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David Allen Operations Manager, Supported Accommodation Wesley Mission And

Homelessness: the Distant Echo of Family Dysfunction Origins of Homelessness and the Relationship to Family Break-up and Dysfunction. David Allen Operations Manager, Supported Accommodation Wesley Mission And Homelessness NSW Board Member David.allen@wesleymission.org.au 0407 415 640.

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David Allen Operations Manager, Supported Accommodation Wesley Mission And

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  1. Homelessness: the Distant Echo of Family DysfunctionOrigins of Homelessness and the Relationship to Family Break-up and Dysfunction

  2. David Allen Operations Manager, Supported Accommodation Wesley Mission And Homelessness NSW Board Member David.allen@wesleymission.org.au 0407 415 640

  3. What is homelessness?

  4. Myth or fact? “Homelessness is a choice”

  5. Homelessness is NOT a rational choice, it needs to be considered in it’s context and environmental influences and reasons for the homelessness

  6. “Homelessness is the result of a set of circumstances that get out of control and no two are exactly alike and when you arrive, all illusion is swept away, your very humanity your morality, your sense of right and wrong and you ask yourself why do people look at me like that?” “While living on the street, people passing would look at me like they are spitting on me with their eyes"

  7. There are 6 common pathways into Homelessness ... Individuals Youth The elderly Families

  8. 1) Domestic Violence Often partners will face violence for a sustained period but once the violence is knowingly on the kids, this is typically the trigger to leave

  9. “I am 6 months pregnant and my husband is drug dependant. He also abuses me (physical, sexual and emotional). I have a caseworker but everything is very slow. There should also be more shelters and refuges for abused women.” www.piac.asn.au Homelessness Consumer Forum May 2010

  10. 2) Housing Crisis This is a growth area typically families and caused by; - lose of job - area gentrification - unexpected significant expenses

  11. 3) Mental Health Typically by people unable to manage the stigma of mental health and they systematically withdraw from society or their support networks

  12. “I had a mental illness for a long time but it wasn’t recognised or diagnosed. All this time I knew I was a bit odd but didn’t know what was wrong. I was dependant on places who gave treatment for free. I was always feeling that I was bad. I lost custody of my daughter because of my hoarding. That’s when I became homeless.” www.piac.asn.au Homelessness Consumer Forum May 2010

  13. 4) Addictions Typically already linked into a pre-existing drug culture or network

  14. “When I was younger I turned to drugs as a way of coping with my pain. But it only works as a temporary relief. The pain keeps coming back and when are off the gear it is so much worse. Drugs have cost me everything” • “I had a gambling problem. To stop me being on the street I would have needed proactive support. It just was not there for me” www.piac.asn.au Homelessness Consumer Forum May 2010

  15. 5) Youth People who have experienced a period of homelessness while under the age of 18 years of age are either: - victims of significant neglect or abuse - dissidents

  16. “If I had more support from my family I would not have ended up on the streets.” • “I watched the horrible things my dad did to my mum. It affects you in a way that few people can understand.” www.piac.asn.au Homelessness Consumer Forum May 2010

  17. 6) Leaving Institutional Care

  18. “I lost my house as soon as I went to jail. From jail onto the streets.” • “… well I basically got suicidal after losing my accommodation after leaving a psychiatric ward.” www.piac.asn.au Homelessness Consumer Forum May 2010

  19. So the 6 common pathways are: • Domestic Violence • Housing Crisis • Mental Health • Addictions • Youth • Leaving Institutional Care

  20. FAMILY DYSFUNCTION Is the common link to ALL of these homeless pathways

  21. “A considerable number of respondents spoke of childhood sexual, physical and/or emotional abuse that forced them to leave home and how this has significantly impacted their lives. For those consulted, the resultant trauma of these experiences not only lead them to becoming homeless, but left them ill-equipped to navigate complex service and government agencies requirements.” www.piac.asn.au Homelessness Consumer Forum May 2010

  22. A homeless person is without a conventional home and lacks most of the economic and social supports that a home normally affords. She/he is often cut off from the support of relatives and friends, she/he has few independent resources and often has no immediate means and in some cases little prospect of self support. She/he is in danger of falling below the poverty line, at least from time to time. Council for Homeless Persons

  23. Framing Homelessness Being homeless is a complex issue, created by the failure of a variety of service systems. Homeless people, and those at risk of becoming homeless, are affected by common themes that include: - social exclusion - an ineffective service system - lack of access to housing that is affordable to people on low incomes and - a lack of support and supported accommodation services

  24. Early Intervention … ???

  25. QUESTION?

  26. Homelessness General Information Wesley Mission http://www.wesleymission.org.au Homelessness NSW http://www.homelessnessaustralia.org.au Homelessness Australia http://www.homelessnessaustralia.org.au/site/index.php Aust Parliamentary Library http://www.aph.gov.au/library/intguide/sp/homeless.htm Policy, definitions, programs, etc National Youth Commission http://www.nyc.net.au/files/Australias_Homeless_Youth.pdf National Youth Commission enquiry into youth homelessness Australian Clearing House for Youth Studies http://www.acys.info/youth_facts_and_stats/housing Aust Institute for Health and Welfare http://www.aihw.gov.au/housing/sacs/saap/index.cfm Information on the government’s Support Accommodation Assistants Programs (SAAP)

  27. Homelessness General Information (con’t) The National Homelessness Information Clearing house http://www.homelessnessinfo.net.au/ From the City of Sydney (Homelessness) http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/Community/HomelessnessServices/StreetCount.asp http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/community/HomelessnessServices/HomelessPersonsInformationCentre.asp Homeless Person Legal and advocate centre http://piac.asn.au/legal/hpls.html The council to homeless person write an excellent magazine called Parity http://www.chp.org.au/parity/ The Federal Government’s white paper on Homelessness call ‘Which Way Home’ has set the national political framework http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/about/news/2008/Pages/WhichWayHome_homelessness.aspx The NSW Government’s response is the federal homelessness white paper http://www.housing.nsw.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/070B5937-55E1-4948-A98F-ABB9774EB420/0/ActionPlan2.pdf

  28. David Allen Operations Manager, Supported Accommodation Wesley Mission And Homelessness NSW Board Member David.allen@wesleymission.org.au 0407 415 640

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