Why
do they become homeless?
There are lots
of reasons: the break-up of a marriage or relationship; the loss
of a job leading to the repossession of a home or inability to
pay the rent; an addiction or abuse of drugs, either prescribed
or illegal; alcohol or even gambling.
People may become homeless because of a mental illness, although as with
drug or alcohol abuse, some people become unwell or develop a problem
because they have become homeless. People who have served in the armed
forces often find it impossible to cope with civilian life. Others
may be running away from an abusive relationship.
It could happen to any one of us. Homeless people come from all walks
of life and social backgrounds.Not
all of them sleep rough on the streets, but are insecurely housed,
living
in bed & breakfast, short stay
hostels or sleeping on friends’ floors.
Helping people who have become homeless is not always easy. One thing
that surprises many who are new to working with homeless people is
that some refuse any help that is offered. This can be for a number
of reasons.
It may be because that person was in care and was abused or had their
trust shattered in some other way, or it may be because they have
built up relations with other homeless people. Once such relationships
are
established it can be very hard to break away from this network and
seek help with re-housing.
It can be a painstaking and long process to get a homeless person
to even come into the centre and use the primary services provided,
let
alone the specialist services offered, such as health and housing.
Each step forward, no matter how small, is what The Passage is here
for; to
offer help, support and encouragement, in the hope of transforming
lives.
Why youth people
become homeless?
It has been
estimated that the youth homeless population is anywhere between
15,000 to 22,000 nationally. A range of factors cause young people's
homelessness and these factors occur at both the individual level
and at the broader social and economic level, including:
Family conflict or breakdown -
This can be exacerbated by issues of drug or alcohol
dependence, physical, emotional or sexual abuse, lack
of parental support, sexual preference, ill health or
pregnancy. The breakdown of family support is proven
to impact substantially on the capacity of a young person
to transition to independent living.
Lack of work or educational opportunities -
The loss of traditional employment opportunities
for people who have limited education has meant
that unemployment levels for youth are substantially
higher than for any other section of the community.
Without qualifications, young people are at a
distinct disadvantage in finding employment in
an increasingly competitive labour market. For
many young people, entering employment is a significant
step in entering adulthood and independence.
Research on young people leaving care has shown
that 12 months after discharge 44 per cent of
this group were unemployed, compared with 27
per cent amongst 15 -19 year olds in the general
community. Without appropriate income, young
people are at greater risk of homelessness.
Drug and alcohol dependency -
The Drug Policy Expert Committee has reported
that increasing numbers of youth are engaging
in illicit drug use at early ages. The trend
for young people to begin using drugs at
an earlier age will have long term impacts
on family support, health, housing, wider
support systems and capacity to maintain
education and obtain employment.
Severe economic hardship while
facing independence - Young people
often lack a sufficient or sustainable income
necessary to access or maintain appropriate
housing. Despite little difference in housing
and living costs for a person living independently
at any age, Commonwealth income support varies
considerably between persons under the age
of 18 and those over 18.
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