In a world full of fast communications, rapid technological change, and global reach, many social issues arise leading to social change. Homelessness is one of the main ones that have arisen to become an Australian and worldwide concern. The latest estimates reveal that the number of homeless people in Australia increased by 4.6 percent over the last five years, according to poll data from the 2016 Census of Population and Housing. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) said 116,000 people were homeless on the night of the census, representing 50 homeless people per 10,000 people.
Definition of Homelessness
According to the Canadian definition of homelessness, homelessness is 'the situation of an individual, family or community without stable, safe, durable or adequate housing, or immediate possibilities and access to it'. But in Australia, there are many definitions of what it means to be homeless, but the most acceptable definition of homelessness encompasses three sections, which embody the diversity of homelessness experiences.
Primary homelessness - is when people do not have traditional housing. For example, rough sleep or improvised homes such as sleeping in their car.
Secondary homelessness - is when people are forced to move from one temporary shelter to another. For example, moving between emergency housing and shelters. This involves 'couch surfing'.
Tertiary homelessness - is when people live in accommodation below the minimum standards. This can be an indoor house, a mobile park, or very crowded beds.
Main Causes of Homelessness
Domestic violence is one of the main causes of homelessness in Australia. Homelessness can be the result of many social, economic and health factors. According to 'Mission Australia', people can become homeless after many years of poverty, poor relationships, drug, alcohol or mental health issues. This sometimes affects people whose lives are well managed but are driven off track by a stressful cycle such as a breakup of a relationship, loss of a job, or death of a loved one. This can lead to a series of events that leaves a person without a place to live. Fact, a quarter of people who ask for accommodation in the specialized homeless services are there because of domestic and family violence while another 15% seek help due to financial difficulties. 12% of them face housing crisis and 10% of homeless people live in improper or inappropriate housing.
Homelessness and Human Fundamental Rights
Human rights are designed to ensure that people have the means to meet their basic needs, such as food, housing, and education so that they can take full advantage of all and every opportunity. Their main aim is to guarantee a good life of freedom, equality, and security to everyone so that they are living a valuable and respectful life without any abuse especially from those who are more powerful.
But if you think about it, aren't homeless people human too? Why don't they live a guaranteed life as well? Instead, they face violations of a wide range of human rights. Accessing safe and secure housing is one of the most basic human rights and the main concern for homeless people. On the Australian Human Rights Commission website on ‘Homelessness Is a Human Right Issue', I read many messages of homeless people that made me go emotional. One of the homeless kids said “As a ‘street kid’, I lived in constant fear of violence. There was no door I could lock to separate me from the rest of the world. There was no safe place for me to just be”.
However, homelessness is not just about housing. A person who is homeless may be suffering violations of the right to an adequate standard of living, the right to education, the right to liberty and security of the person, the right to privacy, the right to social security, the right to freedom from discrimination, the right to vote and many more.
Hence, I strongly believe that it is extremely important to recognize that homelessness affects a person's ability to enjoy fundamental rights and freedoms where we must show that homeless people are not just charitable things, seeking help and compassion. But like all Australians, they are individuals entitled under international law to protect and promote their human rights. Therefore, we must all work for hand on hand together with the United Nations to end and address the problem of homelessness.
How Can Homelessness Be Ended?
If everyone in the community works collaboratively, by stabilizing people through shelter, relocating them to permanent housing, and implementing assistance programs to keep them in their homes, we will not only be able to reduce but also eliminate homelessness in Australia. It's not necessary to do the top mentioned jobs yourself, because many specialized organizations aim and work towards ending and helping homelessness all over Australia. The main organizations are - Homelessness Australia, Mission Australia, Street Smart Australia, Salvation Army, and St. Vincent De Paul Society. So, take action, come together and make a role for yourself in solving and preventing the issue of homelessness by supporting either of the organizations mentioned above.
Conclusion
In conclusion, homeless is a series issue that needs to stop before increasing any further. It cannot be determined by one cause. The case contains a complicated mix of social and individual causes. Individual causes of homelessness affect a large percentage of the population with diseases such as mental illness and addiction. Society has affected homelessness with a decline in affordable housing and limited funding compared to the scope of the problem as well. In addition to that and through the whole research that I did, I realized that a homeless doesn’t need to be an older man with alcohol or drug problems while sleeping in a park or street within the city. However, the census figures prove that there is no ‘typical’ homeless person. Homelessness can affect anyone including men, women, and children from a wide range of backgrounds that live in our cities, suburbs, towns, etc.