Post by Banjo on Jun 1, 2012 8:38:46 GMT 7
Homelessness high among those on Centrelink payments
Monday, 28 May 2012 15:07
IN APRIL, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) released new findings about homelessness around the country, shedding light on the clients who seek assistance from homelessness services and the services they receive.
The report, Specialist Homelessness Services Collection: first results, revealed that over 90,000 people received assistance from homelessness agencies between July and September last year.
Of those clients, half were under the age of 25 and eighteen per cent were under ten.
The report was the first time AIHW had reported individual children as clients and found that in total, at least one-third of people seeking assistance were either with children or were children themselves.
Large proportions of clients sought assistance for getting into short-term housing (32%), transitional housing (23%) and long-term housing (26%). One-fifth also sought help to prevent an eviction or failure to meet a tenancy agreement.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, but no less concerning, the majority of clients were on Centrelink payments, including Newstart allowance (19%), the Parenting Payment (18%) and the Disability Support Pension (15%).
The results highlight the difficulty of making ends meet when on a very low income, faced with difficult or dangerous home situations or made worse by complex and costly health conditions.
The report notes some small improvement in some aspects, including a small decrease in the number of people who had no dwelling, as well as an increase in the proportion of clients renting in social housing.
Most of all, however, it highlights the diversity of people experiencing homelessness and the significant work that still needs to be done in alleviating the problem.
Another study conducted by Anglicare found that only 0.6% of rental properties advertised in Greater Sydney were affordable for those on a Centrelink payment so it’s hardly surprising that with the long wait lists for social housing, many are struggling to find adequate accommodation options.
www.cpsa.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=528:homelessness-high-among-those-on-centrelink-payments&catid=8:housing&Itemid=51
Monday, 28 May 2012 15:07
IN APRIL, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) released new findings about homelessness around the country, shedding light on the clients who seek assistance from homelessness services and the services they receive.
The report, Specialist Homelessness Services Collection: first results, revealed that over 90,000 people received assistance from homelessness agencies between July and September last year.
Of those clients, half were under the age of 25 and eighteen per cent were under ten.
The report was the first time AIHW had reported individual children as clients and found that in total, at least one-third of people seeking assistance were either with children or were children themselves.
Large proportions of clients sought assistance for getting into short-term housing (32%), transitional housing (23%) and long-term housing (26%). One-fifth also sought help to prevent an eviction or failure to meet a tenancy agreement.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, but no less concerning, the majority of clients were on Centrelink payments, including Newstart allowance (19%), the Parenting Payment (18%) and the Disability Support Pension (15%).
The results highlight the difficulty of making ends meet when on a very low income, faced with difficult or dangerous home situations or made worse by complex and costly health conditions.
The report notes some small improvement in some aspects, including a small decrease in the number of people who had no dwelling, as well as an increase in the proportion of clients renting in social housing.
Most of all, however, it highlights the diversity of people experiencing homelessness and the significant work that still needs to be done in alleviating the problem.
Another study conducted by Anglicare found that only 0.6% of rental properties advertised in Greater Sydney were affordable for those on a Centrelink payment so it’s hardly surprising that with the long wait lists for social housing, many are struggling to find adequate accommodation options.
www.cpsa.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=528:homelessness-high-among-those-on-centrelink-payments&catid=8:housing&Itemid=51