The second image showed a man lying on a thin yoga mat, covered with a sleeping bag and his head on what seems to be an old pillow. Ms Scaffidi wrote, “Small businesses face enough in [the] current Perth climate without having this on their doorsteps. Still there at 11.45am". The business is listed on its website as closed on Saturdays. Ms Mackenzie said she was “outraged” and said the lack of compassion shown in the tweet was “appalling”. “Taking photos of people who have clearly fallen on hard times, and not respecting their privacy, is totally unacceptable,” she said.

“What if that was your dad or your brother and you didn’t know they were living like that, and what if those men have other issues and now their identities are out there, it puts them at risk. “People who are homeless need access to housing and services to get off the streets.” Another image Lisa Scaffidi tweeted of a man sleeping rough on Murray Street. Credit:Twitter @LisaScafPerthLM For Ms Scaffidi, the tweet highlighted the issue of homelessness as well as the issue of struggling businesses in Perth, following the central business district recording a 10.8 per cent vacancy rate in commercial real estate in 2018. Ms Scaffidi told WAtoday she had worked hard to raise awareness of homelessness and got the state government to address the issue before her suspension, as well as helping to set up Homeless Connect in the City of Perth.

“As a city resident and business owner myself, and representative to the people of many other business owners and city residents, our concerns for these people in clear genuine need continue to fall on deaf ears and blind eyes,” she said. “It’s very sad to see so many people in many doorways and they’re being seen by the thousands who just ‘walk on by’ every day. “No one seems to care.” Ms Mackenzie said there was a great demand on homelessness organisations and services were stretched, and that’s why people were often sleeping rough. “Many local governments, including the City of Perth, are working with business, state government and the community sector to end homelessness - not to literally and metaphorically take cheap shots at people who need access to services and support,” she said.

“Ms Scaffidi is clearly out of touch.” Ms Scaffidi is currently suspended from her role as City of Perth Lord Mayor. Ms Mackenzie said since her suspension, the City of Perth had developed great initiatives with local businesses about ending homelessness. “We’re working really hard with the City of Perth to end homelessness and this just sensationalises it [homelessness] and impacts our work," she said. “We need to educate the public that people don’t choose to be homeless.

“The Lord Mayor should be looking for a solution for homelessness and help positively impact public perception so we can help end it.” Ms Scaffidi said the rescinding of vagrancy laws in the early 90s was at the heart of the problem and enabled people who were homeless to be in these places. “City officers simply do not have the powers to move them or or even assist,” she said. “These people need help...accommodation, assistance to return to better health - be it through correct regular medical treatment that they’re simply unable to access and stick to on the streets. “It’s not about free coffees or food services. It’s so much bigger than that.”

Ms Scaffidi said she equally stood by the fact that businesses where people who are homeless sleep were unfairly impacted and were powerless. “The impact on our city is manifested by putting fear into families and visitors and makes many feel unsafe in the city which is impacting local visitation, tourism and economy,” she said. “It’s a concerning downward spiral and very hard to assist all being impacted - the homeless themselves and the small business owner.”