Advocates say housing delays, lack of support services to blame amid WA homeless crisis. The pain still runs deep for Claudette Smith as she remembers her cousin Jennifer, a homeless Noongar woman found dead outside Perth train station on August 12.
The two grew up as sisters. Key points: At least 56 homeless people had died in Perth by the end of OctoberAdvocates say public housing delivery lags remain a problemA lack of individualised support services is another perpetuating factor "One lost little girl, that grew up and just kept to herself. So sad, really," Ms Smith laments. Jennifer's father died when she was young, and it had a profound effect on her. "She never, ever went back home after her dad died," Ms Smith said, in the first public comments by Jennifer's family since her death. "She started sniffing first, and that's the reason why she didn't come home.
" In later years, if Ms Smith — who is also homeless — wanted to find Jennifer, she would look around the train station and Yagan Square. Foyer Oxford offers young people facing homelessness a bright future. When Kim* graduates from Notre Dame University later this month with a double degree and majors in politics, social justice and behavioural science it will signal the start of a new chapter.
But just over a year ago, her life wasn't going so well. Kim was trying to get through university without the parental support most young people rely on as they establish adult lives. "I have a childhood history of family domestic violence, and that definitely snowballed into a mental health crisis," she says.
"I ended up in Royal Perth Hospital last year in the mental health ward, and I was there for a week. " Thanks to "an amazing social worker" Kim heard about Foyer Oxford, an apartment building run by Anglicare, Foundation Housing and North Metropolitan TAFE in the Perth inner-city suburb of Leederville and was able to move in. Thursday Island residents blame public service for chronic housing, disease problems. Thursday Island is a pulsing hub of public service servicing the Torres Strait, but underneath all that administration and bureaucracy there is a festering problem.
Key points: Thirty-seven departments have offices and employees on Thursday Island Homelessness and overcrowding are widespread among localsTorres Strait has highest rate of a chronic disease related to overcrowding in Australia The island – known by its traditional name Waiben – emerged as the administrative and strategic centre of the remote archipelago during WWII. Waiben's original inhabitants, the Kaurareg people, were forcibly removed to Moa Island the early 1920s, but the island remains an important service centre for Torres Strait Islanders – who make up about a quarter of Thursday Island's population.
It is a tight squeeze, with 37 federal and state government departments and their workers sharing a four-square kilometre island. Now, community leaders are trying to take charge and change the situation from within. New report calls on greater Commonwealth investment to curb public housing crisis. Just a few years ago, Ashlie Stevenson was volunteering to feed the homeless in Sydney's inner suburbs — now she's homeless herself.
New report shows more than 155,000 households on waiting list for public housing across the countryRising rents in regional and inner city areas pushing people towards the brink of homelessnessNational lobby group calls for increase to rental assist payments for low-income earners After falling into an unforeseen cycle of disadvantage, the 64-year-old is one of hundreds of thousands of Australians languishing on growing waiting lists for public housing. The Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS) is calling on the federal government to step up its funding for new social and affordable housing projects to arrest a crisis fanned by ballooning rental prices across the country. Australia's housing affordability crisis is an even bigger challenge for young people with a disability.
It's no secret that the costs of purchasing a home have increased rapidly, particularly in the past year.
Recently described by NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet as one of the biggest challenges in a generation, many young people and first home buyers are finding themselves unable to break into a rising market, a problem being exacerbated by stagnate wages and increasing costs of living. For young people with a disability, however, purchasing a home can be an even greater financial challenge, partly because the hidden costs of having a disability can make it much more difficult to save a deposit and pay off a mortgage. Rental Affordability Index reveals the cost of rent now skyrocketing in some Queensland regions. A Sunshine Coast family forced to live out of a caravan are among thousands feeling the brunt of a rental market experts believe is "approaching the point of catastrophe.
" Key points: Rental Affordability Index creator Adrian Pisarski says there is a "perfect storm" in the Queensland housing marketHe warns the situation will get worse without government interventionAn estimated 1.3 million Australian households are in rental stress The latest annual report based on the Rental Affordability Index (RAI) reveals there has been a significant decline in affordability across some regions in Queensland, with the cost of rent now skyrocketing. RAI creator Adrian Pisarski said the new data showed a "pretty dire situation". "What we do is we compare rents based on all of the bonds that are lodged over the last 12 months with the incomes of renting households," he said. Meet a family at the centre of the homelessness crisis in Queensland's fastest growing region.
