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Latest homeless figures reflect 'wasted years of inaction' |
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| Thursday, 04 September 2008 16:16 | ||||
 Today’s release of the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ 2006 Census of homeless people confirms the failure of past homeless policies and is evidence why a dramatic new approach to tackling the problem is needed, according to one of the nation’s leading homeless organisations, Mission Australia.The ABS’s Counting the Homeless report reveals that 105,000 (104,676) Australians were homeless on Census night in 2006 – compared to 99,900 in 2001 – an increase of just under 5 per cent... When the 6 per cent growth in Australia’s general population during this period is taken into account, homeless numbers have remained static over five years. Mission Australia’s CEO, Toby Hall, said the results reflected the “wasted years of inaction” when strong economic growth should have been used to drive homeless numbers down. “The years between 2001 and 2006 were some of the best economic times Australia has experienced – and it was still not enough to reduce homeless numbers,” said Mr Hall. “The economic boom years have meant nothing for Australia’s homeless – there’s been no trickle down of benefits to them. “The rise in the number of people sleeping rough on our streets – up from 14,158 in 2001 to 16,375 in 2006, which is an increase of 16 per cent – is particularly damning. “To have 105,000 people who are homeless on any one night in a country as wealthy and as prosperous as Australia is atrocious.” Other results from the ABS’s Counting the Homeless report: - There were 7483 homeless family households on Census night 2006 – up from 6745 in 2001, an increase of 10.9 per cent. - The number of young people – aged 24 or under – who were homeless was 44,577 – down from 46,114 in 2001, a decrease of 3.3 per cent. - 9.9 per cent, or 10,362 homeless people, are Indigenous – up from 8491 in 2001, an increase of 22 per cent. On the drop in the number of homeless young people, Toby Hall said it was hard to tell whether it was a genuine decrease or a result of the difficulty in obtaining an accurate count. “On face value, a drop in the number of homeless young people is cause for optimism – but we can’t jump to conclusions. Many homeless teenagers are ‘couch-surfing’ with friends. As a result, they’re often not counted as homeless which could have impacted on the figures. “If the numbers tell us anything it’s that previous policies for tackling homelessness have failed and we need a new approach. “Firstly, we must set ourselves ambitious and achievable targets for ending homelessness; for decreasing the flow of people becoming homeless; and improving service quality. “Secondly, we have to deliver homeless services in a completely different fashion. Our programs need to offer individualised and flexible support which focus on a client’s needs, not 'one-size-fits-all'. “We have to better integrate the services offered by providers – stop homeless people having to 'run around' between different agencies. Navigating various agencies is formidable if you're a vulnerable homeless person and it’s easy to slip through the cracks. “Getting out of homelessness – and staying out – is about more than just having a roof over your head. It’s also about being able to participate in your community – having the capacity to find and keep a job, to cook and clean for yourself and to look after your health. Homeless services need to offer these supports in addition to accommodation. “We also need a national and integrated plan between all levels of government and involving service providers to give us a national framework for ending homelessness while allowing local innovation. “Finally, the new National Affordable Housing Agreement – set to be negotiated at COAG and launched on 1 January 2009 – must become the main vehicle for linking support and accommodation and rolling out homelessness prevention strategies. “We’re glad to have recently seen some real action on the homeless front. The Australian Government’s green paper on homelessness will hopefully deliver the right strategies for tackling the problem up until 2020 and give us much of what’s needed to turn these numbers around. “In five years time, if we find ourselves looking at the 2011 Census results and homeless numbers have not gone down, we’ll deserve to be condemned for our failure,” said Mr Hall. Contact: Paul Andrews (02) 9219 2080 or 0409 665 495 or Patrick Flynn (02) 9641 5031 or 0407 411 256 
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