For most, we tend to think of Christmas as an opportunity to come together with our friends and family in celebration. However, for a number of Australians, the lead up to Christmas and New Year’s is not all that merry or bright.

A continuing housing crisis has been hard on many. But for Alice, aged in her 60s, and her dependent son, Adam, it was a challenge they never expected to experience, as they were forced to sleep rough for many months in a north Brisbane park, struggling through a chilly winter.