I also made it a male focus in my post, but there has been a huge rise in women and children who are homeless. Ive had colleagues who haven’t been able to place them in houses, and suggested living in a tent until they can find something.
Women and children has always been high rate of homelessness, because of family violence. Because of this, there are more services available for women and children.
It definitely wasn’t a call to arms that we need to get women back to being the home makers.
i was more suggesting there’s been culture shift, and men simply haven’t caught up or pivoted their value in society away from their monetary worth.
I agree. I have been saying this to people for years.
Tbh though I am not sure they will catch up anytime soon either. It’s a big worry.
Not the older people anyway. The young ones might be ok.
It has been a problem for many years from memory in Melbourne, the big one is the last 3 years at home in Launceston, we have parks with tents dotted around them, sidewalk sleeps, the riverbed precedent has permanent, I suppose squatters, along the old wharf edge.
They even have their areas sectioned with pallets.
I see it everyday now, years ago their were a few bridge sleepers but back then they would actually get moved on/helped to some degree, it just feels like the numbers are overwhelming now and no one really knows what to do.
Some of our -3 days recently would of been rather awful, you want to help but what do you do ??
The welfare system is designed to remove or block benefits to people, based on things like lack of ID or address. This cost cutting fanaticism has led to a culture where people will be happily made homeless if it eliminates a small risk of fraud.
The red tape that social workers need to cut through to aid some at risk individuals is truly staggering and in many cases there just isn’t enough time to help the difficult cases. The individuals aren’t able to navigate the system, the support services don’t have the resources to navigate the bureaucracy, Centrelink then cuts their housing and payments and pushes them onto the streets.
For example, if you don’t have ID you can’t get ID. Let your drivers licence expire because it was too expensive? Need a birth certificate. Want a birth certificate? Need a photo ID. Want a photo ID? Need a birth certificate…
And if you don’t have photo ID they’ll cut your benefits and housing.
We’ve imported an extra 1m people over the last 2 years.
Basic physics means this was inevitable.
People always talk about the homeless, but nobody ever mentions the homeful people. Think about that.
What is that?
Think about it.
No.
You’ve given me a lot to ponder.
I started working in the homelessness sector in the late 80s when the majority of clients were older, single men who were drinkers. During the 90s, we saw a sharp increase in the number of women, families and younger men seeking assistance. Heroin use became much more common and I am thankful that I wasn’t around when ice became widely used.
In the fifteen years I spent in the sector, things didn’t improve. The number of people seeking a bed only increased and there just wasn’t enough housing stock nor emergency accommodation to cope with the demand.
It seems like nothing has changed in the twenty years since I left Melbourne and, if anything, things are worse with more rough sleepers visible. Imagine being that destitute.
Successive Governments have done little to solve the problem. In the words of Neale Daniher, “When all is said and done, more is said than done”.
The ones sleeping in and around the CBD or other centres are rough sleepers.
There is a distinct category of homeless, those without secure accomodation, mostly through financial hardship.
The rough sleepers are usually those who , for different reasons, are unable to adapt to structured living within a rules based system. Among them are some young people, including those who have not prospered in foster care.
They are not forgotten people. There are very good systems in place to provide basic care to rough sleepers, to get kids into schools and to provide clothing. Many of these arrangements are run by charities with government funding , including health workers volunteering their time. This extends to Vets who provide free services for the pets of rough sleepers.
I think so.also Southern Cross is privately run, so explains why it’s so ■■■■.
IMO, Melbourne was at its peak in the early 2000s and I reckon in started it’s decline around 2007. It’s been getting worse and worse for nearly 20 years. When I visit my parents in the ES now, I am amazed at how many homeless people you see. That never used to be the case.
It wont be fixed. Sorry.
Are marriage breakdowns really a factor in the homeless issue in the CBD?
You hate to generalise, but the homeless in the CBD don’t look like marriage breakdowns are the primary issue they have on their plates at present time.
Spot on
My generalisation is it’s drugs related in many cases.
Wouldn’t it be homemore ?