Search

Placeholder Content Image

"Lost everything": Retirees left homeless after houseboat destroyed

<p>Two grandparents from South Australia have lost everything after a tree fell on their houseboat during a wild storm. </p> <p>Pam, 77, and David, 82, moved into their two-bedroom houseboat on the Murray River when they first retired over 20 years ago, after finally living out their dream of living on the water. </p> <p>During a storm on February 13th, when their houseboat was moored about 700m from the Renmark boat ramp, their lives were changed forever when a tree fell through their roof. </p> <p>Their granddaughter Shenay Harris said it was a miracle the pair escaped with only minor injuries.</p> <p>“They’re both sitting in their armchairs next to each other. My nan was actually stuck. Her legs were pinned from all the rubble of the roof caving in, and my pop managed to be able to stand up and reach for the phone to call emergency services,” Harris told <a href="https://7news.com.au/news/south-australian-grandparents-lose-everything-after-tree-falls-on-houseboat-in-murray-river-during-storm--c-13615764" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>7News</em></a>.</p> <p>“Looking at the boat and where they were sitting and everything, we have no idea how they are still with us. It’s just absolutely amazing that they’re still here, and they’re OK.”</p> <p>Shenay said her grandparents were now feeling lost about their future, while also grieving the loss of their retirement home. </p> <p>“My pop, he’s absolutely shattered. He’s said to us ‘it’s all over now’ ... (we’re) trying to reassure him (that) ‘no, it’s just a new beginning’,” Harris said.</p> <p>“They’ve been on that boat for 23 years, so it’s been my whole childhood and life with them living on the boat."</p> <p>The houseboat was not insured at the time of the accident, leaving both of the retirees homeless, with no hope for a replacement boat or a payout to get them back on their feet. </p> <p>“They’ve literally just lost everything they’ve got, you know, no assets, nowhere to go, no money,” Shenay said.</p> <p>An <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/riverland-houseboat-tragedy-pamelas-joy?cdn-cache=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">online fundraiser</a> has been set up to support the couple as they figure out the next stage of their life, so far raising $3,000.</p> <p>“They’re both pensioners, they’ve really got nothing to their name now, having lost the boat. So really just to get them back on their feet.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: GoFundMe / 7News</em></p>

Retirement Life

Placeholder Content Image

How one homeless man turned $5 into $106k

<p>A New Zealand man's life has turned upside down after his small wager turned into a big win. </p> <p>Robert, who has been living in a garage for the last nine months, was pleasantly surprised when he noticed five extra zeros next to his account balance the day after the Melbourne Cup. </p> <p>It tuned out that he had remarkably won NZ$106,000 ($97,781.29 AUD) from a $5 bet on the $8.4 million Cup, which was won by Without A Fight. </p> <p>“It was quite an emotional process, mate,” Robert told the <em>NZ Herald. </em></p> <p>“I couldn’t believe it, and I thought to myself, ‘there must be something wrong here’.”</p> <p>Robert, had placed the bet the day before the race at the Petone Working Men’s Club, and to his surprise found a green tick next to his first four Easybets. </p> <p>Now, he intends to use the money to improve his life. </p> <p>“I’ve gone from being homeless, sitting in a garage to finally being able to afford a deposit on a house now,” he said. </p> <p>This is the first time in 22 years that a horse has won both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup double.</p> <p>Due to privacy reasons the Totalisator Agency Board (TAB) is unable to disclose further information on the wager. </p> <p><em>Image: Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images</em></p> <p> </p>

Money & Banking

Placeholder Content Image

“Incredibly gifted”: Homeless man stuns with piano talents

<p dir="ltr">A homeless man who sleeps in his car has amazed onlookers with his “incredible” piano talent. </p> <p dir="ltr">Shane has been taking to the piano every day and night in a pedestrian tunnel underneath the Queensland Performing Arts Centre in South Brisbane. </p> <p dir="ltr">The “incredibly gifted” man has drawn attention from listeners for his musical talents, despite never having any lessons, and never owning a piano. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I was just walking past and had to stop, absolutely amazing - it blows me away to be honest,” a man walking past told <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Crsn-qCp-Ue/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link">7News</a>.  </p> <p dir="ltr">“One of the best piano players I have ever seen,” another onlooker said. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Crsn-qCp-Ue/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Crsn-qCp-Ue/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by 7NEWS Queensland (@7newsqueensland)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Shane said playing the piano has a therapeutic effect on him, and helps him escape his harsh reality of living in his car a few streets away from the theatre. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It takes me to a place out of reality, away from beyond whatever is around us. I can hear an orchestra in my head, the piano plays me rather than I play the piano,” he said. </p> <p dir="ltr">Shane doesn't know how to read music, or know any of the names of the keys, but couldn’t help being drawn to the instrument that is available for public use. </p> <p dir="ltr">After hearing the sound of a piano coming from a local ballet school in the area when he was a child, he has been enamoured by the piano and dreams of performing with others one day. </p> <p dir="ltr">Shane’s talents have gone viral online, with commenters being “gobsmacked” over the man’s “beautiful music”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Wow! So incredibly gifted. I hope he gets his dream of playing with others,” one impressed viewer said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We need more stories like this. What a remarkable man,” another wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I hope someone can help this man, he needs a job in a restaurant playing nice music and getting well paid so he can rent a place to live and a happy life,” a third said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: 7News</em><span id="docs-internal-guid-4a669515-7fff-a229-1488-381d00420f0a"></span></p>

