Homelessness in Australia: Social and Economic Factors Report

This report provides a comprehensive overview of homelessness in Australia, exploring its multifaceted nature and associated challenges. It begins by defining homelessness and highlighting its prevalence, including demographic data and the social disadvantages faced by homeless individuals. The report delves into the various causes of homelessness, encompassing both social and economic factors such as lack of access to secure housing, family and friend connections, and the impacts of the housing market. It also examines government interventions, including financial investments, housing support programs, and initiatives aimed at supporting vulnerable groups like women and children. The report analyzes the effectiveness of these interventions and discusses strategies like the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement (NHHA) and the "Breaking the Cycle" strategy. Finally, the report underscores the importance of secure housing as a fundamental right and the need for continued efforts to address the complex issue of homelessness in Australia. This report highlights the social and economic factors, government interventions, and the impact on individuals.

Running head: HOMELESSNESS
Homelessness
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author note

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Homelessness in Australia.........................................................................................................2
Interventions for homelessness..................................................................................................4
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................5
References..................................................................................................................................7

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Introduction
Homelessness refers to living in the housing which is below the minimum standard
and lacks the secure tenure. The people can be referred to as homeless in the event of living
on the streets or moving in between temporary shelters. It results on account of various kinds
of social along with the economic factors. The people who are homeless live in the dwelling
which is inadequate and they do not have adequate access to space for carrying out social
relations. They live in the non-conventional accommodation which does not enable them in
leading a secured life. In the year 2016, around 116,000 people were thought of to be
homeless in Australia of whom 58 % were male, 21 5 were of the age 25-34 and around 20 %
were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians (Aihw.gov.au., 2020). It was found
that approximately 51,000 of the people were living within the framework of crowded
dwellings and more than 21,000 had been living in the supported accommodation which was
meant for the homeless people. This report throws light on the issue of homelessness in
Australia and how it is related to the social disadvantage of the people. This report discusses
about the present and the past interventions pertaining to homelessness in Australia. This
report talks about the strategies that have been taken by the governments that have helped in
the eradication of the homelessness in the Australian society.
Homelessness in Australia
The issue of homelessness is of crucial importance in Australia as the access to secure
housing falls under the ambit of basic human rights of the people. Homelessness is indicative
of lack of the connectedness with the family and friends that can prove to be injurious for the
mental condition of an individual. They do not have the control over the environment which
proves to be detrimental for the mental state of an individual. He is deprived of right to
education and right of privacy which makes him face the challenges in the functioning in the

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everyday life. Homelessness deprives an individual from enjoying the basic rights and
freedoms that makes them lead a miserable life. They have to face the social disadvantage as
it damages health of an individual that can make him incapable of leading a fulfilling life.
This issue is of crucial importance in Australia as there are around 100,000 people who have
to suffer from the brunt of homeless in the country (Humanrights.gov.au., 2020). They are
disadvantaged in the society as they attain the low level of education which have a negative
impact on the standard of living of these people. They cannot rise up in the hierarchical order
in the society as they do not receive the proper education that can help them in getting a
proper standing in life. They have to face the persistent mental and the physical health
problems that acts like a burden in their lives (Heerde et al., 2020). The homeless women try
to stay out of the sight as they face the fear of the violence along with the rape. These women
do not have the control on their lives and they depend on the other people for providing them
with the accommodation. They are left at a vulnerable position in the society as they are
forced to remain in the relationships which can offer them with the shelter so that it can meet
the immediate needs of the people.
The incidence of homelessness takes place on account of socio-economic along with
housing market trends which makes the people liable of becoming homeless in the society. It
can have an effect on their ability of regaining suitable accommodation that would affect the
lives of these people (Flatau et al., 2018). The households that have the lower incomes move
to the areas that have lower house sale prices and the higher income households on the other
hand move to the higher cost housing areas (Dss.gov.au., 2020). It results in increasing
polarisation of the incomes which creates the way for spatial polarisation of housing costs. It
have provided the restrictions on the people of the low income regarding their place of living.
The performance of economy have an effect on severity of the social problems as it can
provide employment opportunities for people which can determine their source of income

