Tuesday, November 05, 2024

Tag: Homelessness

Homelessness Is An Entirely Solvable Problem, Just Ask Finland

Homelessness is a very simple problem that is often over-analyzed. The fact is that there is a group of people who have found themselves (for whatever reason) unable to secure a roof over their heads. Usually, they simply don’t have enough money, because rent is very high and wages are very low, meaning that even if you work full-time it’s extremely hard to afford a small apartment in many cities.

But it’s perfectly possible to simply provide a guaranteed right to housing. This is the approach Finland has taken.

They’re eradicating homelessness through the novel solution of providing housing for people. They took action, and as a result they went from having a substantial homeless population to the point where, by 2020, “practically no-one was sleeping rough on a given night in Finland.”

Read the full article in Current Affairs

Uncovering the Hidden Face of Homelessness

A new documentary tells the stories of the fastest growing demographic of homelessness in Australia.

Australians are well aware of the affordable housing crisis their nation is facing, an experience exacerbated by the ongoing impact of the pandemic and current economic climate, but what may come as a shock is the demographic most at risk of homelessness.

A new documentary aims to shed light on this alarming issue and make visible the stories of ageing women facing housing stress. Filmed over two and a half years, “Under Cover” features ten Australian women over 50 years old, who through no fault of their own, cannot pay their rent or mortgage.

Narrated by Margot Robbie, the documentary lays bare the intersection of sexism, ageism and poverty.

Government Report Card on Community Services, Housing and Homelessness Released

The Productivity Commission has published the first set of data for its 2022 Report on Government Services (ROGS), with the goal of sharing data across jurisdictions to improve future service delivery.

A range of indicators were used to assess the performance of governments in delivering the 17 services, including equity, efficiency and effectiveness of services.

Data on community services and housing and homelessness were the first to be released, canvassing aged care, disability, child protection and youth justice.

Zoned Out: How Land Use Restrictions Divide The Nation

Housing policies ensure continual wealth gains for current home owners while leaving renters and potential buyers locked out of the market.

Housing policy is a battle between the haves and the have-nots. The haves are the current generation of wealthy home owners. They have enjoyed large capital gains over the past few decades and are sitting on property worth hundreds of thousands – often millions – of dollars. They support the policies that have delivered these windfalls.

The have-nots are renters and future generations of potential home owners. These groups are disproportionately young and on lower incomes.

Read the full article on John Menadue’s Pearls and Irritations

Island homes: Tasmania election campaign offers few solutions to state’s housing crisis

Housing stress is at an all-time high in Tasmania, shutting out first-home buyers, squeezing the rental market and increasing homelessness

Before Sue Hickey entered state politics as a Liberal MP in 2018, she was Hobart’s lord mayor. Pledging to clean up public toilets and local politics, she also took a keen interest in the plight of people experiencing homelessness.

“You’d see these faces come out of nowhere,” Hickey says, recalling night tours of the city with food van staff and volunteers.

“You’d arrive, you wouldn’t see them, and then all these people just desperate for a sandwich and a Milo with five sugars would appear.”

Those outings were an eye-opener for Hickey, but for most Tasmanians homelessness and housing insecurity were out of sight, out of mind.

Hate Crimes Targeting Sydney’s Indigenous Homeless

On Wednesday 24 March, Michael*, an Indigenous man, was asleep on Eddy Avenue outside of Central Station when he was shaken awake. A friend urgently warned him that known intruders – “Black haters” wearing jackets adorned with swastikas – were on the way. Michael was not fast enough and, less than a kilometre from Surry Hills Police Station, was violently beaten.

Michael was not the only casualty that night. And that night was not the first that Sydney’s homeless were awoken to the reality of White supremacy while the rest of Australia’s eyes remained firmly shut.

Read the full story on Independent Australia website.

*Name has been changed.

Wollongong Homeless Hub joins national calls for a support package to help end rough sleeping

An Illawarra-based homelessness service has echoed national calls for a support package to help end rough sleeping. “Successful models such as Housing First used in countries like Finland show that ending homelessness is achievable and more than just a pipe dream,” Mandy Booker, manager of Wollongong Homeless Hub said.

Read the full article in the Illawarra Mercury.

The History of Stereotyping Homelessness in Australia

Social Work Helper have published an article, “The History of Stereotyping Homelessness in Australia”

The article says, “The history of homelessness in Australia stems back to our nation’s colonization by our British counterparts which moved Indigenous Australians out of their physical living structures. As Australia became more industrialized nearing the 1970’s, the contrast between homelessness and the rest of society become starker as the mainstream society had higher living expectations and standards which solidified what the disadvantage looked like.”

Read the original article.

Churches of Christ DigiAsk project changes the landscape of service provision for the homelessness

DigiAsk is a Churches of Christ Housing Services Limited initiative in partnership with Brisbane City Council. Using Churches of Christ’s mobile office (or DigiVan), the project is helping people experiencing homelessness – or those who are at risk of homelessness – to access technology and help.

Commencing in January 2018, DigiAsk has supported almost 500 patrons with digital advice and access to the internet. The service has also distributed reconditioned smart phones, sim cards and phone battery chargers.

Find out more on the Churches of Christ in Queensland website.

How can we prevent financial abuse of the elderly?

Throughout Australia older people are losing their savings, property and homes through financial abuse, usually at the hands of persons close to them such as an adult child or grandchild.

A sense of entitlement, ‘Inheritance impatience’ or opportunism can encourage people to ‘help themselves’ to an older person’s assets.

Elder abuse is not a new problem. It has been occurring in Australia and elsewhere for generations – but its only now that serious steps are being taken to address it.

While the extent of elder abuse in Australia is unknown, conservative estimates suggest at least 9% of older Australians suffer from financial abuse. However, we know that because of the hidden nature of the problem, the majority of cases go unreported.

Sadly, a majority of elder financial abuse occurs within families, and is defined as the illegal or improper use of a person’s finances or property by another person with whom they have a relationship implying trust.

Read the original article on The Conversation website.