Music

Placeholder Content Image

Homeless teen and dad living in park amid housing crisis

<div> <div> <div> <div> <div> <p>A teenager in Queensland has shared the heartbreaking story of being forced to live in a tent with his father amid the state’s housing crisis.</p> <p>Kailaeb Vescio-Stanley, 17, revealed he has been living in a tent in a Brisbane park with his dad for two weeks while they struggle to find a home.</p> <p>The teenager told Sunrise, that he and his father had tried to apply for housing but needed more assistance.</p> <p>“Some nights I don’t get enough sleep and some nights I can,” he said.</p> <p>“I see heaps of people doing it rough, and the majority of people I see doing it rough in parks are actually teenagers.”</p> <p>His statement came after more than 40 representatives from government agencies met to discuss the state’s escalating housing crisis in a follow-up meeting to the housing crisis summit in November 2022.</p> <p>Rents have increased faster in Queensland than any other state or territory, with low-income and regional households copping the brunt of it, according to a Queensland Council of Social Service report.</p> <p>Annastacia Palaszczuk recently announced Queensland tenants' rent would only increase once a year instead of every six months under a state government proposal to stop the price hike.</p> <p>“The great majority of landlords do the right thing and look after their tenants, for those who don’t, this is a wake-up call,” the premier said.</p> <p>The change will see Queensland meet the limits on the frequency of rent increases in NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, SA and the ACT.</p> <p>Currently, there is a six-month limit in both WA and the NT but only applied if increases are written into the lease agreement.</p> <p>Property Council of Australia executive director Jen Williams said the meeting was focused on how to best help those in desperate need of support, like Kailaeb.</p> <p>There are both support measures and supply measures and there are the very immediate people like Kailaeb,” she said.</p> <p>“Then there’s the short, medium and long-term (questions) about how do we actually get more houses across the board to make sure that we don’t find ourselves in this situation again.”</p> <p><em>Image credit: Sunrise</em></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

Real Estate

Placeholder Content Image

If cities don’t want homeless encampments they should help people, not punish them

<p>This summer, homeless encampments in cities such as <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/tents-structures-downtown-eastside-vancouver-removal-1.6545853" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vancouver</a> and <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-08-14/in-a-vacant-lot-in-watts-a-homeless-camp-gets-swept-away-by-l-a-along-with-the-brush" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Los Angeles</a> and <a href="https://www.coastreporter.net/in-the-community/homeless-camp-on-toredo-street-dismantled-police-report-5325829" target="_blank" rel="noopener">others</a> were dismantled.</p> <p>The reasons varied. In Vancouver, it was fire hazard concerns on Hastings Street, a major artery in the Downtown Eastside, where the encampment had sprung up over several blocks.</p> <p>In Los Angeles, the encampment was on city-owned land intended for other uses. There, officials have gone even further to curtail encampments, with the city council <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/tension-boil-at-la-city-council-meeting-over-controversial-homeless-encampment-ban/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approving a ban</a> on homeless encampments within 500 feet of schools and daycare centres.</p> <p>Encampments of those experiencing homelessness have become a fixture in large cities as well as smaller communities. It should not be surprising that people who are unsheltered seek out the relative security, community and resources encampments can provide.</p> <p>Yet, the ineffective, and often punitive, responses by various levels of government are alarming. These policy failures are most evident in the troubling encampment evictions occurring across North America.</p> <p>More than <a href="https://www.homelesshub.ca/about-homelessness/homelessness-101/how-many-people-are-homeless-canada" target="_blank" rel="noopener">235,000 people are estimated to be homeless in Canada</a>. In addition to these visibly homeless, another <a href="https://www.acto.ca/production/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Factsheet-4-Homelessness-in-Canada-and-Ontario2.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">450,000 to 900,000 are among the “hidden” homeless</a>: those staying with family and friends because they have nowhere to live.</p> <p><strong>Policing not the answer</strong></p> <p><a href="https://www.canadahousingcrisis.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Our country has a housing crisis</a>. Homelessness results from a severe shortage of affordable housing, poverty and insufficient support services. For people who end up homeless, it is a tortuous and difficult route.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/488929/original/file-20221010-58630-5we8hv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/488929/original/file-20221010-58630-5we8hv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/488929/original/file-20221010-58630-5we8hv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/488929/original/file-20221010-58630-5we8hv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/488929/original/file-20221010-58630-5we8hv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/488929/original/file-20221010-58630-5we8hv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/488929/original/file-20221010-58630-5we8hv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/488929/original/file-20221010-58630-5we8hv.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="A group of people stand in front of a brown building carrying a banner that reads: where are we supposed to go?" /></a><figcaption><em><span class="caption">A woman addresses the crowd during a protest against Vancouver’s removal of a homeless encampment on the sidewalks in the Downtown Eastside, August 16, 2022.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck</span></span></em></figcaption></figure> <p>For many, their path to living on the streets starts with childhood trauma, mental health issues and substance misuse. For others, in low paying jobs with no savings or family support, they can be one pay cheque away from homelessness. Regardless of how they end up homeless, people deserve to be treated with dignity and understanding.</p> <p>Instead, shockingly, police have been carting away belongings from encampments, leaving people with few options of where to stay, other than another street or park. Even worse, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/tents-structures-downtown-eastside-vancouver-removal-1.6545853" target="_blank" rel="noopener">evictions have turned violent</a>.</p> <p>Los Angeles is not the only city that has tried to enforce bans on people sleeping in public space with so-called vagrancy by-laws. When Victoria tried to enforce city by-laws to that effect in 2005, homeless people took the city to court. The B.C. Supreme Court sided with the unhoused people, <a href="https://commons.allard.ubc.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1358&amp;context=fac_pubs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying that it was an infringement of their rights</a>.</p> <p>A similar court decision occurred in 2021 when residents of a <a href="https://nst.ca/win-for-homeless-residents-of-crab-park-vancouver/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CRAB Park encampment</a> in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside challenged an injunction by the Vancouver Parks Board forcing an eviction. Elsewhere in British Columbia, the city of Prince George was <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/prince-george-apologizes-homeless-1.6396206" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forced to apologize</a> for the trauma it caused by destroying part of an encampment even though a judge ruled that the encampment must remain because there is not enough adequate accessible housing in the city to justify its closure.</p> <p>Dismantling encampments has a dire impact on people’s lives. It severs social relationships, causes stress, and increases fear and distrust of authorities. It dehumanizes unhoused populations even more.</p> <p><strong>Long-term solutions needed</strong></p> <p>It is clear that dismantling encampments is not the answer. Some people, even if they have been provided with shelter, will opt for encampments. In other cases, which occurred in Vancouver this summer, there was no shelters or other housing available. And in previous encampment evictions, some residents were offered <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/majority-people-moved-strathcona-park-1.6009673" target="_blank" rel="noopener">substandard SRO housing</a>, the same kind of housing some were fleeing when they opted for living on the streets.</p> <p>By-laws and practices which target activities like sleeping on streets, parks or in cars and panhandling <a href="https://www.nlc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Overview-of-Homeless-Encampments-Brief.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criminalize individuals</a>. And the consequences of criminalizing homelessness disproportionately falls on racialized people. Marginalized communities often face discrimination in accessing housing and other services which is compounded if they have a criminal record due to homelessness.</p> <p><a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/220314/dq220314b-eng.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ten per cent of the off-reserve First Nation and Inuit populations</a> have experienced homelessness in Canada. In 2020, the last year that a <a href="https://council.vancouver.ca/20201007/documents/pspc1presentation.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">homeless count was conducted in Vancouver</a>, 39 per cent of the city’s homeless population was Indigenous even though they comprise two per cent of the total population.</p> <p>People who identified as Black, Hispanic and Arab were also significantly over-represented compared to their percentage of the general population.</p> <p>As the federal Housing Advocate Marie-Josée Houle said in a September visit to Vancouver’s homeless encampments, “<a href="https://thetyee.ca/News/2022/09/08/Housing-System-Failed-Everyone/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the housing system has failed everyone there</a>.” Homeless encampments have become a last resort because of lack of better housing alternatives. The <a href="https://www.chrc-ccdp.gc.ca/en/resources/unsafe-conditions-people-experiencing-homelessness-a-pressing-human-rights-issue" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shelter system</a> is overcrowded and too restrictive for many people.</p> <p>But sanctioning encampments should not be the only solution. Encampments can be unsafe and dangerous places, and provide little opportunity for moving out of homelessness. We need a holistic approach to ending homelessness that addresses the reasons for homelessness.</p> <p>For those who fall into homelessness out of economic necessity we need more plentiful affordable rental housing, rental assistance and stronger rent controls to ensure that renters’ rights are upheld. For those struggling with multiple health and substance issues, we need more <a href="https://www.homelesshub.ca/solutions/transitional-housing/permanent-supportivesupported-housing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">supportive housing</a>.</p> <p>For Indigenous people experiencing homelessness we need more, better funded, and culturally appropriate housing and services. For those ending up in encampments we need to ensure, at the very least, that their <a href="https://www.make-the-shift.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/A-National-Protocol-for-Homeless-Encampments-in-Canada.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rights are upheld</a>.</p> <p>Homeless encampments are not going to go away any time soon. The federal government has already declared housing to be a human right. We must work to end homelessness now.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/192133/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Written by Penny Gurstein. Republished with permission of <a style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #258440; text-decoration-line: none; background-color: transparent; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;" href="https://theconversation.com/if-cities-dont-want-homeless-encampments-they-should-help-people-not-punish-them-192133" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</em></p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Real Estate

