IT’S good to learn that the Federal Government intends fulfilling its pre-election promise to relieve the plight of the homeless (“PM’s homeless proposal welcomed”, CL 03/02/08).
That said, it’s noteworthy that nothing at all will be done for at least six months pending completion of a White Paper commissioned by the Prime Minister.
Given that the major cause of the problem is already glaringly obvious, what is the point in wasting time obtaining the report?
The ranks of the homeless are being swelled by the ever increasing number of people suffering mental problems, which, all too often, are induced by substance addiction.
Decades ago those with mental disorders were looked after in institutions. They are now left to flounder in society at large because the contemporary wisdom is that institutionalisation affronts human dignity.
That silly notion should be jettisoned and priority given to acquiring premises, facilities and staff to help these people so badly in need of institutional care.
In its absence they are forced to use shelters provided by charities to service the needs of those unfortunates experiencing financial difficulties but who do not need mental healthcare.
In short, fix our dilapidated institutional mental healthcare system and the numbers of people sleeping in bus shelters and parks will shrink dramatically.
Kevin Rudd has promised to spend $150 million, and pledged that within 10 years no homeless person will be turned away from a shelter.
It will be a tragedy if his undertaking proves as empty as Bob Hawke’s promise in the 1980s that no child would be living in poverty by 1990.
RICHARD CONGRAM
Carindale, Qld
