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Articles on Homeless

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The evidence shows permanent housing, like the Fitzroy housing estate, is the best and most cost-effective way to reduce homelessness. Kate Shaw

Shh! Don’t mention the public housing shortage. But no serious action on homelessness can ignore it

It’s time to tackle the shortage of public housing head-on, rather than skirt around the problem. Public housing is the single most cost-effective way to turn around the rise in homelessness.
Many people exit the mental healthcare system into homelessness, only to return repeatedly to hospital-based care, and sometimes the prison system. Shutterstock

From hospital to homeless: Victoria’s mental health system fails the most vulnerable

Without a place to live it is nearly impossible to take care of your mental health needs.The upcoming Royal Commission should recognise the connection between stable housing and mental health.
People between the ages of 25 and 34 are the largest group of woman who find themselves homeless. Oleg Golovnev/Shutterstock

‘I didn’t want to be homeless with a baby’: young women share their stories of homelessness

The largest group of homeless women is between the ages of 25 and 34, and family violence is most often the cause. Their stories testify to the dangers and stresses of not having a place to call home.
The public outrage at the killing of Courtney Herron, including a vigil in the park where her body was found, demands more than a knee-jerk response from government. Daniel Pockett/AAP

Look beyond crisis accommodation so people like Courtney Herron aren’t homeless in the first place

The brutal killing of a young homeless woman has led to calls for more crisis accommodation. This is a short-term fix. We have to move beyond crisis management to sustained housing for people at risk.
In 2001, around half of homeless people were found in capital cities. Today it’s almost two-thirds. Photographee.eu/Shutterstock

Homelessness soars in our biggest cities, driven by rising inequality since 2001

Homelessness in Australia is increasingly concentrated in the capital cities, where nearly two in every three people without a home are now found. That’s the finding of a study of the data since 2001.
Floral tributes form a makeshift memorial to Courtney Herron, whose body was found in Royal Park, Melbourne, on Saturday. David Crosling/AAP

Carelessly linking crime to being homeless adds to the harmful stigma

Media coverage often uses the label ‘homeless’ in ways that link the plight of tens of thousands of Australians to criminality. But a homeless person is much more likely to be vulnerable than violent.
Despite a ten-point roadmap and bold commitments, Australia has not stayed on track to reduce youth homeless over the past decade. Roman Bodnarchuk/Shutterstock

Youth homelessness efforts get a lowly 2 stars from national report card

In 2008, Australia had a national homelessness strategy, plus a ten-point roadmap to reduce youth homelessness. Why has it fallen so far short of its goals, and what still needs to be done?
An image from the International Space Station captures plumes of smoke from California wildfires on August 4, 2018. NASA

Stories that made The Conversation unique in 2018

From the curious to the serious – a bird’s eye view of the unique ways in which The Conversation covers the world.
Dr Jim O'Connell and therapy dog Maestro spend some time with a client at the medical respite centre in Boston. Courtesy of Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program

Hospital discharges to ‘no fixed address’ – here’s a much better way

Life on the street is no place to recover from a stay in hospital, but that’s what happens to many people who are homeless. But there’s a proven model to provide care that also cuts healthcare costs.
Cairns has an extensive CCTV network, which as well as keeping homeless people under surveillance is sometimes used to help them. Andreina Schoeberlein/Flickr

Turning ‘big brother’ surveillance into a helping hand to the homeless

Surveillance often results in people who are homeless being the target of enforcement measures. But a new study in Cairns shows surveillance can also be used to achieve more positive social outcomes.
A homeless man in Times Square. AP Photo/Julie Jacobson

Can Jeff Bezos help the homeless? 4 essential reads

With such an enormous challenge, where would it make sense to start? We looked into our archives for stories on what it would take to eradicate homelessness in the US today.

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