"It's homelessness elite," Leia McCabe jokes as she gestures to the caravan she now shares with her husband, daughter and dog, which cost them most of their savings.
Key points: From 2011 to 2016, homelessness in the Moreton Bay region jumped by more than 57 per cent, according to census dataThe government says 176 social houses will not be built in the region until 2025With 2,000 people on the region's social housing wait list, there are reports of families sleeping in cars. NSW to spend big on social housing as state records 319 COVID-19 cases and two deaths. NSW will spend millions of dollars on social housing to help people made vulnerable during the pandemic, as the state recorded 319 locally acquired COVID-19 cases and two deaths in the 24 hours to 8:00pm on Friday.
The government has announced a $183 million stimulus package providing social housing and extra rent support for homeless and vulnerable people across the state. Housing Minister Melinda Pavey said the package would allow an economic and social bounce-back for the state. "We are supercharging our social housing investment across NSW, we're leading Australia," she said. "It's a very exciting time to be able to provide the homes and the communities that we need going into the future, support our communities post-COVID with jobs and new homes. " The announcement came as NSW Health reported 652 people with the virus in hospital, 138 of whom were in intensive care. There were 66,311 tests undertaken in the reporting period. There were two new cases acquired overseas. Will the drive to reduce rough sleeping last as NSW learns to live with COVID-19? Jason White softly smiles as he unlocks the door to a small unassuming social housing flat.
Key points: The NSW government has helped transition 1,555 rough sleepers into secure housing since April last yearHomelessness services want the government to continue its emergency housing investments and strategy beyond COVID-19There are calls for more funding to increase affordable housing stock It has been his home for over a month, after living on the streets on and off for several years. "I cried with relief," Mr White said. "It makes you feel like you're part of the community again and the human race, not just living out there like an abandoned dog. " Homeless Victorians to be evicted from crisis accommodation following funding cut. Narjic films the Melbourne hotel room he has been in as part of the COVID-19 emergency response to give us a "tour".
Key points: State government funding supporting homeless people during lockdowns will soon endAdvocates want to harness the support prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic and keep the program goingSome $5.3 billion has been set aside for thousands of social and affordable homes, but they are still years away The Victorian government-funded accommodation is simple and clean, but not perfect. In Darwin, the Malak Caravan Park's rezoning could see pensioners evicted. For years, the KOA and Malak Caravan Park in Darwin has welcomed tourists along with more than 50 permanent residents who found affordable housing there as the city's rental prices increased.
The KOA and Malak Caravan Park will be rezoned for housing but further approvals are neededLong-term residents fear they will be unable to afford to live elsewhere in DarwinTerritory Housing is encouraging them to apply for public housing But those residents now fear they could soon become homeless as the park takes another step towards a major redevelopment.
The park's new owner lodged a rezoning application earlier this year "to facilitate the development of a new residential estate comprising approximately 158 individual dwelling sites", according to a report from a Planning Commission hearing. Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics Minister Eva Lawler approved the application this month. Albany youth service Young House teaches young people how to cook, clean and save for a home. Nick Chalkley-Bisset spends his nights working at a fast food outlet in the town of Albany, on the south coast of WA. Key points: Nick Chalkley-Bisset and his brother have been approved for a home loanJust two years ago he would have found that hard to believeHe credits a youth service in Albany for much of his success He works from 10:00pm until 6:00am because the pay is better and the house he is saving for means so much to him.
At just 22, he is ready to buy a place with his brother, and the pair have just received the good news that they have been pre-approved for a home loan. It is not just impressive because of his age, but because in recent years he has been homeless numerous times. Gold Coast council confiscates homeless people's possessions. Homeless people on the Gold Coast are having their belongings, including clothes, blankets and identification, confiscated by council workers. Key points: City of Gold Coast council says items "considered a public health issue" may be removed from public spacesAn advocate says the council's treatment of rough sleepers is inhumane and unnecessaryHomeless man Richard says it doesn't take much to lose it all and anyone could find themselves on the streets Richard, one of hundreds of people living on the streets in the Coolangatta area, keeps what he has in a trolley and moves around regularly, trying to stay unnoticed and not bother anyone.
