Soaring house prices lock Australia’s homeless out
SYDNEY: Homelessness is on the rise in Australia, experts warn, with a growing number of people failing economy as it readies to mark a re
The unprecedented economic expansion -- fuelled by a massive mining investment boom -- has boosted house prices and lined the
But it has also led to the country’s biggest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, being ranked second and 10th on a list of the world’s
The soaring prices have placed further pressure on those already struggling to afford a roof over their heads, with a public outcry on housing affordability sparking action by federal and state governments to fund more social and
“Australia is a wealthy country and so it shouldn’t have the levels of homelessness that it does have,” Homelessness New South Wales (NSW) chief Katherine McKernan
“If you compare it to London and New York, the numbers of people seeking homelessness support are comparatively - ness is increasing in Sydney and Melbourne due to the lack of
Australia’s agency for health and welfare statistics AIHW said demand for homelessness services reached a record high of 279,000 people in 2015-16, led by those affected by domestic jump from 2011- 12 when the
More than 100,000 people were reported homeless in the 2011 national census, with welfare groups expecting the most recent survey
Rough sleepers are more visible in cities, with Melbourne’s Herald Sun describing a homeless camp outside a major train station during the Australian Open tennis Grand Slam in Janu
In downtown Sydney, Lanz Priestley has set up a “safe space” for the homeless, offering 24/7 access to free food just metres from the Reserve Bank of Australia,
“People have the basic human “I think the support services ( in Sydney) aren’t even in the library when it comes to rough
Among those resting on piles of bedding spread across colourful crates is 20-year-old Nina Wilson, who helps Priestley run the Martin
“I am now in transitional housing as I’m nearly six months pregnant and this is sort of my way of giving back because I know what watch these guys have nothing,”
Salvatore Magenta, 64, said he has been living on the streets since 2000 as he grapples with growing
“I slept in a car for about 15 years, I didn’t let no one know what I was doing with my life,” -