Why is this Issue Important?
A good life foundation begins with the Housing of an individual.
Homelessness is becoming a complex and disadvantaged issue rapidly increasing in Victoria. Housing is a very strong factor to have a healthy and safe life. Many Victorians are facing the issues of homelessness due to unaffordable homes. Due to these high prices, the people chose to sleep rough in unsafe places or many times could not find any place to sleep. Some more reasons behind sleeping rough may due to family violence, addiction, relationship breakdown, or poverty (AIHW, 2021).
Homelessness could cause personal risks to an individual and could harm an individual’s mental health. The problem of homelessness could arise due to some social, economic, and personal breakdown. This policy brief shall help to aware the government of Victoria about the problem of housing and homelessness and suggest some action that has to take by the government, as it shall reduce the mental health of the people (Stonehouse, Threlkeld, & Farmer, 2015). The policy brief shall firstly analyze the facts related to housing and homelessness in Victoria, assess the government existing plans for homelessness, and then provide an outline of the strategies that should be used to solve the problem of housing and homelessness by considering the past data analysis.
The policy brief shall discuss why this issue is important, what the research tells us, what the implications of the research are, and some suggested considerations for policy and practice are (Centre for Community Child Health, 2018).
Housing is the key feature for an individual to live a healthy and happy life. Many people in Victoria are facing issues related to housing and homelessness. These people either sleep rough without housing or sleep under an unsafe roof that is temporary to stay. The people who faced homelessness are at some personal and structural risk to survive in their lives (VCOSS, 2020).
In the year 2018-19, 1 in 57 people are suffering from the problem of homelessness (apo.org.au, 2021). Many of the people are sleeping rough in some streets, gardens, parking, or coastal reserve. Homelessness decreases the ratio of public health and is a cause of mental and physical illness. As per the survey of Special Homelessness Services (SHS), homelessness and the risk of homelessness had increased by 57% from 2020-to 2021 (AIHW, 2021).
The problem of housing and homelessness is continuously increasing every year and hence, needs to take care of. This problem could arise at any stage of life. Any person either male or female may be a single person or a family. This issue is having a crucial impact on their social and personal life. These people faced mental stress and daily worry for the next night to sleep. To improve their health and living status, the government needs to have concerned about the housing facilities and provide a roof to the homeless. A policy brief is required to spread awareness about housing and homelessness and make the government take essential steps and consider the problem as their priority (dhhs.vic.gov.au, 2018).
Homelessness is a problem that affects the physical and mental health of a person. Housing problems due to physical like family violence, relationship breakdown, addiction, and social factors like unemployment, the high price of housing, lead to sleeping rough on the streets or arranging a temporary stay in any unsafe accommodations. These unsafe conditions have a traumatic effect that sometimes results in tragic events. Homelessness is a problem that has to be understood deeply by the government to prepare an effective housing plan that shall help the homeless people (Parliament of Victoria, 2021).
What does Research Tell us?
The research has been done to reflect the position of housing and homelessness in Victoria, Australia. It is important to analyze the facts related to homelessness and its impact on the people suffering from this. This research tells us the factual data related to homeless people, the reasons for homelessness, and the factual presentation of government policies that had already been implemented and had managed to resolve homelessness.
To live a healthy life, every person needs a house for him/herself and his/her family. Housing is a primary need for a person and most of the social and personal aspects are related to the housing facility. If a person is having his/her own house, he feels safe and has fewer health issues than a homeless person. A homeless person always worries to spend his/her next night sleeping. Housing creates mental peace for an individual and reduces the chances of having health issues. There are also some other essential needs that a person must have but those are secondary as if a person is having a roof on his head, he could handle the other secondary requirements (CITY OF VICTORIA | , 2021).
Homelessness has so many faces and causes. People suffering from homelessness do not have any specifications. Anyone could suffer the problem of homelessness. However, the intensity has different reasons depending upon the structural and personal risk factors of an individual. Personal risk factors include personal issues like mental and physical health issues, family violence, addictions, relationship breakdown, etc. Whereas, the structural risk factors influence the social reasons that made an individual homeless like unemployment, poverty, social avoidance, etc. According to ABS, 45.6% of persons facing homelessness are suffering from unemployment. As the reasons and impact of homelessness are different, hence the solution has to apply differently. This needs detailed research and the effort of the government (apo.org.au, 2019).
Personal risks that make a person homeless involve mental illness and substance abuse, family violence, toxic relationship or abusive relationship, relationship breakdown, etc. The persons suffering from these factors are at more risk of homelessness as they are already suffering from a mental breakdown (Rabinovitch, Pauly, & Zhao, 2016).
The social risks involve unemployment, high housing prices that lead to affordability problems, social avoidance, or reduced availability of houses. The persons who are surviving from these personal and structural risks are more disadvantaged people and need high attention (Rabinovitch, Pauly, & Zhao, 2016).
