Homelessness is on the rise in both the developed and developing world.

Discuss two factors which lead to homelessness and some of the impacts that
homelessness has on the individual and society.

A home is not only a house; a home is a place where people can feel protected and
free. Homelessness is a social phenomenon increasing in developed and developing
societies and it might be associated with various causes related to addictions or
mental health disorders. Homelessness is a difficult concept to define. However, the
Australian Bureau of Statistics (2012) suggests a framework centred around the idea
of people living in unsuitable accommodation, in an inadequate and not secure
dwelling. Some major reasons for homelessness might be the misuse and the abuse
of alcohol and the dependency on gambling, that might lead to loneliness and mental
health issues for the individuals and financial burdens for the governments. This
essay will discuss these causes and consequences related to homelessness in
Australia.

There are various aspects that can lead an individual to the condition of being
homeless. Some primary common causes of homelessness in Australia are the
abuse of alcohol and gambling. First of all, the misuse of alcohol is a significant
cause of homelessness in Australia. It occurs especially in aged men, who might
spend all their income on alcohol. Moreover, this behaviour might negatively
influence relationships within the family. McVicar, Moschion and van Ours (2015)
accentuate the high contingency of risk of homelessness in individuals who abuse
alcohol. Moreover, McVicar et al. emphasise the close relationship between the
abuse of alcohol and the consequent condition of homelessness. A second
significant reason for this tragic condition in Australia is gambling; the irresponsible
addiction of betting a considered amount of money on games. This behaviour is a
common feature especially in Victoria and it is becoming a significant issue in current
society. A Victorian study conducted with over 500 participants indicated that one in
every five gambles on sport at least once a month (Thomas et al., 2017). Rota-
Bartelink and Lipmann (2007) point out that even if the policies regarding gambling
are strict, it does not discourage old men from gambling regularly, in particular, those

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who live by themselves. Therefore, these people do not have enough money for their
bare necessities and no one may help them. To sum up, the abuse of alcohol and
gambling are primary reasons for homelessness in Australia, as people do not
control their expenditure and they do not have enough money to support themselves.

One critical consequence of homelessness is the psychological mental health of the

individual, who might experience feelings of being lonely and isolated. Bower,
Conroy and Perz (2017) illustrate that homeless individuals experience rejection; due
to their condition of being homeless and their ethnicity, they might feel sad or be
ashamed of their situation. In addition, Bower et al. suggest that the link between
discrimination and the feeling of being rejected by society leads to fear and
loneliness. A sad example of the impact of rejection and association with being
homeless in Australia is the situation of Indigenous Australians. Aboriginal people
are refugees in their own land and they often experience homelessness, especially
in the northern region of Australia, due to the abuse of alcohol, and the fact that they
are not coping with normalities of life. Shannon (2016) illustrates that most of the
people who ask for help at the Katherine Hospital, in the Northern Territory, are
homeless Aboriginal people with an alcohol problem, who are mentally damaged
because of rejection by society. This tragic example indicates that the impact of
homelessness on the individuals leads to loneliness and isolation.

Another important effect of homelessness is the impact on society and the financial
burdens for governments. The status of being homeless does not just affect the
individual, but also the economy of the countries. Sharam and Hulse (2014) highlight
that even if in Australia the support and assistance for homeless people is not
regulated by the authorities, the federal and state government in Australia regulates
non-profit organisations that assist the homeless. Similarly, Bullen (2015) highlights
the difficulty of supporting homelessness and the incapability of the services that
provide support to fulfil all the necessities for these people. According to the
Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute [AHURI] (2018), the Australian
Government assigns $1.535 billion for homeless people, that is intended to cover
initiatives and projects that might give a suitable house to people in need. For these

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reasons, homelessness not only affects the individual, but it also has a significant
impact on the finances of societies.

In conclusion, homelessness is a pivotal issue that is affecting society and the

economy of Australia. Some of the causes of homelessness are related to the
misuse of alcohol and gambling. The consequence of these behaviours is
homelessness, with a negative impact on the psychological and mental health of the
individuals and on financial drain of society. If people wish to reverse this trend, they
should try to understand better the reasons and the story behind each individual and
not ignore this problem. “The most terrible poverty is loneliness and the feeling of
being unloved” (Mother Teresa, 1997).

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 References

A Statistical Definition of Homelessness, 2012. (2018). Retrieved from

http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/4922.0Main%20Featur
es22012?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=4922.0&issue=2012&nu
m=&view=

Bower, M., Conroy, E., & Perz, J. (2017). Australian homeless persons’ experiences
of social connectedness, isolation and loneliness. Health & Social Care In The
Community, 26(2), e241-e248. doi: 10.1111/hsc.12505

Bullen, J. (2015). Governing Homelessness: The Discursive and Institutional

Construction of Homelessness in Australia. Housing, Theory And Society, 32(2),
218-239. doi: 10.1080/14036096.2015.1024886

McVicar, D., Moschion, J., & van Ours, J. (2015). From substance use to
homelessness or vice versa?. Social Science & Medicine, 136-137, 89-98. doi:
10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.05.005

Rota-Bartelink, A., & Lipmann, B. (2007). Causes of homelessness among older

people in Melbourne, Australia. Australian And New Zealand Journal Of Public
Health, 31(3), 252-258. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-842x.2007.00057.x

Shannon, G. (2018). Refugees in their own land: how Aboriginal people are still
homeless in modern Australia. Retrieved from
https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/refugees-their-own-land-how-aboriginal-
people-are-still-homeless-modern-australia

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Sharam, A., & Hulse, K. (2014). Understanding the Nexus between Poverty and
Homelessness: Relational Poverty Analysis of Families Experiencing
Homelessness in Australia. Housing, Theory And Society, 31(3), 294-309. doi:
10.1080/14036096.2014.882405

Teresa, & González-Balado, J. (1997). Mother Teresa. New York: Gramercy Books.

Thomas, S., Randle, M., Bestman, A., Pitt, H., Bowe, S., Cowlishaw, S., & Daube, M.
(2017). Public attitudes towards gambling product harm and harm reduction
strategies: an online study of 16–88 year olds in Victoria, Australia. Harm
Reduction Journal, 14(1). doi: 10.1186/s12954-017-0173-y

What's in the 2018 Budget for housing, homelessness and urban issues?. (2018).
Retrieved from https://www.ahuri.edu.au/policy/ahuri-briefs/whats-in-the-2018-
budget-for-housing,-homelessness-and-urban-issues