There is an important distinction to be made between being houseless and being homeless. People who don’t have shelter are houseless not homeless. ‘To be homeless is an inadequate experience of connectedness with family and or community,’ states Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Program.
With more than 100,000 homeless people in Australia, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has ordered a White Paper report into the growing problem. Mr Rudd said the federal government would build on its $150 million election commitment to build new homes for people in crisis. ’We have a situation where as the country gets wealthier, homelessness gets worse,’ he said.
Those homeless on any one night include:
- 10,000 children under the age of 12
- 6,745 families
- 36,173 young people between the ages of 12 and 24
- 58,116 single people, many in the prime of their lives
- 6,000 people over the age of 65
Almost half of the people who are homeless in Australia are staying with family and friends but have no home of their own—14 per cent sleep in parks, tents or on the streets. A further 23 per cent are living in secure accommodation such as boarding houses. Currently, homelessness services provide accommodation to only 14 per cent of those who are homeless each night.
The impact of homelessness is understated because many homeless Australians do not approach services or don’t know how to go about it. It is difficult to estimate the true number of families escaping violence while they are living temporarily with friends or family.
People who are homeless often need more than just help with housing. They may also need help with family breakdown, employment assistance, mental health problems or substance abuse. Financial problems such as the rising cost of rent and poor financial literacy can also lead to homelessness. However, the largest single cause of homelessness is domestic violence. More than one in five people seeking emergency accommodation are escaping domestic violence.
The federal government has already made some specific commitments to tackle homelessness and will work with the states and territories to build an additional 600 houses for homeless individuals and families over the next five years, and to expand the reach of homeless services across the country. Hopefully, this will help to end the cycle of homelessness that so many Australians now face.
How do I know this?:
Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Program,
http://www.unhabitat.org/downloads/docs/GRHS.1996.Key.pdf
The Australian Government, Homelessness: A New Approach, 2008
http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/internet/facsinternet.nsf/vIA/new_approach/$File/homelessness_a_new_approach.pdf
Rebecca’s Community, Homeless: Beyond the Myth,
http://www.homeless.org.au/
McIntosh G, Phillips J, Defining Homelessness, Parliament of Australia, November 2000
http://www.aph.gov.au/library/intguide/sp/homeless.htm
