Batavia Motor Inne squatter Tyrone George Boddington from Geraldton has no other choice without identification

What image comes to mind when you think of a homeless person? Is it the common stereotype that a homeless person is a violent, antisocial threat to steer clear of? Or do you think of someone who is down on their luck, who through a variety of factors has become trapped in the darkness without a way to get out? Squatter and family man Tyrone George Boddington has been using the Batavia Motor Inne as a place to sleep since he was asked to leave the house he was living in — that was a year ago. “I’ve been there (Batavia Motor Inne) on and off about 12 months. I was staying with family but it got overcrowded and stuff like that,” Mr Boddington said. That’s the situation for many in Geraldton, forced to live in overcrowded houses to avoid homelessness. Mr Boddington said he didn’t want to be sleeping at the Batavia Motor Inne, but it had been his only option for quite some time. “It’s pretty rough. There’s no electricity and things, there’s a lot of arguments there, people are always drunk,” he said. Mr Boddington said sleeping inside the old derelict building was freezing, and many struggled to keep warm at night. “It’s really cold, but you make it as warm as you can, I suppose,” he said. Mr Boddington said last weekend’s alleged stabbing was the most traumatic incident he had seen so far, revealing it was a family member who was the injured party. Mr Boddington said he didn’t have any hobbies, but drinking alcohol was one of the only activities to take part in with his current situation. “I drink because there’s nothing else to do,” he said. “If you get bored, you go insane.” Mr Boddington said he hadn’t had enough identification until now to register on a housing waitlist, and he hoped there was help out there for people like him. “I hope to get all my IDs, and be steered in the right place to be able to get a house,“ Mr Boddington said. “I hope they do help us, because we need the help as much as we can get.” Mr Boddington has four children across Australia and said he was proud of them, and often had them in his thoughts. “My eldest daughter lives up in the Kimberley, she’s a park ranger. My other daughter lives in Perth, my son lives in New South Wales, and my baby daughter lives in Albany,” he said. Mr Boddington said he couldn’t visualise what was in store for his future, as he was focused on tackling daily struggles. “I’ve never thought that far yet — I just take it one day at a time,” he said.