THE theme for this year’s Homelessness Week is “It’s time to End Homelessness” – yet it seems in Australia, the Lucky Country we’re struggling to provide the help that’s sorely needed.
As the national president of St Vincent De Paul Society, Mark Gaetani explains cost of living pressures and a housing crisis are fuelling a rise in homelessness.
“All over the country, requests for assistance are increasing and we are seeing people who have previously never sought our help,” Mr Gaetani said as Homelessness Week in Australia (August 6 to 13) begins.
‘More and more people are seeking emergency relief to cover the basics, such as food vouchers, while they prioritise accommodation costs over other essentials.
“These are choices Australians should not have to make.”
More and more people are contacting Vinnies for help with rental arrears to avoid eviction.
Others are couch surfing, living in tents and caravan parks, or forced to seek emergency accommodation.
The Society continues to help with rental and accommodation options.
However, the size of the problem is great. More than 122,000 people are homeless each night.
People in crisis accommodation are on an endless cycle, forced to transition from one form of temporary accommodation to another simply because there are too few affordable and permanent housing options.
One in seven are children, one in five identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, and 23 per cent are aged 12 to 24 years.
‘According to Homelessness Australia up to half of those seeking assistance do so because of housing or finances, including rent. It is time to end homelessness in this country,” Mr Gaetani said.
‘Charities cannot carry the burden of homelessness on their own. Today the Society is finding it increasingly difficult to meet the demand. More people are in need, but our resources cannot meet this stretch which means fewer people can be assisted.”
You can read the Society’s 2023 advocacy materials on Housing and Homelessness including a call for all governments to act now.
