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Homelessness should not be a first world problem

Michael Perusco

by Michael Perusco

13 Nov 05:40am

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Filed under: Families, Homeless, Homelessness, Housing, Statistics

30 comments

New figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show an 8 per cent increase in the homelessness rate on 2006 figures, a fact that should be a matter of concern for all Australians. The figures demonstrate that there is still a lot of work to be done to address homelessness and that far too many Australians are being pushed to the margins of society; struggling to find a way out and rebuild their lives.

Just one sort of homelessness. Pic: Nicholas Welch

The figures show that 105,237 people in Australia are experiencing homelessness, with 60 per cent of those under the age of 35. In NSW, the results showed that there were 28,190 people experiencing homelessness up by 21 per cent on 2006 figures.

Perhaps surprising to many people is that 41 per cent of these are women, 13 per cent are under the age of 12 and 56 per cent are under the age of 35.

When considering these figures it is also important to remember that behind each number is the story of a fellow Australian who has experienced the extreme isolation and desperation of homelessness. Each night in New South Wales, thousands of people stay in crisis accommodation facilities run by community organisations like the St Vincent de Paul Society.

Here are the stories of just three.

People like Marie and her three children are a perfect example of how quickly things can go wrong and force people over the edge into homelessness.  Already struggling to make ends meet, the family’s situation worsened when Marie’s poor health forced the family to relocate nearer to the medical care she required. After staying with relatives for a few months, the situation broke down, and Marie and her children found themselves homeless.

Turning to a St Vincent de Paul Society service, Marie continued to search for a place to rent. She applied for everything available and eventually found a property to rent. The sad reality however is that the high rent means it will be very difficult for her provide even the basic essentials for her children; most likely forcing Marie and her family back into crisis. This is a pattern that homeless service providers such as the St Vincent de Paul Society see much too often.

Then there is a family of seven who have been staying in one of our crisis facilities after the house they had been renting for the last 7 years was sold. They had been lucky that the landlord had kept the rent at an affordable level however, once the property was sold, they found they could not get back into the market. The family were willing to rent a small house but real estate agents were reluctant to rent a two bedroom house to a family of seven. As the family struggled to find somewhere to stay, things spiralled out of control. The father lost his job; the children left school and the mother’s mental health condition got worse. 

This family are yet to find a home and the strain of the experience means they will need support for some time.

And finally there is Jenny who has been staying in one of our services for six months. Jenny left home at 13 to escape severe abuse and neglect. She found herself sleeping on Sydney’s streets, using drugs and doing what she needed to survive. The trauma Jenny has experienced in her 20 years is more than anyone should have to cope with. We are working with her to rebuild her life but it will be a long and difficult process.

In 2008, the Federal Government issued the first White Paper in Australia on homelessness, “The Road Home”. It provides a national framework to effectively address homelessness and most significantly, committed to the goal of halving homelessness by 2020. Since its release, there has been a significant amount of investment at the federal and state level to try and achieve this. 

The release of the latest ABS figures may cause some to criticise the efforts to reduce homelessness; however, this is misguided. We were never going to see the numbers reduce quickly; homelessness is too complex for quick solutions. If anything, the figures demonstrate it is critical for government to continue reforming systems to ensure people are provided with the best opportunity to break the cycle of homelessness.

Here in NSW, the state government has developed its own reform agenda known as ‘Going Home Staying Home’. This strategy is on the right track and aims to improve access to housing and position services to respond much earlier, reducing the heavy reliance on temporary and crisis accommodation.

Importantly, the census figures also provide further evidence that our housing market is in crisis and fundamental reform is required to ensure it delivers for all Australians.

At the moment we have a housing market that produces huge gains for some, largely as a result of the tax incentives provided, and at the same time drives others into poverty or keeps them in the cycle of homelessness.

We must have a debate on the range options that could improve housing affordability. For example, each year taxpayers spend $6 billion on providing negative gearing and capital gains tax concessions which simply encourage speculation in the housing market and drive up house prices. One option is to limit these concessions to investments in affordable housing or the supply of new housing.

There must also be a continued commitment to public and social housing. The reality is that for some people, the ebb and flow of the private rental market is simply too brutal. Public and community housing provides security of tenure and rent set at a level that allows people to rebuild their lives. It provides a vital safety net and must be invested in at appropriate levels.”

The release of the latest ABS statistics service to remind us that homelessness is unacceptable in a country as rich and prosperous as ours and we must continue to work together to do all we can to reduce it.

Comments on this post will close at 8pm AEDST.

Most commented

30 comments

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    • Super D says:

      05:07am | 13/11/12

      If only Kevin Rudd hadn’t been deposed this all would have been solved.

