The reality of homelessness

Homelessness is more insidious than just a lack of safe and secure housing. It isolates people from their families, friends and communities, makes school or study difficult to maintain, and leaves people vulnerable to long term unemployment and chronic ill-health.

People experiencing homelessness are often excluded from participating in the social, recreational, cultural and economic life of our communities. Such profound exclusion from society can be extremely difficult to recover from.

The Lady Bowen Trust has been specifically established to help people experiencing primary homelessness address these complex needs and work towards building a stable and happy future through sustainable housing.

The facts:

Every day, one in 200 Australians is homeless, without safe, secure or affordable housing.
Queensland has 24% of Australia’s homeless - the nation’s second highest per capita homeless rate.
One in every three homeless Australians is a child.
Half of the people using homeless services in Australia are families. Families with children are the fastest growing group of Australians experiencing homelessness.
Every day, half the people who request immediate accommodation from the homeless service system are turned away.
The longer homelessness lasts, the more difficult it is for families to regain their stability.
Brisbane rent has risen 17% in the past two years.
At least 350 people sleep rough each night in the city.

Sources: Mission Australia, 2001 Census data, Brisbane City Council Homeless Strategy.

In many cases, the reasons for losing stable housing are complex. Domestic violence remains the biggest cause of homelessness in Australia. Other triggers include poverty, unemployment, lack of affordable housing, family breakdown, mental illness, sexual assault, alcohol and drug use, financial difficulty, gambling and social isolation. The transition to homelessness can be frighteningly quick, but the recovery process can be an incredibly challenging and lengthy journey.

Young people make up a third of homeless figures in Australia. Homelessness has a serious impact on the health, education and well-being of children. Those without a stable home often exhibit higher rates of anxiety, emotional and physical health issues, poor nutrition, isolation and relationship difficulties. Children who experience homelessness are more likely to become homeless as adults and raise families who may also experience homelessness, thus perpetuating the cycle.