Placeholder Content Image

Calls to make epic runner Aussie of the Year after raising over $1million for homelessness

<p dir="ltr">A loveable tradie has completed an astonishing feat, running from Perth to Sydney over 46 days. </p> <p dir="ltr">Nedd Brockmann, 23, ran a total of 3,900km from one side of Australia to the other, completing an average of 85km per day - the equivalent of two marathons. </p> <p dir="ltr">Brockmann took off from Perth’s Cottesloe Beach on September 1st, as he ran to raise money and awareness for homelessness charity <a href="https://wearemobilise.com/">We Are Mobilise</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">He crossed the finish line at North Bondi Surf Lifesaving Club on October 17th, after raising over a whopping $1million. </p> <p dir="ltr">When asked why he chose a homelessness charity to raise funds for, Brockmann said that when he “moved to Sydney I saw a lot of it, it is a lot more prevalent here and I wanted to make a change.”</p> <p dir="ltr">"Nobody should not have a bed to sleep in in this country when we have, you know, we have everything at our fingertips,” he told <em>The Project</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So it is something I would love to change and hopefully we have made some ground in that aspect.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjzoCRoBnqQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjzoCRoBnqQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by PUMA Australia (@pumaau)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">After 46 days on the run, Nedd admitted the mammoth effort had taken an enormous physical toll, including severe tenosynovitis - inflammation of a tendon - in his shins, massive blisters and maggots in his toes. </p> <p dir="ltr">Brockmann said on his journey, he woke up in the middle of one night and felt what he thought was an ingrown toenail but found something much more sinister. </p> <p dir="ltr">“But it was actually maggots and I didn't realise until the next day and it was quite traumatising to be honest,” he said. </p> <p dir="ltr">Despite the obstacles, he said completing the epic journey in Sydney was like “something out of a movie”. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I have been so alone on the Nullarbor and all of a sudden running into 10,000 people is just very surreal,” he told <em>The Project</em> moments after finishing the monumental run.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I'm very excited to be home.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Nedd documented his entire journey on his Instagram, updating his followers on his progress, while always sharing an inspirational quote and song of the day that is getting him through.</p> <p dir="ltr">Nedd’s incredible selfless journey has people calling for the 23-year-old to be nominated for Australian of the Year. </p> <p dir="ltr">However, nominations for the 2023 awards closed in July, so votes for the running champ will not be counted for consideration until the 2024 awards. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

