Page 2103 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 6 August 2014
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I rise today to speak to this motion to mark national Homeless Persons Week. It is timely for us to reflect on the struggles that are faced daily by so many Australians, and more specifically Canberrans, and what we as a society can be doing to improve the lives of those who need our help.
The ABS statistical definition of homelessness says a person is considered homeless:
… if their current living arrangement:
• is in a dwelling that is inadequate; or
• has no tenure, or if their initial tenure is short and not extendable; or
• does not allow them to have control of, and access to space for social relations.
We must all be very clear that homelessness is not houselessness and it is not rooflessness. It means not having a safe, secure place to call home. Many people immediately think of people experiencing homelessness as the rough sleepers, people you may see on the streets at night—the most visible kind of homelessness—with their sleeping bag, huddled in a corner. This is a bit of a stereotype, and it is only a small fraction of people who are considered homeless, especially here in Canberra, where only two per cent of people experiencing homelessness are rough sleepers.
People experiencing homelessness include people who are couch surfing, people sleeping in their cars or those who have left domestic violence situations and may be in a temporary refuge with no home to go to. It may be that the sole breadwinner of a family has been in an accident or has an injury and can no longer work; suddenly, their lifestyle is no longer supported and their rent can no longer be paid. Not long after that, an eviction notice comes and they enter into homelessness.
Access to safe and secure housing is one of the most basic of human rights. It is essential for human survival with dignity, and it is essential to give people the best shot at life, the best chance to have a good education, the best chance to find and keep employment and the best chance to be in good health. Adequate housing provides everyone with the greatest opportunity to contribute positively to our society.
The 2011 census showed that there were 1,785 people experiencing homelessness in the ACT, which, according to the census, was the second highest rate after the Northern Territory. And if you ask community organisations around the ACT, you will note that they estimate that the figure is higher than that. It is a serious issue for us.
We must also think of the families in our city who are hovering on the brink of homelessness, those we call at risk of homelessness. There are somewhere in the realm of 9,000 families in Canberra struggling so much with the cost of rent and their home loans that they forgo basics such as food or leave the heater off in winter. They forgo school excursions for their children. I have also heard of people who do not buy batteries for their hearing aids because they cannot afford them.
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