Homelessness in Australia

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Homelessness in Australia
Australia is a developed country, and its citizens enjoy a high standard of living. The
expectancy is high, unemployment is low, and more than two-thirds of Australians own a home.
Nonetheless, the country still faces issues of homelessness. Safe and secure housing is a must for
building healthy communities.
Background
Australian Bureau of Statistics based on 2011 census states more than 100,000
Australians to be homeless (3 p128). Despite steady economic growth, homelessness has risen in
Australia between 2011 and 2016. For every10,000 people, there are 50 who are homeless in
Australia (5). The elderly and the young are the most vulnerable to homelessness. It is indeed
disturbing and embarrassing for a prosperous country like Australia. The latest data shows that
Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander make 20% of the homeless (5).
The Australian government has floated several homelessness programs over the last three
decades. However, it seems that those policies and programs have failed to achieve their
optimum objectives. Australian policies have shown interest in homelessness issue ever since the
early 1970s. Homeless Persons Assistance Act (1974) was passed to help chronically homeless
persons (2 p128). The Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) was set up in
1985 to focus on the young, women and single. The Federal Government subsequently launched
the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) in 1985 (2 p128).
Public housing is mostly effective because it is inexpensive and offers long-term security
for insecurely housed people. The private rental properties have become unaffordable for people,
and the public housing waiting list is witnessing a rise. The homeless sleep out in the open, intent
or improvised dwellings. They may go to supported accommodation for the homeless or get

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temporary accommodation with other households. Others look for boarding houses or are forced
to stay in overcrowded dwellings.
Certain forms of homelessness have increased in overall numbers in recent years. For
example, severe overcrowding’ has been seen in extreme level in some states like Victoria and
NSW (6 p 84). It is due to the shortfall of four bedrooms in a home. The number of women in
need of accommodation is rising because of domestic violence and housing affordability stress.
Another important sub-category of homelessness that has recently increased disproportionately is
rough sleeping. ABS Census indicates that people living in improvised dwellings and tents has
grown by 20% in the five years NSW (6 p 84).
The Road Home
State and Federal policies have recently issued fundamental changes towards
homelessness. Federal Government released a White Paper to address homelessness - “The Road
Home: A National Approach to Reducing Homelessness” (7 p1). The new national plan intends
to offer services for homeless people with a commitment of $1.2 billion. The twelve-year plan
plans to reduce homelessness by half. National Affordable Housing Agreement too commenced
in 2009. ABS Census of Housing and Population statistics report that homelessness has increased
in Australia by more than 13% over the past five years 95). Homelessness reflects a systems
failure and a shortage of affordable housing for the population. If the homelessness services
continue to get ignored and underfunded, the housing affordability crisis will reach a chronic
stage.
Current situation
About 1,500 SAAP services run across the country and get AUS$400m in recurring
funding (2 p 128). The number of homeless families has increased ever since the release of the

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White Paper. The number of people looking for Department of Housing help has risen. Most
people are not able to find a house in their local neighborhood, and these trends indicate that the
problem of homelessness is going to remain. There is clearly a lack of political obligation to
build affordable homes and strengthen social housing. A shortage in public and community
housing and the increasing housing costs add to the issues of homelessness.
The characteristics
The White Paper “The Road Home” plans to use a social framework to address the issue
and intervene early to prevent homelessness. Well-connected and responsive services can
motivate economic and social participation that can break the cycle for those who become
homeless. The White Paper also focuses on increasing the availability of affordable housing (7 p
33). Australia government and local communities are working hard to deal with homelessness.
There are different governance and accountability arrangements in each jurisdiction that tracks
the performance at the state and territory level. A stronger and governance and accountability
framework is essential for monitoring the White Paper strategies.
Potential contribution
The Federal Government highlights a number of causes of homelessness such as
unemployment, family breakdown, alcohol abuse, substance abuse, and mental illness. The rising
costs, inadequate housing, being indigenous or a refugee and other legal issues lead to
homelessness. When the Australian Government set out actively to deal with the issue of
homelessness in 2008, and its strategy is aimed at early intervention and to break the cycle of
homelessness (6 p 85). The National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) and the National
Program for Remote Indigenous Housing (NPARIH) were the affordable housing programs
launched. The aim was to cut down the overall homelessness by half by 2020 (6 p 85).