Domestic Travel

Placeholder Content Image

Homeless couple share their living crisis online

<p>A couple from Queensland are documenting the harsh reality of homelessness on TikTok, to shed a light on the devastating truth of the rental crisis. </p> <p>Jeanette and Peter McDonald are living in a tent and documenting their struggles online, with their legion of followers lovingly referring to them as "unintentional nomads".</p> <p>"We call ourselves the unintentional nomads because we didn't intend to be living in a tent at age 62," Jeanette said on TikTok.</p> <p>Just four months ago, the McDonalds were living in a townhouse with their family before being dealt an unfair deal from their landlord. </p> <p>"A new manager came into the complex and she said it's a three bedroom townhouse, it can only take four people and there were six of us," Jeanette told <a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/housing-crisis-queensland-homeless-couple-share-struggles-on-tiktok/dc5feace-c5f0-43ff-a239-66ca2bd5f26b" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>A Current Affair</em></a>.</p> <p>The decision was made for the couple to look for other rentals, but they were beaten or priced out of every home they looked at.</p> <p>"We've rented most of our life and never ever ever had a problem, so it's a bit weird to be in this boat at this age," Jeanette said.</p> <p>"It's been about four months now that we haven't been able to get back in the market."</p> <p>The couple have struggled to find a stable income, as Jeanette lives week to week on the disability pension and Peter has struggled to find consistent work as a cleaner since the start of the pandemic. </p> <p>"I had a good life once, but I just didn't think the whole thing would come crashing down," Peter said.</p> <p>"You hear about it, you hear other people going through it, but I never thought I'd be the one or one of them."</p> <p>Now the McDonalds have become unconventional TikTok stars, after taking to the platform to share their story.</p> <p>"A friend of ours said that it might help us and might help other people," Jeanette said.</p> <p>They document how they move around and find safe places to camp, but also share the tough times.</p> <p>"Hopefully something will come up that will help us, but at the moment we just take the days as they come and hope for the best," Jeanette said.</p> <p>Despite toughing it through the hardest of circumstances, the McDonalds are determined to remain upbeat.</p> <p>"So if you have to be a nomad, an unintentional one, you can enjoy the environment at least," Jeanette told TikTok.</p> <p>"You can freak out if you want, but there's no point, it'll still be there," Peter said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: A Current Affair</em></p>

Real Estate

Placeholder Content Image

"Beyond desperate": Mother and two sons left homeless and sleeping in their car

<p>A Brisbane mother is at her breaking point after two months of living in her car with her two teenage sons.</p> <p>Danni Cox, 45, was evicted from her rental home in May after the landlord decided they wanted to renovate and sell. </p> <p>Since then, Danni and her two sons Zach, 15 and Jordan, 12, have been homeless. </p> <p>They spent the first few weeks living in a caravan, which they had to leave after it was battered by wild weather.</p> <p>The family then spent some time in a motel, which quickly became unaffordable, leaving them no other option but to sleep in their car. </p> <p>Adding to the frustration is that their old home has remained vacant ever since they moved out in May.</p> <p>Ms Cox has applied for more than 300 properties in recent months without any luck, despite her perfect rental history and references from previous landlords.</p> <p>Danni told <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11008661/Australias-homelessness-crisis-Brisbane-mum-two-teenage-sons-sleep-car-rents-soar.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail Australia</a> that being homeless is taking a huge physical, emotional and financial toll on her family. </p> <p>"The situation has gone beyond desperate, we can't be homeless for any longer," she said.</p> <p>"Homelessness is no longer a viable option. My youngest son is half-deaf and autistic, so he's not coping at all at the moment, which is heartbreaking to see."</p> <p>"I have friends' places where we sleep in their driveways. There's one park in the area where you can stay for three nights but then have to move on, so we've done that a few times."</p> <p>Danni, who is currently receiving a disability pension, has been applying for jobs to help boost her chances of getting a roof over her family's head. </p> <p>"I've always been a great tenant and have never defaulted on rent or bills," she said.</p> <p>"I tick all the boxes and haven't done anything wrong. The real estate agents and landlords who get back to me say there's nothing wrong with my application, it's just than other applicants were more successful."</p> <p>"There's no reason to be homeless, which makes it harder to accept."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Seven News</em></p>

Real Estate

Placeholder Content Image

Queensland mum shares heartbreaking story of homelessness

<p>A young mother-of-two from Queensland has documented her devastating journey of homelessness, as she has become the face of how the housing crisis is affected generation Z. </p> <p>Sushannah Taylor, 20, has been staying at campsites around the Bundaberg area after her landlord sold the rental home she was living in with her husband Tristan, 22, and the couple’s two daughters Delilah, 2, and six-month-old Luna.</p> <p>Throughout her experience, she has documented her journey on TikTok to show how the reality of the housing crisis is affecting young families across Australia. </p> <p>In the latest blow to Sushannah and her family, the young woman shared she was recently involved in an accident while driving the family car, with her two young children and all the family’s possessions in the back.</p> <p>Sushannah’s car was hit by another vehicle being driven by an elderly woman who, rather than stop to assist, drove away.</p> <p>No one was hurt in the collision, but now Sushannah and Tristan have been lumped with the full cost of repairs for the vehicle — a cost they cannot pay.</p> <p>Sushannah said that she had to “swerve the car to avoid them hitting the front or, you know, the middle where my kids are” and that the kids got “rattled around a little bit but they are doing great”.</p> <p>“But here’s the kicker. The person that hit me was an elderly woman. And when I pulled over and tried to wave her down to say, ‘hey, like, let’s stop, let’s take each other’s details, let’s assess the damage’, she drove off.</p> <div id="indie-campaign-DifJheZrCrms7j4pmefw-0" data-campaign-name="NCA FINANCE Cashed Up Newsletter OneClick SignUp" data-campaign-indie="newsletter-signup" data-jira="TSN-268" data-from="1645448400000" data-to="1680181200000"></div> <p>“A hit-and-run. So we don’t have a car right now. And it’s gonna cost me hundreds of dollars to fix the damage.”</p> <p>“What I’m so angry about is the person that decided to hit my car and run away like a coward. I’m homeless. I live out of my car. I need my car. It is an absolute necessity for me and my family to survive. And now I have to look at possibly buying a new one. But don’t have the money for that."</p> <p>“I just want one thing to go right. Because right now I feel like the universe if laughing at me.”</p> <p>Sushannah's videos are shining a light on the homelessness crisis in Australia, documenting what the family eats for each meal and the constant unpacking of their lives to move onto a new campsite.</p> <p>The young couple have applied for more than 40 jobs and are now receiving Centrelink payments to support their family.</p> <p>The area of Bundaberg is extremely competitive to secure housing in, while homeless shelters are also at full capacity. </p> <p>“I’ve been a stay-at-home mum for the past two years so it’s going to be a little bit more difficult for me to jump back in but I’m trying,” Sushannah said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: TikTok</em></p>

