No fixed address
"I walked behind this guy the other day.
A homeless guy asked him for money.
He looks right at the homeless guy and says ‘why don't you go get a job you bum’.
People always say that to homeless guys like it is so easy.
This homeless guy was wearing his underwear outside his pants.
Outside his pants.
I'm guessing his resume isn't all up to date."
Underwear goes inside the pants—Lazy Boy
What is the issue?
Adequate housing is a human right and is part of having a quality of life. However, each day 105, 000 Australians are without safe, secure and affordable housing.
- Tonight half of Australia's homeless will stay with friends or family.
- About 2 in every 7 will find a bed in a boarding house.
- A lucky 1 in every 7 will find a bed in the homeless service system.
- 1 in every 7 will sleep rough on the streets of our cities and towns.
Definitions
Homelessness is usually defined as not having a house to live in. But, it is also about having little or no safety or security. A homeless person may have no shelter at all or a shelter that compromises their health or safety.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) defines homelessness as:
- currently living on the street
- living in crisis or refuge accommodation
- living in temporary arrangements without security, for example, moving between the residences of friends or relatives, living in squats, caravans or dwellings, or living in boarding houses
- living in unsafe family circumstances, for example, where child abuse or domestic violence is a threat or has occurred
- living on a very low income and facing costly expenses or a personal crisis.
Who is homeless?
There is a common view that homeless people are middle-aged, alcoholic men who sleep on a park bench. However, this cliché is becoming more and more inaccurate. While anyone has the potential to become homeless, there are some groups who are way more vulnerable. Young people under the age of 25 make up half of the homeless population. One in every 51 girls aged 15 -19 used a homeless service last year. The number of children using homeless services has increased by around 15, 000 in the last couple of years.
Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders are also largely over represented. Although they make up only 2% of the country’s population, they make up 18% of the clientele in homeless shelters. The scariest statistic is probably that in Australia one in 200 people face homelessness every night.
Why is it happening?
There are many reasons why people become homeless. These can be:
- poverty
- unemployment
- not enough affordable housing
- poor physical or mental health
- intellectual disability
- drug and alcohol abuse
- gambling
- family and relationship breakdown
- domestic violence
- physical and/or sexual abuse.
All these factors can cause a person to become homeless. They can also be one of the reasons why a person remains homeless. For example, drug and alcohol abuse can be both a cause and a result of homelessness.
What are we doing about it?
The main organization which advocates for the homeless community is called
Homelessness Australia. They aim to promote community awareness of homelessness, and they also get on the government’s back about creating and implementing proper policies which will help the problem. They think that the only way to tackle the issue is to work on:
1) Early intervention – so people don’t become homeless in the first place
2) Access to temporary accommodation and basic services
3) Support and assistance for those trying to get back on their feet
Luckily it seems like the government is taking notice of the facts. In the 2008 budget, the federal government put $150 million towards new homes for people leaving homelessness. They also run the
Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) – which is where (if there is enough space) homeless people can find shelter, food and a bed.
But with so many complex factors contributing to the problem, we still need more money and more ideas to make sure that every Australian has their own bed to make in the morning.
This page was updated by kate elise
How do I know this?
Australian Federation of Homelessness Organisations,
http://www.afho.org.au/
Australian Institute of Heath and Welfare 2005, Homelessness FAQs,
http://www.aihw.gov.au/housing/sacs/faqs.cfm
Homelessness Australia
http://www.homelessnessaustralia.org.au/site/index.php
‘Homelessness in Australia’, Parramatta Sun (7 May 2008)
http://parramatta.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/homelessness-in-australia/765841.aspx
Mackenzie, D & Chamberlain, C 2001, Counting the Homeless, Australian Bureau of Statistics,
http://www.countingthehomeless.com.au.
Mission Australia,
http://www.mission.com.au
Universal Declaration of Human Rights article 25 (1),
http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html
