One week homeless and I already understood how people die in this system. A year later, I still understand and nothing has changed.

Almost exactly a year ago — May 28, 2025 — I had been homeless for one week. And already, I understood how people die in this system.

I come from an educated background. I have nearly $200,000 locked in super that I still can't touch. I know how to advocate, write, and expose. And yet I was barely hanging on. Now imagine someone without those tools — someone systematically oppressed and treated as expendable since birth. For them, the path isn't just exhausting; it's a fast track to prison or a cemetery.

That week, another Aboriginal death in custody was in the news. The police officer on ABC expressed condolences but made sure to remind us "this affects police officers too." I predicted exactly how it would unfold: an investigation by police into themselves, no wrongdoing found, recycled statements, silence — until the next death. Because this is Australia. A country that criminalises poverty and breaks people with bureaucracy, then wonders why they disappear.

Meanwhile, some celebrity was selling a mindset course, telling struggling people to journal more. I wrote about that too — about how the system quietly pushes some down so others can rise.

Now, nearly a full year later, I'm still in the fight. The system hasn't softened. I'm still homeless. I'm still writing.

Full piece: https://medium.com/@cyrille.jeufo/they-said-it-was-a-safety-net-it-was-a-noose-3b120a4fbc3d