Homelessness directly affects the mental status of a person and his/her family. The mental trauma of not having any safe place to live increases the mental stress of a person and deteriorates his/her mental health. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Report, 75% of people below the age of 25 years suffered from mental illness due to their situation of homelessness. As per the Launch Housing Review of 2018-19, 37 out of 45 deaths had been caused due to the suffering of mental illness. This could be made as an overview that the survival of homeless persons ends in either mental illness or any tragic accident (Rouch, 2020).
Housing; Primary Need of an Individual
As stated above the problem of housing and homelessness has increased every year. This also implies that the demand for housing services had increased from the government. According to the data obtained from the Parliament of Victoria, there was an increase of 22% in the demand for housing services from homeless people. Whereas, the government has not delivered the requisite demand for housing (AIHW, 2021).
The short-term housing accommodations grant the housing services to the homeless people for a temporary period. Short-term accommodation also called crisis accommodation provides a temporary solution to homelessness. The risk of being homeless is high in crisis accommodations. Whereas, in the case of long-term accommodation, the government facilitates the accommodation for a longer period and provides safe accommodation for homeless people. Recent years’ data showed that in Victoria, the long-term facilities are not sufficient in numbers (housing.vic.gov.au, 2022).
According to the statistics, the government does not provide a sufficient amount of housing services to the homeless. The integrated services requires for homelessness and mental health illness are limited in nature and do not give assistance to the major part of the homeless people suffering from mental illness. The long-term housing services do not play a sufficient role to provide housing facilities to the people. Only 24% of people get a long-term housing facility and 32% of people get transitional accommodations. Crisis accommodation is the crucial part; still, the government only provided approximately 60% of crisis accommodations (victoria.ca, 2017).
In Australia and states of Australia, there are numerous policies related to mental health, but when it comes to policies related to housing and homelessness or integrated policies for mental illness and homelessness, very less policies and rules have been introduced by the government. The plans are on their way to implementation but right now Victorian Homelessness, 2020 Strategy rules the housing and homelessness (Parliament of Victoria, 2021).
Considering the factual circumstances of housing and homelessness, the need to integrate mental illness is becoming a priority in Victoria. It has been established that homelessness affects the mental health of a person and needed to be handled with the problem of homelessness. The people also deserve the inherent dignity to provide the same; the government has to act ethically to reserve the dignity of a person (AASW, 2020).
The research shall help the government and regulation authorities about the situation of homeless people in Victoria and the needed plans and policies that the government has to take into effect to reduce the problem.
Mental illness including substance misuse due to the problem of homelessness has increased the number of tragic accidents and has to be taken care of. The research help the authorities to take action regarding the integration of mental health illness and homelessness as they both are interrelated (vincentcare.org.au, 2019).
They need to recognize the importance of integrated services and provide housing facilities to the homeless people is increasing as the number of homeless people has increased on yearly basis. The research help to assist the social workers and other health professionals to understand the social and personal need of the homeless people (AASW, 2020).
Homelessness is a Complex Issue
The existing government policies are not enough in number to regulate the problem of homelessness. It is important to take action that shall highlight the problem of homelessness to the government and other policy-makers. The existing plan implemented by the government is ignoring the problem of mental illness with the issue of homelessness.
The housing service is the basic and primary need of every person as a healthy life starts with a roof on the head of a person. The stress level of a person increased when every day he has to think about where he has to spend his night or he has to sleep rough on either the streets, parks, or other unsafe places. This is a huge problem that affects public health and needs to take care of, hence this research shall help to analyze the situation of homeless people by the government (VCOSS, 2020).
Another aspect, the government has to keep on priority is the long-term housing services. Long-term housing services are more effective for the homeless person as they provide a permanent solution. The research includes the statistical data on how many long-term housing facilities has provided by the government and how much improvement in providing housing facilities is needed.
The tragic accidents due to mental illness have been increasing year by year. This issue has gone a serious turn as this tragic turn has been caused by homelessness. The issue of homelessness is increasing the number of health issues including deaths, hence, has to make a priority for the government. The research shall help the government to analyze the urgency of the issue (AIHW, 2021).
The research shall also reflect the limitations of the government to handle the issue, as they do not have an adequate number of plans and policies to handle the problem of homelessness. The Victorian government and the other housing service provider need to understand that prior action is required in the issue of homelessness.
The physical and structural risks are the main factors that result in homelessness. The research shall also help the government to know these factors and try to help the suffered people. The government has to work on the social factors that lead to homelessness. For instance, the government has to take steps on the problems related to unemployment and poverty. The government could collaborate with the integrated service providers to help the homeless people with factors like family violence or addiction-related issues that made a person homeless (apo.org.au, 2019).