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(MacKenzie, 2018). The job opportunities in the event of being provided to the people can
have an effect on their material living standard of the people. It have been found that poverty
is an important factor that makes the people powerless in the society. They have to face the
structural disadvantage as they are deprived of all kinds of power that can work for the
betterment of these people. There exists a positive co-relation in between financial stress and
the state of homelessness of the people.
The conflict theory lays emphasis on role of coercion that can aid in the production of
the social order. This perspective lays emphasis on the fact that society is divided into the
groups which competes for social along with economic resources (Schroeder, 2019). It talks
about the fact that the social order can be maintained with the help of domination and power
rests in the hands of those people who are equipped with the economic along with social
resources. The people who have the access to the proper education along with the suitable
accommodation can rise to the higher echelons of the society thus making the poor people
vulnerable in the society.
Interventions for homelessness
The government of Australia have made use of interventions as it have recognised
that homelessness is a serious issue which has an effect on the Australians. The government
have invested more than that of $ 6 billion for the housing support that have worked to the
benefit of the homeless people in Australia. It have contributed approximately $ 4.6 billion on
the aspect of the Commonwealth Rest Assistance that have enabled the eligible Australians in
meeting the rental costs (Aihw.gov.au., 2020). The government have taken recourse to
National Housing and Homelessness Agreement (NHHA) that have helped in improving the
funding for the homes people within Australia. It lays stress on the homelessness cohorts like
the women along with children who are affected by the domestic violence. The government
have spent around $ 78 million for building the safe places for the women who are

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experiencing the family violence. It have made use of the grants program that can provide the
emergency accommodation for the people (Andrews, Shelton & McNair, 2019). It have
facilitated the building of 450 safe places that have helped around 6500 women and the
children in escaping from the family violence. The government of Australia have invested $
18 million for Keeping Women Safe in Their Homes Program that have helped in providing
support to states and the territories for safeguarding the security of women
(Humanrights.gov.au., 2020). It have furnished the essential help in the area of security
updates along with safety planning that have improved the condition of women in the society.
Government of Australia have taken recourse to initiatives that have helped in developing
alternative sources of the capital in relation to social along with affordable housing (Fildes,
2016). The government have invested $ 30 million in relation to Social Impact Investment
Initiatives out of which $ 10.2 million would be used for improving welfare outcomes for the
young people who face the risk of homelessness. Australian government makes use of the
necessary interventions so that the people who are in the homeless condition can move
through crisis system into the stable housing that can help them in leading a healthy life. It
have implemented “Breaking the Cycle” strategy that have provided the facility of
community housing dwellings for the people who belong to the low income households. It
have provided assertive outreach programs that can attend to the needs of the rough sleepers
present in Australia (Herault & Johnson, 2016). It have proved to be beneficial in bringing
about improvements in the services related to older people who are facing the brunt of
homelessness in Australian society. The government have made use of population-based
research and undertaken cost-benefit analysis that have helped them in understanding the
efficacy of the programs which have been undertaken in the country.

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Conclusion
The issue pertaining to homelessness can be said to be crucial for Australia as getting
the opportunity of secure housing is the fundamental right of people. The people who are
homeless cannot connect themselves with their family along with friends which deteriorates
the mental condition of a person. They do not get proper education that can aid in uplifting
their condition in the society. The housing market trends that are prevalent in Australia makes
the individuals victim of homelessness in the society. They do not get suitable
accommodation which bears a detrimental effect on the lives of the people. Australian
government have made use of National Housing and Homelessness Agreement (NHHA)
which have provided the funding for the people who are homeless in Australia. The
government have made use of “Breaking the Cycle” strategy which have provided
community housing dwelling for the poor people of Australia.

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References
Aihw.gov.au. (2020). Homelessness and homelessness services - Australian Institute of
Health and Welfare. Retrieved 11 April 2020, from
https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-welfare/homelessness-and-homelessness-
services
Andrews, C., Shelton, J., & McNair, R. (2019). Developments in responding to LGBTQ+
homelessness in Australia and the United States. Parity, 32(3), 21.
Dss.gov.au. (2020). Homelessness | Department of Social Services, Australian Government.
Retrieved 11 April 2020, from https://www.dss.gov.au/housing-support/programmes-
services/homelessness
Fildes, J. (2016). Home and away: Child and youth homelessness in Australia. Parity, 29(3),
6.
Flatau, P., Tyson, K., Callis, Z., Seivwright, A., Box, E., Rouhani, L., ... & Firth, D. (2018).
The State of Homelessness in Australia's Cities: A Health and Social Cost Too High.
Heerde, J. A., Bailey, J. A., Toumbourou, J. W., Rowland, B., & Catalano, R. F. (2020).
Longitudinal Associations Between Early-Mid Adolescent Risk and Protective
Factors and Young Adult Homelessness in Australia and the United
States. Prevention Science, 1-11.
Herault, N., & Johnson, G. (2016). Homelessness in Australia: Service reform and research in
the 21st century. European Journal of Homelessness _ Volume, 10(3).
Humanrights.gov.au. (2020). Homelessness is a Human Rights Issue (2008) | Australian
Human Rights Commission. Retrieved 11 April 2020, from
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/our-work/homelessness-human-rights-issue-2008

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MacKenzie, D. (2018). Some Reflections on the Policy History of Youth Homelessness in
Australia. Cityscape, 20(3), 147-156.
Schroeder, R. (2019). Contemporary populist politics through the macroscopic lens of
Randall Collins’s conflict theory. Thesis Eleven, 154(1), 97-107.