In the early hours of the morning this week, volunteers headed out onto the streets of Geraldton to gently wake rough sleepers and find out about their lives.
They wanted to speak to them before they moved off into the daylight, among people who rarely make eye contact.
The rough sleepers surveyed had spent an average of four years being homeless, and just over half had experienced trauma.
They received a voucher for their trouble as they divulged details of who they were and how they came to live on the streets.
There was roughly an equal number of men and women.
Of the 45 people who took part, 44 per cent had been physically harmed or verbally abused in the past six months.
Almost half said they did not have problematic drug and alcohol use, but 60 per cent identified as having mental health issues.
Leah Watkins from Ruah Community Services, one of the groups involved in the project, said the survey also found 69 per cent of those surveyed identified as Aboriginal.
She said it is the first survey of its kind.
"This is us setting the baseline to know what we will be comparing against," Ms Watkins said.
"Unless you know people by name and know what their particular support needs are, you are not particularly targeting the services at them.
"So I think traditionally you might have a model where service providers say 'I provide this, come and get it', rather than 'what do you need? Let us provide that'."
69pc of rough sleepers Aboriginal
Geraldton Wilunyu woman Donna Ronan said she was not surprised Aboriginal people were so overrepresented in the group.
"I think because our people have struggled for so long," she said.
"An example is a family member who tried to get a place — tried to get support through mental health, accommodation through real estate — just with no luck," Ms Ronan said.
"I think in the end they lost any faith in trying anymore and just ended up couch surfing."
A number of community groups worked together for the survey including Ruah, Mission Australia, Centacare, and Zero Project, which Ms Watkins manages.
She said the public can be like "deer in the headlights" because the problem of homelessness seemed insurmountable.
But she believed it can be tackled in parts — starting with people on the streets, but not stopping there.
Family of five living in a tent
The Hooton family have been living in a tent since moving to Geraldton for work.
A lack of housing forced them out of the midwest town of Kalbarri, but they arrived in Geraldton as the rental market shrunk.
Amanda Hooton said they have competed with 20 other people for rental properties.
"They have jobs and continual income, and a house to live in before they move out and move into the new property," Mrs Hooton said.
"We are homeless, living in a tent, living on savings with the odd job here and there. We do not look too appealing to everybody."
Amanda and Owen Hooton and their three children are spending $52 a day to stay in a caravan park with a small bathroom next to their tent.
Their ordeal worsened when Mrs Hooton suffered a back injury and had to be hospitalised, sending their once-thriving home cleaning business grinding to a halt.
Their dream now is simply to have a home of their own in time for Christmas.
