He had been using Strike it Out's showers before they were removed. He said being able to keep clean and get warm "keeps morale up".

"Now I've gotta go across town to my girlfriend's place, which is a bit of an inconvenience," he said.

Council claims 'inaccurate narrative'

Launceston City Council issued a media release on Monday saying it was "disappointed to again have to correct an inaccurate narrative being put forward by Strike It Out".

"Strike it Out has consistently blamed the City of Launceston for delays to the rollout of its shower and sleeping pod trailer project, despite the council clearly articulating the simple steps required to progress these initiatives," Acting Mayor Hugh McKenzie said.

"Despite multiple engagements with Strike It Out, going back as far as November 2022, we are no further along."

Ms Ritchie said she had been trying to work collaboratively with the council. She said she sent councillors and the mayor the sleeping pod project proposal in mid-2023.

Correspondence seen by the ABC between Ms Ritchie and the council shows she followed up in April this year with a risk assessment, privacy policy and application form for participants.

"It's just bureaucracy at it's best," she said.

Cr McKenzie said Strike It Out needed to provide more detail in its risk assessment, seek legal advice around the documentation it was requesting from participants, seek memorandums of understanding from partner organisations and consider advocating to the state government for land.

"In the meantime we are not confident that the safety and wellbeing of potential sleep pod users is sufficiently addressed by Strike It Out due to the lack of updated documentation and it is on this basis we have asked for the trailers to be removed," he said.

Ms Ritchie said she had reviewed a list of locations on state-owned land, provided to her by council, but said none were suitable.

She is still calling on the council to come to the table to help get the initiative off the ground.

"This morning, we've been down there — it's absolutely freezing," she said.

"One of the clients can't even get out, she's sounding so sick.

"It's just not right, it's freezing cold down there."

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