He said he lost everything — and not for the first time — when he left his possessions unattended for a few minutes recently. Children under 10 being placed in residential care with traumatic outcomes, experts warn. Most 11-year-olds' lives revolve around Saturday sport, weekend sleepovers and worrying about who gets the next turn on the iPad. But when Millie was 11 she was homeless and living at a bus stop. "I entered care for the first time when I was three weeks old and I came in and out, like, went back to [my] family and came back, until about five [years old], " Millie said. "I then went to several different foster carers, into kinship care, and then back to foster care. " At 11, Millie started her first of 43 placements in residential care, ending when she turned 18.
Lyn retired with little super and unable to pay the rent. Her story is not uncommon. Lyn Bailey lived a comfortable life before her divorce, travelling overseas and even putting her four children through private school. She never expected to be staring down the barrel of homelessness. "I was looking forward to my future and my retirement. it was all pretty rosy," the 73-year-old told 7.30. After her divorce was finalised, Lyn thought she would be able to buy herself a unit along the coast of New South Wales with her share of the proceeds from the sale of the family home. The bank told her it would not lend money to someone in their late 50s. "For the first time in my adult life, I had to find somewhere to live to rent," she said. Lyn also found herself with very little superannuation at retirement age. "Before the divorce, I didn't have a lot of super sitting there because of my nursing career, because of my time out to have kids and all of that," she said.
"But once the divorce had gone through and was finalised, I found myself with even less super. " Experts say public housing the key element to stop ex-prisoners re-offending. Homeless in a bush camp, told to move on, but with a lack of affordable housing there's nowhere to go. Tiny homes combating youth homelessness. How MADCOW and the Winter Night Shelter are tackling the homelessness crisis in Bendigo. Homeless support services in Perth suburb at breaking point with vulnerable people turned away. Social housing plea with rent now unaffordable for essential workers across most Australian regions. Santana is a skilled photographer and never imagined she would become one of the 20 per cent of Australians who have experienced homelessness. Key points: Lockers for homeless in Launceston ready to go but no agreement on where to put them. If you saw Peter Myers walking down the street, you would not expect he would be homeless. Key points: Evictions of Aboriginal families in Perth under scrutiny, as FOI documents released.
Darwin's COVID-19 lockdown put the homeless at risk, so these groups are getting to work. NT's urban public housing sector in 'crisis' as priority applicants face a two-year wait. The letter telling Tracey Myles that government housing was on the horizon turned up in April, during a period of homelessness lasting months. Key points: Priority urban housing applicants in the NT face an average wait time of 23 monthsThe NT government says the housing department is operating under a "failed model"But social service groups are questioning the decision to vacate and redevelop existing houses The mental health worker had recently lost her job, was evicted from a private rental and says she frequently sought shelter in a caravan that leaked during the Top End wet season's heavy rain.
Medical van treats acute and chronic illnesses in hundreds of rough sleepers across Sydney. Homeless campers in state forest a semi-permanent community as rental prices soar. Tiny homes, house sharing, help with small builds — women's ideas to help alleviate housing crisis. The van offering up hope to Canberra's homeless with medical services and support. Darwin rental 'pressure cooker' pushes residents to look interstate for affordable housing. Adelaide single mum forced to eat from bins documents life on the edge of homelessness. Adelaide councillor Anne Moran says 'voluntary homelessness' should not be allowed after finding homeless man in her house. Concerns tight Gold Coast rental market means tenants won't assert their rights. A year ago Adelaide's homeless were housed. Now, some are back on the streets amid an overhaul of the sector.
Housing rental 'crisis' entrenching West Australian tenants in 'cycle of poverty' The Tasmanian town of Kingston is booming, but at what cost? ParentsNext program leaves single parents wondering about next steps to secure rental properties. Hutt Street Centre misses out on funding in restructure of SA homelessness services. Homelessness funding at risk amid state and territory government dispute, services say. Homelessness funding at risk amid state and territory government dispute, services say. Housing crisis in Katherine forces renters to wait months for a home. Struggling renters told to leave Sunshine Coast due to housing crisis in 'heartbreaking' St Vinnies warning. Queensland's homelessness crisis worsens as rents soar, government assistance reduced. Toondah Harbour development east of Brisbane puts koala habitat at risk, community groups say as Priority Development Area provision questioned.
