THE CAUSES AND IMPACT OF HOMELESSNESS

Homelessness is caused by a number of factors which may be out of the individual’s control. Poverty, unemployment and a critical shortage of affordable housing accompany escapees of domestic and family violence who seek assistance from specialist homelessness services in Australia. Homelessness can also be triggered by family breakdown, mental illness, sexual assault, addiction, financial difficulty, gambling and social isolation. In 2009 to 2010, 1 in every 2 women who presented themselves to specialist homelessness services with children sought assistance to primarily escape domestic and family violence. It has been found that family breakdown is one of the primary reasons young men and women seek support from homeless assistance services. Many men who stay in homeless assistance services seek support due to financial difficulty, mental illness and/or drug and alcohol use. Couples with children are more often in the homeless service system due to eviction and financial difficulty, and children who experience homelessness are more likely to become homeless adults and raise families who, in turn, may also become homeless, continuing the cycle of homelessness.

Homeless Australians are often excluded from participation in the social, recreational, cultural and economic life of our communities. Resulting in social and economic costs to individuals, families and our nation, homelessness forces people away from their family, friends and communities. Maintaining school or further study is often compromised, leading to educational vulnerability in the future which includes long-term unemployment and chronic ill-health. Fostering a sense of alienation from communities and isolation, the psychological aftermath of homelessness may project into the future. Homelessness means that every day, almost 1 in every 200 Australians lives without one of their most fundamental human rights.