HOMELESSNESS AND MARGINALISATION

1. HOMELESSNESS AND MARGINALISATION WHERE DO PEOPLE ON THE EDGE FIT IN? BRINGING HOUSING TOGETHER FORUM 12 - 14 JULY 2011

2. OVERVIEW This presentation aims to: • explore homelessness (as an extreme form of marginalisation) • explain how homelessness impacts on housing prospects and options • identify the challenges and opportunities in housing people experiencing homelessness for community housing providers

3. Forms of homelessness • Subjective and objective definitions and experiences • Three types of homelessness recognised in Australia: primary, secondary and tertiary homelessness (cultural definition) • Also recognition of particular situations where people are ‘at risk’ of homelessness • Visible and invisible homelessness • Temporal dimension of homelessness: crisis, episodic and chronic homelessness

4. Explanations of homelessness • Individual factors – such as a disability; educational history; employment history • Structural/systemic failures – such as labour market conditions, availability of affordable housing • Composite explanations of homelessness (biographic events + structural vulnerabilities) • ‘Pathways’ into homelessness

5. Homelessness in Tasmania • Across Australia, there are approximately 105,000 people experiencing homelessness • 2500 of this number are in Tasmania • The number of people experiencing visible homelessness in Tasmania is relatively small • Roughly 50% of people experiencing homelessness in Tasmania experience homelessness that is invisible • Tasmanian Government is implementing a cross government plan to address homelessness

6. Homelessness as marginalisation • Marginalisation is the process by which dominant cultures/voices push the experiences and cultures of ‘others’ to the margins • Every experience of homelessness is an individual one; each journey is unique • Many experiences of homelessness are shared or common • Homelessness is more common among groups of people already experiencing marginalisation (e.g. poverty; disability)

7. What does homelessness mean? • Homelessness means: - lack of shelter that meets community expectations or standards - not being recognised as a legitimate member of the community - limited opportunities to participate in the community - difficulty accessing services and benefits - difficulty accessing employment - poor health status

8. What does homelessness mean? (cont) - lack of a place that is home (which offers continuity, safety, sense of self) - being subject to others’ judgement - reliance on public spaces - difficulty accumulating and maintaining personal possessions - personal sense of shame, failure - loss of hope - over time, adoption of a different ‘worldview’

9. Challenges and opportunities for community housing • Housing people at risk of homelessness can mean preventing many of the other negative impacts of homelessness • Housing stock needs to be well located and available • Housing providers need tenancy management skills + an understanding of the people they intend to house • Performance measures must reflect the degree of difficulty entailed

10. Challenges and opportunities for community housing (cont) • Support entails more than referring people to specialist services – it is about building purposeful relationships • Support may be required for ‘ as long as it takes’ • People who have experienced homelessness may need assistance to settle in the communities where they are housed • Communities may need encouragement and support too

11. Concluding thoughts • Housing people who have experienced homelessness is about more than providing shelter • There is no single model that will solve homelessness - each person requires an individual response • Shelter and support must be part of an integrated response • Community housing providers are only a part of the response and must be resourced to play their part well • Bringing people in from the margins and accommodating them in communities is the real challenge and the ultimate goal