Mental demons plague homeless

ROUGH sleepers in Australia are most likely to be older males with mental health or substance abuse issues, according to a new report.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has analysed the profiles of the nation’s homeless, providing new insights into some of society’s most vulnerable.

Its report relies on four years of data from specialist homelessness services to build a comprehensive picture of the group, the challenges they face and the services they use.

According to the report, two in three rough sleepers using the specialist services are male.

The males also tend to be older and often have drug, alcohol or mental health issues.

Of all rough sleepers seeking help, 47 per cent reported mental health issues.

The report also showed that many rough sleepers experienced multiple periods of homelessness.

The findings come after 2016 Census data showed around 8200 Australians were sleeping rough, including living on the streets and inside cars.

The figure represented a 20 per cent increase on five years earlier.

Despite the surge in numbers, rough sleepers — which includes people sleeping in parks and cars — only account for one in 14 homeless people in Australia.

Although Geelong’s figures were not contained in the AIHW report, it is understood the city’s homeless population is about 1500.

AIHW spokesman Matthew James said the report aimed to shine a light on the challenges faced by the nation’s homeless.

“By looking specifically at rough sleepers over multiple years, (this) report fills an important gap in the data, which will help us better understand the complexity of homelessness in Australia,” he said.