Janet CollinsAustralia’s Shameful Homeless Problem
July 9th 2009 10:11
The number of homeless people across Australia has been growing and growing for years. Only in the past year or so has it been given the media attention it deserves.
The report released today, Counting the Homeless, by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, tells a really good story. Huge increases in homelessness among the elderly and families don’t really give any comfort for the decreased figures in homelessness among teenagers and younger people.
This may come as no surprise to many because the global financial crisis has resulted in so many people losing their jobs and thus their homes. The trouble is this report covered the period 2001 to 2006.
Weren’t we prosperous then? That was long before Australia was in, or even heading for, a recession. In these times of "prosperity" there was a growing number of poor. The global market had created two streams of people in this country, something that was also given very little attention. There were the full time employed and even in this category came the very well off on good salaries, perhaps bonuses and share schemes. Then there were those who juggled multiple-part time or casual jobs and, of course, the total unemployed.
It was never really a secret that the number of homeless were growing each year but it was never really given too much exposure. In the so called “good times” the population was being convinced that everyone was very well off and this was everything of our previous government's doing.
The charities knew very differently. People were losing their jobs to India and other “more lucrative” countries, most of the work that was being “created” was either part-time or casual and the severe problem of “underemployment” was camouflaged by the “best unemployment figures of all time”.
It’s no secret that charities, reliant on government funding, were gagged over these years. The media gave very little attention to it. In fact, Counting the Homeless, has been released every year but only this year is it getting some much needed attention.
Many of the charities were crying out for years about the increased pressure on them for assistance to families and the elderly but without the help of a voice such as the media, they were left with little possibility of helping out the most unfortunate.
Today, these charities have said that these figures are very outdated and that the homeless number across the country is much larger than this report reveals.
Australia once would not have tolerated such neglect. It says something about a global system that removes our concern for our immediate community.
Obviously, this issue is not one that ensures votes because politicians seem to do little except appear in the media with a sympathetic word.
Sourced: www.abc.net.au;
Image credit: ABC
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Comment by Morgan Bell
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but when i moved to Darlinghurst in Sydney i saw how massive the problem was
i think until you see it for yourself, until you actually observe the huge amounts of people sleeping in parks and in doorways and under bridges, you cant really understand
Comment by Janet Collins
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That is really true. There is no doubt the problem has grown a lot bigger since the worldwide recession but it has been growing and growing for years before that.
That is something, I think, our journalists should be covering. If they did it more often, the politicians would get pressured into really doing something about it. It tends to get a little bit of coverage when a report like this comes out and then we don't hear about it anymore even though the problem isn't solved or even addressed.
Thanks.
Comment by Morg71
After the changes to employment under the Howard governemnt I watched and experienced the loss of full time employment and the rise of casual and part-time employment in the human services and health services industires combined with workplace agreements that resulted in longer hours for less pay than our counterparts in public hospitals.
What has this to do with homeleness? the flow on effects were the absence of job security and benefits, uncertain hours and families to support. At anytime one could arrive for work to find that position no longer existed due to cutbacks. Families were left without an income and little chance of gaining new employment especially in rural areas. The numbers of homeless families living with families and friends rose. On a broader level during my research I contacted the Qld Department of Housing to enquire about the assistance and eligibility for applicants on low incomes and in need of housing. I found the following facts: the acceptance of applications of those on low incomes and/or in at risk of homelessnes is not automatic, acceptance of each application is based on a needs scale with those in the highest need a priority. Where applicants are then put on a waiting list for up to 3 years. This is in contrast to the previous policy of providing homes for low income workers, single parents and the elderly. In addition many other community and charity based orgnisations that run housing programs would not asist those who were not on the Dept. of Housing waiting list. The reason given was that were simply not enough public housing stock to meet the growing need. The current response by governement to reduce homeless numbers by half by 2020 is an ambitious but necessary goal, too many people in a wealthy country are denied the basic human right to adequate housing. How is it that an employed individual cannot afford to rent somewhere to live? How is it that families are living in their cars and in tunnels and other substantial structures in a country so rich in resources and benefits?
The Australian Council of Social Services has made relevant recommendations to the governments White Paper on homelessness to improve all aspects of housing that can contribute to people becoming homeless including rental levels, rental subsidies, housing programs, eligability criteria, joined up services delivery and ongoing asistance. Obviously homelessness will not simply disappear and review and evaluation of need and responses needs to be ongoing if there is to be a genuine reduction in homeless numbers in Australia.
Comment by Janet Collins
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Thank you for that very thoughtful and detailed response. I totally agree that there are all sorts of factors, including continually increasing irregular work for many that is causing a lot of hardship. The plan for higher superannuation contributions for those already in permanent and regular employment is hardly going to help the ones on irregular work who - I might also add - are often self-employed or have such irregular work they receive very little or no super at all.
The damage done throughout the Howard years will take a lot of correcting and I dare say that most of it won't be corrected too much at all.
We can ignore it or we can protest but at the time of writing this post. the issue was being reported a lot more than usual because people who had previously had successful careers had found themselves on the homeless heap. It now seems to have disappeared off the front pages even if the problem hasn't disappeared at all.
Thank you.