Real Estate

Placeholder Content Image

Homelessness is common for teens leaving out-of-home-care. We need to extend care until they are at least 21

<p>Young people transitioning from out-of-home care – whether it’s foster, kinship or residential care – are disadvantaged in many ways. Many have experienced abuse, neglect, family hardship or illness. They may feel long-term grief due to family separation.</p> <p>And while some enjoy stable placements with committed foster or kinship carers, others – particularly those in residential care, supervised by rostered staff – may experience instability as friends or support workers come and go.</p> <p>Most exit the out-of-home care system at 18, or younger, without ongoing support.</p> <p>Unfortunately, however, many such young people quickly encounter homelessness, unemployment and contact with the criminal justice system soon after leaving out-of-home care. Instead of leaving these people to fend for themselves at age 18 (or younger), we need a nationally consistent model of extended care that supports care leavers until age 21.</p> <p><strong>A tough transition</strong></p> <p>A 2021 study by <a href="https://create.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/CREATE-Post-Care-Report-2021-LR.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the CREATE Foundation</a> (which represents young people who have experienced out-of-home care) found homelessness was common among people exiting the system. Almost 100 of the 325 sampled care leavers aged 18-25 experienced homelessness in the first year after their transition.</p> <p>Another <a href="https://apo.org.au/node/314424" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> found:</p> <blockquote> <p>More than half the 1,848 Victorian care leavers in this study (using data from leavers during 2013 and 2014) accessed homelessness services in the four years after leaving care, while one in three had multiple homeless experiences. Participants with experiences of residential care and multiple foster care placements were more likely to experience housing disruptions.</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/child-protection/incomesupport-receipt-oohc/summary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Another national study</a> noted care leavers were three times as likely as other young Australians to have received social security payments.</p> <p>Of course, many care leavers <a href="http://createyourfuture.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Stein-M.-ResearchReview.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">do integrate effectively</a> into the social and economic mainstream. Some have difficult lives but still manage to cope, while others struggle to overcome adversity and social exclusion.</p> <p>In general, those who achieve successful transitions tend to <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/cfs.12473" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leave care later</a> than 18 years of age and receive ongoing support well into their twenties from, for example</p> <ul> <li> <p>foster or kinship carers</p> </li> <li> <p>extended family members</p> </li> <li> <p>formal mentors or neighbours</p> </li> <li> <p>friends</p> </li> <li> <p>members of sporting, religious, cultural and other community groups.</p> </li> </ul> <p>These supportive relationships, which mirror the assistance that most of their non-care peers naturally access from their parents, provide the social capital needed to acquire housing, food, clothing, a driver’s licence and entry into sustainable education, employment and training.</p> <p>According to <a href="https://apo.org.au/node/314424" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one young person</a> who remained with their foster family in Victoria beyond 18 years:</p> <blockquote> <p>I was in the same home for 11 years, they were like my parents so they didn’t kick me out or anything. It wasn’t like I was in their care; I was like a part of the family.</p> </blockquote> <p>Conversely, those who experience troubled transitions from out-of-home care may experience social isolation, emotional adversity and hardship.</p> <p><a href="https://apo.org.au/node/314424" target="_blank" rel="noopener">One young person from Victoria</a> who was suddenly forced to leave care commented:</p> <blockquote> <p>I mean if you have a kid, you’re not going to kick him out as soon as they turn 16. You’re not going to, you know, tell your kid that ‘oh you have to find your own way to learn how to drive or anything’. You’re going to take them by the hand, you’re going to help them with each of these things. Even after your kid’s left, you’re still going to, you know, check up on them, you’re going to go there make sure they’re eating properly, cleaning the place properly. I had no idea how to clean anything.</p> </blockquote> <p>Young people who have harder transitions often include those in <a href="https://lens.monash.edu/@politics-society/2019/12/13/1378567/from-care-to-custody-the-tragic-trajectory-of-crossover-kids" target="_blank" rel="noopener">youth justice custody</a> when they turn 18 years of age, some <a href="https://www.aracy.org.au/publications-resources/command/download_file/id/465/filename/ARACY_Showing_the_Light_FINAL_20220302.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">young parents</a>, those who have a major <a href="https://daneshyari.com/article/preview/346111.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cognitive disability</a> or <a href="https://apo.org.au/node/314424" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poor mental health</a> and <a href="https://apo.org.au/node/307306" target="_blank" rel="noopener">some Indigenous young people</a> who have been prevented from forming a connection with their culture, identity and community.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/459038/original/file-20220421-18-yi1uh7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/459038/original/file-20220421-18-yi1uh7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/459038/original/file-20220421-18-yi1uh7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=398&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459038/original/file-20220421-18-yi1uh7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=398&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459038/original/file-20220421-18-yi1uh7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=398&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459038/original/file-20220421-18-yi1uh7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=501&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459038/original/file-20220421-18-yi1uh7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=501&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459038/original/file-20220421-18-yi1uh7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=501&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><em><span class="caption">Those who experience troubled transitions from out-of-home care may experience social isolation, emotional adversity and hardship.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></em></figcaption></figure> <p><strong>Extended care as an early intervention strategy</strong></p> <p>The best way to boost the life chances of all care leavers is to introduce a nationally consistent model of extended out-of-home care from 18 to 21 years. This is the model advocated by the <a href="https://thehomestretch.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Home Stretch campaign</a> led by Anglicare Victoria.</p> <p>Evidence from evaluations of extended care programs in the <a href="https://www.chapinhall.org/research/calyouth/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US</a> and <a href="https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/articles/report/Evaluation_of_the_Staying_Put_18_Plus_Family_Placement_Programme_final_report/9580109" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UK</a> confirms providing support until age 21 can improve outcomes for care leavers.</p> <p>As of April 2022, the Home Stretch model has informed the introduction of major extended care safety nets in <a href="https://www.celcis.org/application/files/5716/2263/3274/2021_Vol_20_No_1_Mendes_P_Extending_out-of-home_care_in_the_State_of_Victoria_Australia.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">six out of Australia’s eight</a> states and territories.</p> <ul> <li> <p><a href="https://thehomestretch.org.au/news/the-most-significant-reform-to-child-welfare-in-a-generation-victorian-government-leads-nation-in-announcing-universal-care-for-young-people-to-the-age-of-21" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Victoria</a> and <a href="https://www.ourstatebudget.wa.gov.au/2021-22/fact-sheets/communities.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Western Australia</a> offer support to young people leaving all forms of out-of-home care until age 21</p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://thehomestretch.org.au/news/foster-care-payments-to-be-extended-until-age-21-by-new-sa-liberal-government" target="_blank" rel="noopener">South Australia</a>, <a href="https://thehomestretch.org.au/news/first-state-government-extend-care-21-years-australia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tasmania</a> and the <a href="https://www.communityservices.act.gov.au/ocyfs/children/child-and-youth-protection-services/a-step-up-for-our-kids/out-of-home-care-strategy-2015-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australian Capital Territory</a> fund an allowance to foster and kinship carers only until age 21. South Australia has introduced a <a href="https://www.childprotection.sa.gov.au/news/dcp-news/young-people-leaving-residential-care-to-be-better-supported-with-next-steps" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trial program</a> for residential care leavers in February 2022 - but it is only funded for two years to support 20 young people</p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://www.qld.gov.au/community/caring-child/foster-kinship-care/information-for-carers/money-matters/carer-allowances" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Queensland</a> offers the same assistance only until 19 years</p> </li> <li> <p>the <a href="https://thehomestretch.org.au/news/push-to-lift-nt-foster-care-age-to-21/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Northern Territory</a> has promised to legislate universal extended care soon</p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://thehomestretch.org.au/news/nsw-lags-nationally-on-caring-for-most-vulnerable-young-people-as-victoria-surges-ahead/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New South Wales</a> is the outlier in currently providing no form of extended care.</p> </li> </ul> <p>No state or territory allows young people living in residential care to remain in their existing homes beyond 18 years of age.</p> <p>Nor have any of them introduced <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/931987/Staying_Close_Break.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Staying Close</a> programs similar to those trialled in the UK, whereby residential care leavers are supported to live close to their former accommodation and maintain existing relationships with their former carers and support networks.</p> <p>The federal government, via the recently updated <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/families-and-children/programs-services/protecting-australias-children" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children</a>, should establish a nationally consistent model of extended care that would universally assist all care leavers until age 21.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/181167/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/phillip-mendes-101820" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Phillip Mendes</a>, Professor, Director Social Inclusion and Social Policy Research Unit, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Monash University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/homelessness-is-common-for-teens-leaving-out-of-home-care-we-need-to-extend-care-until-they-are-at-least-21-181167" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

