The Department of Human Services (DHS) has turned the spotlight on Homelessness Week this week, saying it is an opportunity to raise awareness of homelessness and its impact as well as promote services available to people affected.
The Department said around 116,000 people were homeless in Australia on any one night, with about 42 per cent aged under 25 and around 18,000 children under the age of 12.
DHS said it was often the first point of contact for many people facing homelessness, so it was vital that frontline staff could quickly identify individuals and families at risk and offer them information, resources and support.
It said that its Community Engagement Officer, Jo Efraraimo visited crisis support services to meet vulnerable people in an environment where they felt comfortable.
“The leading cause of homelessness in Australia is family violence” Ms Efraraimo said.
“Other issues that contribute to homelessness include child abuse, relationship breakdown, mental health issues, housing affordability and unemployment.”
She said that she and her colleagues visited refuges and community centres to help connect people who were homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless, with local support services and Centrelink payments.
“Services may include refuges, medical services, education and employment support to help build the foundations for a strong, healthy and stable future,” Ms Efraraimo said.
General Manager at DHS, Hank Jongen said that while it was essential to continue to provide payments and support services for the most vulnerable people, it was also important the Department come up with innovative ways to collaborate and address the underlying factors causing homelessness in the first place.
