Break the cycle of homelessness

For broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 18 Aug 2013.

In Australia, 105,000 people are homeless on any given night, including people who are sleeping rough, or staying in substandard accommodation.  And one in four is an Indigenous person.  Here in NSW, the number of homeless people is over 28,000 – more than in any other State.

People can become homeless through gambling, unemployment, accommodation pressures, family violence, mental health issues, discrimination and lack of basic support.

Lin Hatfield Dodds, Chair of the Australian Social Inclusion Board, says the solution to homelessness is safe, affordable and accessible housing.  She says there are benefits for all Australians when we reduce homelessness and increase people’s participation in work and society.

But it’s not up to government alone to fix the problems.  Think about what you and your local community can do to assist a homeless person return to a safe and secure way of living.  And make a difference in someone’s life.

I’m Rod Benson for the NSW Council of Churches.