More affordable housing with less homelessness is possible – if only Australia would learn from Nordic nations

<p>Housing is expensive in Australia. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Higher quality, more affordable housing is a matter of policy choice.</p> <p>A key problem is Australia’s housing market is too skewed towards treating housing as a financial asset, rather than a basic human need. </p> <p>There is almost a universal consensus among economists, for example, that negative gearing <a href="https://theconversation.com/vital-signs-why-now-is-the-right-time-to-clamp-down-on-negative-gearing-107370">favours the interests of investors</a>to the detriment of others, but both major parties are scared to change the policy.</p> <p>One way to break the policy stalemate is to consider policies shown to have worked in other countries. To facilitate this, the Nordic Policy Centre – a collaboration between The Australia Institute and Deakin University – has <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/report/homes-for-people/">published an overview</a> of housing and homelessness policies in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland.</p> <p>Of particular note among the wide range of housing policies in these nations is the prominence of housing cooperatives, which assist both renters and those wanting to own a secure, high-quality home.</p> <h2>Why Nordic countries?</h2> <p>Why look at the Nordic countries?</p> <p>One reason is their relative success in tackling homelessness. </p> <p>Finland is the world leader in this. There, the number of people experiencing homelessness has fallen from more than 16,000 people in the late 1980s to about 4,500 people in 2020. This represents a homelessness rate of less than one per 1,000 (Finland’s population is about 5.5 million) compared with nearly five per 1,000 in Australia.</p> <p>Homelessness, granted, is more complicated than just the cost of housing. It involves family and relationship trauma, physical and mental health issues, and substance use. </p> <p>The Finns’ achievement is due to a range of policy responses including strong outreach services. </p> <p>But underpinnning these responses is the Finnish government’s “<a href="https://housingfirsteurope.eu/countries/finland/">Housing First</a>” principle, adopted in 2007, which says people have a right to decent housing and to useful social services. It’s a seemingly simple concept, but radically inclusive compared with how other countries deal with the homeless.</p> <h2>Vibrant cooperative sectors</h2> <p>In Australia, housing cooperatives might conjure up images of small hippie communes. This is an unfair characterisation, borne of the fact the sector is so tiny and unknown. </p> <p>All up, cooperative housing comprises less than 1% of the Australian housing sector, with about <a href="https://researchdirect.westernsydney.edu.au/islandora/object/uws:53637/">200 housing cooperatives</a>mostly focused on providing affordable rental housing. </p> <p>In Nordic countries, however, housing cooperatives are a mainstream option for both renters and owners. </p> <p>Sweden’s cooperative sector amounts to 22% of total housing stock. Norway’s represent 15% nationwide, and 40% in the capital, Oslo. In Denmark, more than 20% of the population lives in cooperative housing.</p> <h2>How cooperative housing works</h2> <p>Cooperatives take a variety of forms. But the key features are that they are democratically organised and exist to serve a real economic or social need of their members.</p> <p>Rental housing cooperatives exist to provide housing, not accrue wealth. They pool common resources to own and manage affordable rental accommodation. Tenants are generally required to become members and encouraged to be actively involved in decision-making, management and maintenance. Any revenue from rents is reinvested in new housing projects or upgrading older buildings. </p> <p>In Denmark, rental cooperative housing – known as Almenboliger– plays a critical role in providing affordable housing for a range of people, including the elderly and those with disabilities. Its non-profit orientation as well as supportive government policies – such as lower-interest loans – enable cooperatives to reduce construction costs and offer lower rents. </p> <p>In Norway, national law allows 10% of units in a housing cooperative complex to be bought or used by local government authorities to house people who can’t afford alternatives. Housing cooperatives in Oslo have been vital for securing decent housing for immigrants and for older people. </p> <h2>A path to home ownership</h2> <p>Just as important in terms of lessons for Australia is that Nordic housing cooperatives also play a big role in helping people buy a home.</p> <p>So-called “equity-based” housing cooperatives in Sweden, Norway and Denmark help reduce the cost of home ownership. This generally involves the cooperative building or buying an apartment or unit block, then allowing members to buy individual homes, while the cooperative retains ownership of common areas. </p> <p>Members own their individual dwellings and co-own and manage shared spaces with other co-op members. The structure is similar to strata title in Australia, with individual ownership of some parts of a property and shared ownership of others. The big difference is strata title is often “investor-owned”, while a housing cooperative is “user-owned”. </p> <p>The result is that members can buy a home for about 20% less than what it would cost them otherwise.</p> <h2>More collaboration needed</h2> <p>Not everything the Nordic countries do can be replicated in Australian conditions. But one thing we can certainly learn is the importance of collaboration between different tiers of government and civil society organisations. </p> <p>Australia’s superannuation funds, for example, have the means to invest in low-returning, but very safe, affordable housing assets. Government policies should support them doing this through cooperative structures that help to fill the gap between market and state.</p> <p>There’s no quick fix. Emulating any Nordic housing policy achievements will take decades. Finland’s <a href="https://ysaatio.fi/en/hom">critical organisation</a> for tackling homelessness, for example, was established in 1985. </p> <p>But better housing options are there in plain sight, waiting for policy makers and other stakeholders to take them. If they want to.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/more-affordable-housing-with-less-homelessness-is-possible-if-only-australia-would-learn-from-nordic-nations-182049" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Real Estate