      Reply

    • PJ says:

      05:44pm | 13/11/12

      Too right! Under this Gillard Government We have:
      - over 12 percent of Victorian kids growing up in homes where no one has a job.
      - over 14 percent of South Australian kids growing up in homes where no one has a job.
      - in Victoria, 21 percent of ‘Couple Families’ live on welfare.

      In SA unemployed families outnumber working families, where both parents have a job. This echoes nationally where It is reported 21.8 per cent of families, no one works - which is higher than the 19.3 per cent of families in which both parents work.

      They are members of that second, Slow Speed economy, the one the Gillard Government actually has the responsibility of managing.

      Rents have risen 50 per cent over the past five years during Labor’s term in office, forcing more people onto the streets.

      The number of homeless people in Australia is on the rise, despite Labor’s VOW to halve homelessness.
      According to the 2011 Census, the rate of homelessness in Australia was 49 persons for every 10,000 persons, up 8 per cent from 45.

      The Gillard Government Minister O’Connor has tried to shift blame to the States for not taking care of these folk, saying they are “backing away from the early spirit of cooperation” on homelessness.

      But the reality is, Its the Gillard Government that is refusing to provide any certainty on future funding under the National Partnership Agreement!

      You’ll never know the truth of it .....

    • acotrel says:

      05:47am | 13/11/12

      Sir Arthur Warner’s concrete houses were not so bad if you were struggling. It is not rocket science to fix this problem. What probably stops it is the paranoia of the already comfortable, about the effect on prices for existing homes.

      Reply

    • Rose says:

      09:21am | 13/11/12

      Sorry Acotrel, it’s far more complex than rocket science. There are s many contributing factors that lead to homelessness and so many different experiences of it. Many homeless people have a history of trauma, they may be affected by mental health issues and drug and alcohol dependence. It is not as simple as just providing the bricks and mortar, there is a need for significant case management and most importantly, the end of the stigma and social exclusion which occurs with homelessness. We also need to understand and accept that many of the rules and practices of Centrelink and the way we deal with long term unemployment are, without question, contributing to increasing levels of homelessness.
      In order to deal with this issue properly we need to take a very critical look at the way our society is ordered and the way we deal with the disadvantaged. While we may be streets ahead of some other nations, we are still failing those who need us the most!!

    • Rosie says:

      06:24am | 13/11/12

      Where is the former Labor PM for this one. Remember Kevin 007 who promised another Labor target that Labor would half the homeless by2020. Now we are told a rate rise of 8% from 2006 just before Labor took over from John Howard’s LNP Govt. Homeless to go with computers for every Australian child in schools the nation was promised. Labor promises that often goes with that ‘white paper’ thingy. 2008 white paper is Labor’s way of stamping to convince that they are going to carry out their promise but never deliver. Hang in there folks it will happen here is a white paper to prove it. Asian white paper, electricity white paper etc and now we hear we had a white paper for the homeless in 2008. It will be like one white paper for Rudd Govt and one white paper for Gillard Govt then another white paper if we get another Labor Leader. All for show no action. OMG!

      Australia spent millions of $$$$$$ to get a seat on the UN security council but here at home we have 105,237 of our people homeless. Unbelievable!
      42% of them women perhaps a speech in Parliament for them by the best orator, PM Gillard by pushing and charming these women that all will be OK and her Govt will hand them a key to a self contained room before her time ends as PM.

      Our asylum seekers at Nauru, Christmas Island and PNG, Manus Island etc have roofs over their heads and guaranteed food in their bellies, yet we have people that have to wonder where they are going to spend the night and where the next meal is coming from. What next with Labor Govts????

      Reply

    • acotrel says:

      08:41am | 13/11/12

      ‘Our asylum seekers at Nauru, Christmas Island and PNG, Manus Island etc have roofs over their heads and guaranteed food in their bellies, yet we have people that have to wonder where they are going to spend the night and where the next meal is coming from. What next with Labor Govts???? ‘

      I agree Rosie. For the cost of offshore processing of asylum seekers, we could probably house all our own homeless, and resettle all the asylum seekers in Australia as well.  Without Abbott’s use of xenophobia in our politics, Australia would be a better place .

    • Dot says:

      09:35am | 13/11/12

      acotrel

      You keep forgetting Abbott is not the PM which makes his Coalition party not the government.

      If he was the PM after the last election we wouldn’t have so many asylum seekers and yes money could have been spent on our dear homeless. Now we have to increase our national debt to take care of the asylum seekers who keep arriving almost daily and do nothing about the homeless.

      I have noticed how you seem to follow Rosie. Is she getting under your skin?