The implication of the research is multi-functional, as it shall attract the attention of the government of Victoria to make the problem of homelessness its priority. It shall provide a way for the housing and homelessness service sector that could join the hands of the government to help the needed people. The research shall also help the integrated services including different professionals to provide the services to the homeless people suffering from mental illness.
The following suggestions have to take into consideration by the government while preparing a plan for housing and homelessness:
- Early recognition and intervention are required in the issue of homelessness.
- A whole government approach has to be put to remove the homelessness
- The government has to collaborate with the integrated service and housing service providers to improve the mental illness with homelessness.
- Tenancy support has to provide to the homeless people.
- Urgent availability of crisis accommodations services to the people at high risk.
- The government has to provide long-term housing services at a high rate to homeless people.
- Clear guidance regarding housing and homelessness is required to reduce the issue of homelessness.
- To recognize the integral dignity of a homeless person and follow the ethical code to maintain their dignity.
The government has to recognize the issue of homelessness and its causes at the early stages to remove the problem from its root. To analyze the issue, a whole government approach is needed. Every part of the policy has to give assistance to needy people and provide housing services to them.
This could be done through collaborating with the integrated services and providing the health and housing services together. The professionals could handle the mental illness and help the people to reduce their trauma during homelessness and housing services shall arrange the housing facilities for them while their treatment.
The government has to make a quick arrangement for the persons at high risk and take urgent actions to remove their homelessness. After providing the short-term solutions they have to provide the long-term residence to the homeless people to provide a place to live with safety.
The government has to make clear and adequate rules and guidelines that shall end the problem of homelessness in Victoria.
References
AASW. (2020, November). Australian Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics. Retrieved from Australian Association of Social Workers: https://www.aasw.asn.au/document/item/1201
AIHW. (2021, December 07). Homelessness and homelessness services. Retrieved from Australian Institute of Helath & Welfare: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-welfare/homelessness-and-homelessness-services
apo.org.au. (2019). The Victorian Aboriginal Housing and Homelessness Summit: report of findings. Victoria: Aboriginal Housing Victoria. Retrieved from https://apo.org.au/node/246906
apo.org.au. (2021). Inquiry into homelessness in Victoria: final report. Victoria: Parliament of Victoria.
Centre for Community Child Health. (2018). Child Mental Health: A Time for Innovation, Policy Brief. Centre for Community Child Health, 29. doi:https://doi.org/10.25374/MCRI.6263990
CITY OF VICTORIA | . (2021). Victoria’s Housing Future. City of Victoria: Sustainable Planning & Community Development. Victoria.
dhhs.vic.gov.au. (2018, February). Victoria’s homelessness and rough sleeping action plan. Retrieved from Voctoria State Government: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/201802/Rough%20Sleeping%20Action%20Plan_20180207.pdf#:~:text=In%20Victoria%20on%20any%20given,or%20in%20a%20derelict%20building.
housing.vic.gov.au. (2022, March 24). Crisis & emergency accommodation. Retrieved from HousingVic: https://www.housing.vic.gov.au/crisis-emergency-accommodation
Parliament of Victoria. (2021). Inquiry into homelessness in Victoria: Final Report. Victoreia: Parliament of Victoria: Legislative Council Legal and Social Issues Committee.
Rabinovitch, H., Pauly, B., & Zhao, J. (2016). Assessing emergency shelter patterns to inform community solutions to homelessness. Housing Studies, 31(8), 984-997. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/02673037.2016.1165801
Rouch, D. D. (2020, June 12). Addressing homelessness for people with mental health issues. Inquiry into homelessness in Australia, Submission 37, Attachment 1. Victoria, Australia. Retrieved April 2022
Stonehouse, D., Threlkeld, G., & Farmer, J. (2015, Jine 3). ‘Housing risk’ and the neoliberal discourse of responsibilisation in Victoria. Journal Indexing and Metrix, 35(3). doi:https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0261018315588232
VCOSS. (2020, March). The Foundation for a Good Life: VCOSS Submission to the Inquiry into Homelessness in Victoria. Retrieved 2022, from Victorian Council of Social Service: https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/committees/SCLSI/Inquiry_into_Homelessness_in_Victoria/Submissions/S341_-_VCOSS.pdf
victoria.ca. (2017, July). Housing and homelessness 13. Retrieved from Official Victoria Plan: City of Victoria: https://www.victoria.ca/assets/Departments/Planning~Development/Community~Planning/OCP/Replaced/OCP_Sec13_Jul2017_web.pdf
vincentcare.org.au. (2019, July 12). From hospital to homeless: Victoria’s mental health system fails the most vulnerable. Retrieved from Vincentcare: Engage, Enable, Empower: https://vincentcare.org.au/news/latest-news/from-hospital-to-homeless-victorias-mental-health-system-fails-the-most-vulnerable/
Order an Essay Now & Get These Features For Free:
Turnitin Report
Formatting
Title Page
Citation
Outline