Placeholder Content Image

Family left homeless after 227 rejected rental applications

<p dir="ltr">A family of five from Adelaide have been left homeless after being rejected for over 200 rental applications over the span of 18 months.</p> <p dir="ltr">In October 2020, Hayden Coonan, 39, his partner Aimee Kent, 34, and their three young children moved into a home in the south of Adelaide. </p> <p dir="ltr">As soon as they moved in, Hayden and Aimee began looking for another rental, due to the home’s state of disrepair. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It wasn’t long until we started having problems with the house — gas was off, no hot water, burst water pipes,” Mr Coonan told <a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/real-estate/renting/adelaide-family-homeless-after-227-applications-for-rental-vacancies-rejected-in-16-months/news-story/ab84488f3e3b4e89d193305aa4bd7f8b">news.com.au</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite the couple having a dual income and a spotless rental history, they were knocked back on countless rental applications. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We’ve kept on looking, not getting anywhere, there’s no rhyme or reason [to the rejections],” he added. “You never anticipate it taking this long. It just dragged on and on.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The couple and their kids were evicted from their property recently on the basis of a no reason termination, although the couple suspect the property’s need for major maintenance could explain the sudden eviction. </p> <p dir="ltr">Now, Hayden, Aimee and their kids are homeless. </p> <p dir="ltr">The family are unable to live in their car or a potential caravan, as their two eldest children have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, while the youngest child has a degenerative physical disability.</p> <p dir="ltr">For now, they are staying with Aimee’s mother while they work out a plan. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We’re there for now. It’s a three-bedroom house, there’s eight of us there,” Mr Coonan said.</p> <p dir="ltr">While applying for properties, Hayden noted that they were often given “glowing references” by a real estate agent, and still got knocked back on a lease. </p> <p dir="ltr">In addition to this, homes would often be leased for much higher than the asking price. </p> <p dir="ltr">“There are properties being advertised for $380 [which is in their price range], they eventually go for $480,” he recalled.</p> <p dir="ltr">As they continue to apply for rental properties, Mr Coonan and Ms Kent have been placed on a high priority list for social housing.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: news.com.au</em></p>

Real Estate

Placeholder Content Image

We identified who’s most at risk of homelessness and where they are. Now we must act, before it’s too late