Rental stress for NT pensioners locked out of public housing because of asset limit change. WA moratorium on rental increases and eviction ends with families left in limbo. Regional services brace for more homelessness as JobKeeper welfare payments dry up. Rental listings soaring in some areas but renters still struggling to find affordable homes. Out-of-home care kids overrepresented in missing persons data, report finds. 'Notorious' NT public housing complex at Palmerston set for demolition.
Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack promotes a migration to regions — but some country towns are full. Welfare advocates concerned 'perfect storm' brewing in Tasmania as rental demand outstrips supply. Residential park homeowners fighting rising site fees call for fairer laws. End of national rental scheme to compound Tasmania's housing crisis as unaffordability sweeps the state. Youth residential care funding welcomed, but advocates say more is needed to provide young people with a stable home. Experts say this is what Australia needs to do to solve the housing crisis.
How Chinese courtyard housing could help older Australian women avoid homelessness. In Darwin's booming property market, rents are rising while vacancy rates tumble. Rental prices rise, vacancies disappear as Snowy Monaro town struggles to balance new arrivals and workers. House-sitting, couch surfing keeping 'almost homeless' older woman off the streets. Cancer survivor living in a tent has breast reconstruction surgery delayed over housing concerns. WA Police link serious alleged offences including child sexual assault to tent city for homeless in Fremantle.
Fremantle's tent city is being run by 'professional protestors', Mark McGowan says. Tasmanians are turning to caravan parks in lieu of affordable rentals. Papua New Guinea town of outcasts gearing up for David and Goliath battle to save community of Bushwara. Out-of-home care ends for many young people at 18, but there's a push around Australia to extend it to age 21. Surge in domestic violence victims struggling to find shelter amid housing squeeze in Perth.
Charity turns people away as Central Queensland homelessness crisis is tipped to be one of the nation's worst. 'It would make me feel like I belong': Mick Combo's lifelong quest for a home - ABC News. Bureau of Meteorology says the NT experienced its hottest November in 100 years - ABC News. How do you transition thousands of homeless people out of coronavirus hotel accommodation? - ABC News.
WA is experiencing its worst rental shortage since 2007 with many facing homelessness - ABC News. Victorian Government aims to create 43,000 jobs with $5.3 billion public housing spend - ABC News. While most states got thousands of people sleeping rough off the streets during COVID-19, Western Australia wound back its response - ABC News. Renters skipping meals and paying bills late to afford rent during coronavirus pandemic, study finds - ABC News. Federal Government warned about rising risk of homelessness from COVID-19 - ABC News.
New public housing shelved to cover blow-out in NT coronavirus home reno scheme - ABC News. Has the coronavirus pandemic proved that homelessness is solvable? - ABC News. From sleeping rough to four-star hotels: How coronavirus is changing our approach to homelessness. Homelessness is hard enough, then coronavirus makes life on the streets even more dangerous. Coronavirus sees university students move out to give their homes to people in need. The coronavirus threat among the homeless is a 'ticking time-bomb' for Australia. Coronavirus pandemic sees food shortages for homeless as panic buying strips supermarket shelves. Hope is restored for homeless people with Going Places trial that focuses on health. Victoria's housing agencies to boycott worst-rated rentals amid conditions 'I wouldn't let my dog live in' Affordable housing for single older women to open on northern beaches.
Hobart only has one overnight homeless shelter and it will get busier in winter. Flat wages and soaring house prices are condemning Australians to a lifetime of renting. Homeless charity Agape Outreach ramps up protests over Gold Coast Council not allowing park services. Tasmanians struggle to feed families as public housing list hits highest point in a year.
Where do you go when you leave jail? We follow one former inmate as he tries to find a place to stay. The eccentric birdman who's beating Australia's biggest landlord. Homelessness 'duty to assist' law could force government to help those in crisis. Cooking to combat homelessness as teens learn skills to keep them off the street. Why Luke Howarth's claims on homelessness in Australia get mixed verdicts - Fact Check. Homeless people failed by the commonwealth funding model, experts nationally say. Minister for Housing Luke Howarth wants a 'positive spin' on homelessness - Politics. Australians like me are ending up in jail and your tax cut won't help. 'Professional beggars' on Melbourne CBD streets charged by police.
Sue Hickey calls on Tasmanian Government to shore up more affordable, social housing.