Why Homelessness Is The Condition

Communities and Local Government. 2007. An International Review of Homelessness and Social Housing Policy. London

The issue of homelessness in regard to shelter in Australia has been prevalent for an extended period of time in the 21st century. Homelessness is the situation in which individuals are unable to attain a permanent and adequate quality of shelter. Shelter is a human right as stated under article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which specifies “Housing” as part of the standard of living required for an individual to maintain their wellbeing. Australia’s law specifies no legal right to shelter, however as a party of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), the Australian government must recognise that all individuals should be entitled to “an adequate standard of living for themself and their family”, where one criteria is “adequate housing” as stated in article 11. It is imperative that in order to fulfil both Australia’s obligation to uphold human rights and maintain social cohesion within society both legal and non-legal responses are effective in dealing with both the causes and effects of homelessness.

The 1950’s conservative family era still maintained the patriarchic view that men control the power and women subordinate and where under the control of societies view. The feminist movement of the 1960’s bought about the biggest change with both homelessness and social awareness. Women of the 1960’s and 70’s now were demanding equality education, freedom of abuse and the right to earn their own money(Schindeler, 2010). The new face of homelessness became that of women and children escaping domestic violence and the family home due to the empowerment of feminism (Lwin 2011, unpub.). The Labor Government was elected in 1972 and Gough Whitlam’s Government drew on the International Agreement Programs on Human Rights to model a new Australia Social policy (Lwin 2011, unpub.). With the outcry of society the Australian Government in 1973 introduced the Supporting Mothers Benefits (Australian Bureau of Statics [ABS] 2009) to help remove mothers and children from the streets and gives them support to find a permanent residence. Margaret Whitlam was a well known social worker who had a passionate interest in social conditions, (Australian Government National Archives of Australia 2014) oversaw the establishment of the first government funded women’s shelter.This shelter was followed by Non government organisations establishing more shelters for youth and women (Homelessness Australia 2012). The Homeless Person Assist Act of 1974 was introduced

Homelessness is defined as the situation of an individual or family without stable, permanent, appropriate housing, or the immediate prospect, means, and ability of acquiring it. It is the result of systemic or societal barriers, a lack of affordable and appropriate housing, the individual/household’s financial, mental, cognitive, behavioral or physical challenges, and/or racism and discrimination. Most people do not choose to be homeless, and the experience is generally negative, unpleasant, stressful and distressing6. Homelessness is a problem that affects every Canadian town or city, and is one that is dealt with using a variety of different methods.

Homelessness is one of the oldest problems that exist, fast forward almost 40 years since it’s been recognized as one and still there has been no avail to finding a real solution. The definition of homelessness under the McKinney-Vento Homelessness Assistance Act is defined as an individual: “who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence; and a person who has a nighttime residence that is supervised publicly or privately operated shelter, and c) an institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized, or a private or public place not designed for, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.”

Homelessness has different meanings to different people; someone who has never been homeless might think homelessness is a person who lives on the street, in a tent or in a box. Many people don’t realize that there are a number of

When homelessness became a national epidemic in the 1980s, reformers responded with emergency shelters that were meant to be temporary havens. But as homelessness became more entrenched, so did shelters: Their capacity more than doubled by the late 1980s, then again a few years later, and then again by 2000. Along the way, they became institutionalized way stations for lots of poor people with temporary housing crises, including those avoiding family conflicts, leaving prison or transitioning from substance-abuse treatment.

According to the Department for Communities and Local Government the term ‘homeless’ is used to describe households who are threatened with the loss of a roof over their head or unable to continue with their current accommodation. A household is considered homeless if they no longer have a legal right to occupy their accommodation. A local authority has a “homelessness duty” to secure accommodation to “priority need groups” and

What is it, why is this important? Homelessness is a rising issue throughout the world with an estimated of 100 million people homeless worldwide. In Australia the 2011 Census showed that in five years the rate of homelessness increased by 8% from 89,728 to 105,237. The Australian Bureau of Statistics states that when a person does not have suitable accommodation alternatives they are considered homeless if their current living arrangement is in a dwelling that is inadequate; or has no tenancy, or if their initial tenancy is short and not extendable; or does not allow them to have control of, and access to space for social relations. There is no one reason why someone is homeless as it can be a result of a number of complex issues.

Many social welfare policies have been put into place throughout the course of history to attempt to deal with the ever present problem of homelessness. Starting at the first widespread attempt by the government with the implementation of the Elizabethan Poor Law, which placed the plight of the poor into the realm of responsibilities of the community; and serves as the very basis for our

This meeting lasted for two and half hours and many councilors came to attend. The homeless strategy was reported by the Housing and Public Health Paternerships officer. It sets oout a new collaborative approach to tackling homelessness in Greater Norwich over the next five years, bringing together local authority partners, housing agencies and health organizations in a new strategy. The new strategy is needed

Homelessness is tackled by homes. Homelessness is a significant issue in Australia, and the Government as well as over organisations can improve the situation of many homeless individuals permanently using cost-effective methods. Housing will improve the lives of all individuals not just the homeless because housing will reduce public costs spent on the homeless which can then be used on other public services.

Homeless people within Australia and the world face many problems in relation to barriers that prevent them from achieving equal health opportunities

Homelessness is experience by people who frequently move from one to another temporary shelter (emergency accommodation, youth refugees, ‘’ couch surfing’’).

For example In Britain, the Homeless Persons Act 1996 adopted a narrow definition of homelessness as a lack of suitable accommodation, either if the housing is not safe, or the individual is likely to be made homeless outside of their control. Which includes those in danger of losing their accommodation through violence which threatens them or their families. However Fitzpatrick et al. (2013) adopts a wider definition of homelessness which encompasses; people sleeping rough, single homelessness, statutory homelessness and hidden homelessness. Hidden homelessness may include sharing of overcrowded accommodation, sofa surfing or staying with friends. (Watson and Austerberry ,1996 ) uses the term ‘home to homelessness continuum’ to include women in hostels and emergency shelters and women who exit then return to homelessness. Although reference highlighted that the female sleeping rough population was