Lee Sarich lives in a retirement facility on Sydney's Northern Beaches, but he's only 42-years-old.
Five years ago, the Lance-Corporal who served in the Australian Army for a decade, found himself somewhere he never imagined he'd be after serving the nation: homeless.
It wasn't immediate. After two tours of Afghanistan, he was diagnosed with PTSD in 2008 when he was struck by an improvised explosive device.
He was discharged in 2012 and was then in a psychiatric facility, which looked after veterans and first responders.
"I kind of just thought (after that) I'd roll on as a civilian and after two years I found I was unable to work, and being unable to work meant I was unable to meet my financial commitments, and eventually that lead to me becoming homeless and bankrupt," he said.
Lance-Corporal Lee Sarich served in Afghanistan twice. He was diagnosed with PTSD after he was struck by an improvised explosive device. Source: Supplied
"Going bankrupt... that really hit the hardest... it wasn’t what I was expecting."
Mr Sarich was told about the Homes for Heroes program, based at the RSL LifeCare retirement village in Narrabeen.
Despite its location, the program helps young men and woman returning from conflict get back on their feet.
It changed his life, and he still lives there today as a mentor and inspiration to many.
But the program is still relatively unknown despite the number of homeless veterans rising.
, funded by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA), found 5.3 per cent of recently-transitioned ADF personnel were homelessness within a 12-month period.
Homes for Heroes program manager Jason Kioko said: "on any given night there are 5,700 veterans experiencing homelessness - we are currently working with 42."
"That’s a lot of other people who can benefit from support like this."
Council to Homeless Persons CEO Jenny Smith said a contributing factor to veteran homelessness was a massive misconception about the face of homelessness.
“Most Australians still look at homelessness as being a middle-aged mature gentleman with an alcohol or drug problem but only seven per cent of Australians are sleeping rough," she said.
"A veteran comes out to a world where the rent is by and large unaffordable, they come out into a world where 116,000 people every night in Australia are experiencing homelessness... a world where 288,000 different people every year are approaching homelessness services and 150,000 are on social housing waiting lists.
"That's the world they have to contend with.”
What is Homes for Heroes?
Homes For Heroes provides holistic support to veterans of contemporary conflicts post-1991.
It uses a ‘housing first’ method and integrates it with ‘wraparound’ programs, services and extracurricular activities.
Program manager Jason Kioko described it as a brick-and-mortar approach.
"Giving people a roof and a comfortable bed to actually settle down first changes everything and then they get an understanding of what their options are as far as rebuilding and moving forward," he said.
Lance-Corporal Lee Sarich says society assumes veterans are older men and often forget the younger women and men who have served in more recent conflicts. Source: SBS News
"It's amazing to see people come in with no hope in the beginning and then speak to them a few months down the road and they're actually planning and talking about connecting with their children and feeling relieved that the financial pressures bogging them down and health issues are starting to lift."
Every resident then gives back to the program by volunteer work, mentoring others, or engaging in education, training, and rehabilitation opportunities.
Mr Sarich said while he automatically felt a sense of community and understanding when he entered the program, partly due to its physical location at a veteran-specific village, he struggled to adapt.
"(There were) really tough days - a lot of the time I was just struggling to stay alive really," he said.
"I just spent a lot of time on my own, in my room, not really engaging with anyone."
Mr Sarich said it took about 12 months to feel at home. He started playing golf, even though he hated it at first.
"It's been five years and I'm still really bad at it," he laughed.
'Complex issue': RSL LifeCare
RSL LifeCare CEO Laurie Leigh said similar programs are running in South Australia and Victoria, but it's not enough.
"I think often people assume veterans are looked after, and are looked after by the DVA, and while they often are, there is that transition period out of the forces that's different for everyone," she said.
RSL LifeCare CEO Laurie Leigh says more services, like the Homes for Heroes program, are needed to stop the rising number of homeless young veterans. Source: SBS News
"We are doing our bit to help with this issue but it is a big issue and very complex, and we need everyone to step up and help out."
She suggested additional services and support during the time of transition to prevent veterans from becoming at risk of homelessness in the first place.
Veterans' Affairs Minister Darren Chester told SBS News the government was concerned about any instance of veteran homelessness.
Lance-Corporal Lee Sarich often speaks at events about how society views veterans, raising awareness that younger veterans need help too. Source: Supplied
“While state and territory governments have primary responsibility for delivering housing and homelessness services, the Australian Government provides more than $6 billion per year for housing and homelessness services for all Australians, including veterans," he said.
“The Government, through DVA, has commissioned research into homelessness in the veteran community to build a more comprehensive understanding of the extent of veteran homelessness."
For Mr Sarich, it's a bittersweet battle every day.
While he's generally happy and healthy, he's acutely aware of others in a similar situation to him five years ago - particularly younger veterans.
He uses his lived experiences to raise awareness that younger veterans exist in the first place, and is devastated to see the number of homeless ones rise.
"It’s unforgivable I think," he said.
"It’s unacceptable, it’s unforgivable. There’s a lot to be discussed."
The DVA recommends any veteran that finds themselves homeless or at risk of homelessness to contact Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling on 1800 011 046 or Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) on 1800 555 254 who will help them to access appropriate support.