    • Fiddler says:

      06:37am | 13/11/12

      41% are women….
      So that would make 59% men?? And yet the examples you used were all women. I deal with homeless people all the time, most are there because they simply can’t support themselves and literally can’t take care of themselves in a stable manner like most people can. Money really doesn’t come into it. A small but significant proportion want to be homeless, living day to day with essentially no ties or responsibilities

      Reply

    • Harryzo says:

      08:09am | 13/11/12

      It’s more dramatic if it’s women. <_<

      I guess I’d technically be homeless and I love it. I don’t have problems with family or drugs and alcohol, I just enjoy the freedom of moving around all the time around Australia and working random jobs. Have done for years.

    • Rose says:

      11:39am | 13/11/12

      I think women are often highlighted as these high levels of homelessness in women is a fairly new thing, that and that many of these women are accompanied by their children. It is no longer OK to presume that homeless people are all old hobo drunk men or uncontrollable teenagers who ran away from their responsibly strict parents.
      Time to get rid of stereotypes and to recognize that homelessness is affecting a wider demographic and that most of our preconceived notions of the homeless are in fact dead wrong!!

    • wakeuppls says:

      07:33am | 13/11/12

      Dump foreign aid. End of story.

      Reply

    • AFR says:

      08:27am | 13/11/12

      Money is only part of the issue - you could throw millions at the issue and there will still be homelessness,

    • wakeuppls says:

      08:40am | 13/11/12

      How many jobs would $4 billion in the pockets of Australians create?

    • Baloo says:

      12:15pm | 13/11/12

      You need drug addicts to actually want to work those jobs but.

    • SnappyLegs says:

      07:57am | 13/11/12

      An excellent article Michael. The fact is that housing has become a commodity instead of the lawful human right it is. It is Australian law that all citizens have access to affordable housing, but government policy has ignored this to allow speculators on the market to gouge the vulnerable for as much as they can. Stable and affordable housing is good for the community. It means less crime, stable families, a more stable economy, a better life in general for everyone. But the short sighted greed of individuals and corruption has overshadowed what is a more sustainable model for the market.

      Reply

    • Colin says:

      12:58pm | 13/11/12

      “The fact is that housing has become a commodity instead of the lawful human right it is…”

      Housing has NEVER been a ‘Lawful Human right’...

      Having a roof over your head and enough to eat has always been - up until the very recent past - a matter for the individual to sort out. Now, however, with the advent of the Welfare State it has become expected (even touted as a ‘Right’, as you just claimed)

    • Modern Primitive says:

      01:58pm | 13/11/12

      Colin, that still doesn’t justify government intervention and policies aimed specifically at keeping the market artificially high. Australians get screwed on property compared to many countries, and one of the biggest reasons is government not releasing enough land or not allowing high rise development to make housing more available and cheaper. Of course, its much more complex than that, suffice to say there are many vested interests from government, developers, and existing owners who don’t want the value of their retirement nest egg to drop. Ultimately, high house prices are bad for society as a whole though. You as a leftie surely could appreciate that?

    • Colin says:

      03:14pm | 13/11/12

      @Modern Primitive

      Granted, house prices are artificially high. BUT how on earth do you bring them down to a level where almost everyone can afford one, without financially ruining most of the people who have mortgages now..?  It would be tantamount to political suicide for any government to attempt such a move. And, frankly, completely unfair, pecuniarily punitive, and impossible to sell to anyone whose mortgage would immediately render them bankrupt when their house was declared a quarter of its original value…

    • Modern Primitive says:

      03:46pm | 13/11/12

      Tbh, the current move of restricting first buyer grants to new properties is probably the best for a slow, easy deflation in property prices, even if it is a decade too late.

      I agree that no politician wants to be caught with the bucket when it all goes to shit, but how is it unfair on those who already own if the price drops? They made a speculative decision based on flawed market fundamentals, in shareholder land that’s called being a stupid/reckless investor.

      The fact that this whole shebang is propped up by negative gearing and the tax payer to the tune of 50 billion a year is the ultimate outrage. Talk about middle class welfare, first remove tax subsidies for speculative unproductive investments.

      It’s all moot though, every boom is followed by a bust. Always.

    • Gregg says:

      08:00am | 13/11/12

      It sure is a complex situation as the reasons for homelessness are varied and certainly not always any quick fixes.
      As living costs rise and employment falls, it is likely that more and more will become homeless too or under pressure to keep a home, being they buying or renting.

      Governments cannot fix all problems though selective negative gearing could provide additional funding but then there are so many other urgent needs that will always require funding, NDIS and health services for example.

      That message also needs to be clearly registered with people supporting more open doors for so those they call asylum seekers for they will just add to our employment and government support issues.

