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 25% of Australia’s homeless - the nation’s second highest per capita homeless rate.
• 5,165 people were sleeping rough across Queensland on census night (2006).
• Young people, aged between 15 – 19 years were the most likely group to access Specialist Homelessness Services in Queensland (2009-10).
• One in every three homeless Australians is a child.
• Half of the people using homeless services across Australia are families. Families with children are the fastest growing group of Australians experiencing homelessness and represent one-quarter of the total homeless population.
• Every day, half the people who request immediate accommodation from the homeless service system across Australia are turned away.
• Families generally experience the most difficulty in obtaining accommodation.
• The longer homelessness lasts, the more difficult it is for families to regain their stability.
• 65% of the homeless are in segments of the population where long term homelessness exists.

Sources: 2006 Census data, Counting the Homeless 2006, 2009-10 AIHW SAAP National Data Collection annual report, AIHW Demand for government-funded specialist homelessness accommodation 2009-10 report

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.