A recent report from Homelessness Australia and Impact Economics has highlighted the overwhelming pressure faced by Australian homelessness services. The report revealed that frontline services are being forced to turn people away and leave phone calls unanswered, emphasizing the urgent need for increased government support.
According to Homelessness Australia CEO Kate Colvin, the housing crisis has escalated into a housing emergency, with many individuals just one negative shock away from homelessness. In 2021, over 122,000 people were estimated to be homeless in Australia, and between 2.7 million and 3.2 million Australians were at risk of homelessness in 2022.
Challenges Faced by Shelters
Prior to the report, the number of people being turned away by shelters was not accurately documented. The newsletter from Homelessness Australia pointed out that the AIHW Specialist Homelessness Data only captures supported clients and not those who are unassisted or turned away.
Impact Economics conducted a study monitoring 23 specialist homeless services for two weeks in September. The study revealed that families seeking emergency shelter were turned away one in every five days, unaccompanied minors one in every nine days, and individuals without children one in every two days.
Colvin highlighted the distressing decision support workers face when determining who receives shelter each night, as resources are limited and demand is high.
Challenges in Providing Assistance
The report also found that 39% of services had to close their doors at some point, with services on average closing one in every 22 operating hours. Additionally, 89% of providers could not answer phones for some period, resulting in missed phone calls totaling 325 hours.
Email communication was also a challenge, with 74% of services unable to answer emails for a period. On average, services could not respond to emails on 34% of days, leaving 666 emails unanswered.
Solutions for the Housing Crisis
Report author Angela Jackson suggested that rent assistance and increased social and affordable housing could be key solutions to the housing crisis. However, she emphasized the need for additional funding for frontline services to support individuals in need of immediate help.
Homelessness Australia stressed the importance of significant resources to prevent homelessness where possible and provide the necessary support for individuals to secure and maintain stable housing.
(AAP contributed to this report.)
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