      Reply

    • Freddo says:

      08:10am | 13/11/12

      If they came in by boat they wouldn’t be homeless. Time to get our priorities right.

      Reply

    • PJ says:

      08:39am | 13/11/12

      Under this Gillard Government We have:
      - over 12 percent of Victorian kids growing up in homes where no one has a job.
      - over 14 percent of South Australian kids growing up in homes where no one has a job.
      - in Victoria, 21 percent of ‘Couple Families’ live on welfare.

      In SA unemployed families outnumber working families, where both parents have a job. This echoes nationally where It is reported 21.8 per cent of families, no one works - which is higher than the 19.3 per cent of families in which both parents work.

      They are members of that second, Slow Speed economy, the one the Gillard Government actually has the responsibility of managing.

      Rents have risen 50 per cent over the past five years during Labor’s term in office, forcing more people onto the streets.

      The number of homeless people in Australia is on the rise, despite Labor’s VOW to halve homelessness.
      According to the 2011 Census, the rate of homelessness in Australia was 49 persons for every 10,000 persons, up 8 per cent from 45.

      The Gillard Government Minister O’Connor has tried to shift blame to the States for not taking care of these folk, saying they are “backing away from the early spirit of cooperation” on homelessness.

      But the reality is, Its the Gillard Government that is refusing to provide any certainty on future funding under the National Partnership Agreement!

      You’ll never know the truth of it .....

      Reply

    • ZSRenn says:

      09:40am | 13/11/12

      Yesterday in a press conference at the CPC meeting the Chinese government reiterated it’s stance to create 36,000,000 free homes for the homeless within 5 years. That’‘s nearly 1.5 homes for every Australian.

      In the first year of this commitment they created 10,000,000 homes and in the second year 7,000,000. This year they expect to create 6,000,000.

      This is how you fight the problem or at least begin to. This story also points out the uselessness of this the worst government in Australian History, white papers which they throw around like it came off a roll next to the morning throne.

      Thank you Michael for bringing us your story because there is no way the Australian press is going to bring it up. They would rather Abbott Abbott Abbott on about it!

      Reply

    • China Twit says:

      11:28am | 13/11/12

      rennie believes what the chinese government tells him.
      Talk about brainwashing the braindead.

    • Richard says:

      10:15am | 13/11/12

      Where is a program for affordable housing. I don’t mean 28-35 square houses, I am talking about 15 square 3 bedroom houses which can be placed on a smalls plot (less than 1/4 acre) with no problems. Elizabeth in SA where I grew up had a great number of these 3 bedroom houses for private sale and also semi detached for rental. Yes all the homes looked similar (designed by SAHT) but so what. They were comfortable and my parents still live in theirs to this day. The houses could be sold at a fixed price and payments taken out over a longer period of time (40 yrs instead of 20 year mortgage). With smaller plots you don’t need to move so far out thus reducing some need to build infrastructure. Build townhouses and apartments as well for people who don’t want a house.

      Reply

    • marley says:

      01:58pm | 13/11/12

      It doesn’t matter how small the houses are, or how long the mortgage term, people still have to be able to pay the bills.  Some of the homeless are temporarily so, and might benefit, but many are people with drug, alcohol or mental issues which preclude them from every being able to get a mortgage or pay rent on anything bigger than a bed sit.

    • TC says:

      01:13pm | 13/11/12

      The truth is that homelessness is sometimes a lifestyle choice. And lifestyle choices are what we so best in the First World. Living rough can also be what some addicts need to face before getting the help they need.

      Reply

    • Ted says:

      02:24pm | 13/11/12

      We must have a debate on the range options that could improve housing affordability.

      A debate in a mafiacracy in which the people are irrelevant ....strange idea specially when you see some previous politicians ripping off most of the wealth, you should known who is running most of our main infrastructures.

      Reply

    • New Economist says:

      03:34pm | 13/11/12

      I love reading the comments by contributors, so many facts, so many numbers, so many excellent points. Too bad none of these are reported by journalists.

      Meanwhile Malcom Farr gets a story published ranting about how journalism in Australia is not dead.

      That’s OK!!! All the chairs and tables in those school halls are kept nice and dry, and I am sure that that is more important.

      Reply

    • Wurpy says:

      03:59pm | 13/11/12

      The root of the problem is that there is more money is spent that repaid as loan, particularly in the West. As a result, some people have a abundant amount of money all locked up in a private account or in trust funds, while others lose money. The unequal distribution of wealth in inevitable in an capitalist society.

      Poverty is unjust - it is up to those who are not poor to help the poor and the needy, to respect them, to love them.

      Reply
 
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