Access to safe and secure housing is one of the most basic human rights.
A home isn't just four walls and a roof. It's a foundation for safety and security.
Every night, roughly 1 in 200 Australians find themselves without a safe, secure or affordable place to sleep.
Homelessness includes:
- sleeping rough or sleeping on the street
- frequently having to move from place to place or couch-surf
- those who have accommodation but it is not ideal, such as living in a caravan park.
Domestic violence is the single biggest cause of homelessness in Australia. Homelessness can be caused by poverty, unemployment or by a critical shortage of affordable housing; or it can be triggered by family
breakdown, mental illness, sexual assault, addiction, financial difficulty, gambling or social isolation.
Society - Food for the Mind & Soul from Shane McLachlan on Vimeo.
| Staying temporarily with relatives and friends, or couch surfing | 44% | 46 200 people |
| Living in boarding housings and other temporary accommodation | 20% | 21 000 people |
| Sleeping rough on the streets | 18% | 18 900 people |
| Using a bed at a homeless service | 18% | 18 900 people |
Source: Homelessness Australia, 'Homelessness In Australia, Factsheet: General Overview' (2011)
There are lots of things that need to happen to make this better.
We need to:
- more public and community housing across the country
- deal with the reasons why people become homeless in the first place, including addressing domestic violence
- dignify the choices that homeless Australians can make.
If you are experiencing homelessness click here for a list of services that may be able to help you.
For more information go to: www.homelessnessaustralia.org.au or check out their fact sheets:
- Homelessnes and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
- Homelessness and Affordable Housing
- Homelessness in Australia
- Homelessness and CaLD and Migrants
- Homelessness and Children
- Homelessness and Families
- Homelessness and Men
- Homelessness and Older Australians
- Homelessness and Poverty
- Homelessness and Women
- Homelessness and Young People
One third of all Australians who are homeless are under 18.
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