Homeless people in our cities
Posted by: CAT17
3rd May 2011 12:11am
sherri
- 22nd Nov 2011 10:59am
Sorry Marika - but you are incorrect on every point that you make. And so is Cat when she says that there is no-one helping the homeless.
Australia has one of the best welfare systems in the world....unfortunately we do not fund it very well...and there are more people needing services than the services can deal with - and so most miss out.
And speaking specifically about homelessness...BECAUSE we do have such a good welfare system, and a climate that makes it easier for people to sleep rough a lot of what has been going on for ages has been 'invisible' here. But the fact is that in every major city in Australia, we have been building less houses than is needed for the population, and this has meant that housing rental prices have risen so much that many could not afford it even if they could find something.
When I first started working in this area, homeless people were mostly single people, now is whole families. There are even employed people who are homeless. (and friends of mine are facing that possibiliy now - both are employed, their lease is about to run out, the house is to be sold, but there is nothing for then to rent)...and if these guys can't find anything, what about the unemployed, the sick, and the single parent?
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