<p>Homelessness is traumatic. It affects not just housing arrangements but whether or not someone can get enough food, feel safe and maintain relationships with friends and family. The physical and mental health effects often persist long after people are rehoused, and the community and government costs are high.</p> <p>Much of the current response to homelessness is focused on supporting people after they become homeless or just before they do so.</p> <p>However, to really reduce homelessness we need to prevent those at risk from ever becoming homeless in the first place. It’s akin to turning off a tap at the source to prevent a flood downstream.</p> <p>Our <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/370">recent research</a>, published by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, gives critical insights into how we can do that.</p> <h2>Who is at risk of homelessness?</h2> <p>In our study, people were considered at risk of homelessness if they lived in rental housing and were experiencing at least two of the following:</p> <ul> <li> <p>low income</p> </li> <li> <p>vulnerability to discrimination in the housing or job markets</p> </li> <li> <p>low social resources and supports</p> </li> <li> <p>needing support to access or maintain a living situation due to significant ill health, disability, mental health issues or problematic alcohol and/or drug use</p> </li> <li> <p>rental stress (when lower-income households put more than 30% of income towards housing costs).</p> </li> </ul> <p>From here, it often doesn’t take much to tip those at risk into actual homelessness.</p> <p>To estimate the number, profile and geography of the Australian population at risk of homelessness we combined data from two sources: the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey and the 2016 Census. We estimated the size of the population at risk at the national and also small area (SA2/suburb) level.</p> <p>We found between 8.5% and 11.7% of the total population aged 15 years and over were at risk of homelessness. This equates to between 1.5 and 2 million people.</p> <p>These numbers are large but shouldn’t be surprising. In the nine years between July 2011 and July 2020, some 1.3 million people received assistance from <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/hou/322/specialist-homelessness-services-annual-report/contents/clients-services-and-outcomes">specialist homelessness ervices</a> (agencies that provide support to people experiencing homelessness).</p> <p><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/433855/original/file-20211125-15-11q1b9c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/433855/original/file-20211125-15-11q1b9c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip" alt="A woman and her child ponder some bills." /></a></p> <p><span class="caption">It often doesn’t take much to tip those at risk into actual homelessness.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></p> <h2>Who’s at risk of homelessness?</h2> <p>Compared to the national population, those at risk of homelessness are more likely to be:</p> <ul> <li> <p>female</p> </li> <li> <p>Indigenous</p> </li> <li> <p>living in a lone-person or lone-parent household</p> </li> <li> <p>low income</p> </li> <li> <p>unemployed or outside the labour force</p> </li> <li> <p>in receipt of income support payments.</p> </li> </ul> <p>They are more likely to identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual, and report fair or poor health.</p> <p>Those at risk have lower levels of education and are more likely to report difficulty paying bills and rent on time.</p> <p>They are also more likely to experience rental stress and forms of material deprivation such as skipping meals and being unable to heat their home.</p> <p>A third have children in their care.</p> <h2>Where are they?</h2> <p>The highest rates (per head of population) of homelessness risk are typically found in remote areas and small pockets of capital cities.</p> <p>However, the greatest numbers of people at risk of homelessness are located in capital cities on the eastern coast of Australia. These high numbers extend well beyond inner city areas and into the suburbs.</p> <p>In several states (Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia and South Australia), high rates of homelessness risk are spread across greater capital cities and regional areas.</p> <p>In Victoria, however, risk is concentrated in Greater Melbourne.</p> <p>And in the Northern Territory, risk is highly concentrated in remote areas.</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/433804/original/file-20211124-13-1fx0pyo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="" /> <span class="caption">Risk of homelessness (rate per 10,000 people), unit-level SA3 estimates.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Batterham et al, 2021</span></span></p> <h2>Preventing homelessness in Australia</h2> <p>Our findings suggest Australia urgently needs more rental housing specifically targeted to those on low incomes and at risk of homelessness.</p> <p>Our fine-grain data on homelessness risk can help state and territory governments, as well as local governments, decide where this housing will be most effective to reduce homelessness risk.</p> <p>Australia also needs more <a href="https://www.launchhousing.org.au/housingsupport/private-rental-support">private rental access programs</a>, which provide ongoing subsidies and financial help with rent arrears to people at risk of homelessness. They also provide advocacy help in negotiations with landlords.</p> <p>Given Indigenous Australians are over represented in the at-risk and homeless populations, especially in remote areas, we need targeted support developed in consultation with Indigenous communities.</p> <p>Those living with a disability or reporting fair or poor health are particularly vulnerable. There is a clear role for state and territory governments in ensuring access to health and disability supports, especially for those on low incomes.</p> <p>Key priorities for the federal government and agencies include:</p> <ul> <li> <p>increasing the levels of income support payments and <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/housing-support/programmes-services/commonwealth-rent-assistance">Commonwealth Rent Assistance</a></p> </li> <li> <p>increasing the wages for the lowest paid workers;</p> </li> <li> <p>increasing funding for the construction of social and affordable housing, and;</p> </li> <li> <p>playing a coordinating role in primary prevention policy through a national housing and homelessness strategy.</p> </li> </ul> <p>The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted homelessness can be closer than many think – especially after sudden loss of employment or a health crisis.</p> <p>Now we know who is at risk of homelessness and where they are, it’s time for governments to act.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/172501/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/deb-batterham-426113">Deb Batterham</a>, Post doctoral research fellow, Launch Housing and Centre for Urban Transitions, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a></em>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christian-a-nygaard-897633">Christian A. Nygaard</a>, Associate Professor in Social Economics, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a></em>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jacqueline-de-vries-1293856">Jacqueline De Vries</a>, Project Manager and Data Analyst, Institute for Social Change, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a></em>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/margaret-reynolds-324336">Margaret Reynolds</a>, Researcher, Centre for Urban Transitions, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a></em></span></p> <p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-identified-whos-most-at-risk-of-homelessness-and-where-they-are-now-we-must-act-before-its-too-late-172501">original article</a>.</p> <p><em>Image: Shuttershock</em></p>

Home Hints & Tips

Placeholder Content Image

This touching moment between police and a homeless man will melt your heart

<p>Melbourne officers have been filmed performing a selfless act for a homeless man outside of a Woolworths store.</p> <p>The pair were captured speaking with a man who had a sign asking shoppers for spare change.</p> <p>Blogger Adele Barbaro shared to Instagram that one of the officers asked the man: “What brings you out in the cold tonight mate?</p> <p>Ms Barbaro overheard the officers as she entered the store telling the man, "We just wanna make sure your OK mate". </p> <p>It was not long after that she saw the two uniformed cops picking out items she initially thought were for their dinner. </p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CPfoa8KhkVX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CPfoa8KhkVX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by ADELE BARBARO (@adele_barbaro)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"I saw the two officers inside with a hot roast chook and some bread rolls and figured they were getting themselves late shift dinner," her post read.</p> <p>"But then I noticed staples like rice and cereal and one of the said ‘we probably need to get him some milk too'."</p> <p>Ms Barbaro said it then dawned on her that the pair were shopping for the homeless man.</p> <p>"We ended up at the checkout at the same time, they had split up and seemed to do half the groceries each and both pulled out wallets/purses to pay half each," she wrote. </p> <p>She went on to say: "These two weren’t rookies, they clearly knew the difference between a scammer and someone who was genuinely hungry.”</p> <p>"As they went outside, I overhead them check again that he had somewhere to stay tonight and then they handed him the bag of food with respect, compassion and kindness."</p> <p>The post racked up over 2000 comments, and over 26,000 likes.</p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

“MY HOUSE NOT YOURS”: Paul Hogan fires up on homeless

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fed up with the homelessness crisis in his neighbourhood, Crocodile Dundee star Paul Hogan has shown he is fed up.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Photographs surfaced this week of the 81-year-old penning a letter he reportedly placed outside of his LA home as a message to the homeless, telling them to go away.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">New photos show Hogan in a mask as he stepped outside to write a note reading, “THIS IS MY HOUSE NOT YOURS”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The actor reportedly lives at his Venice Beach property with his 22-year-old son, Chance.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the photos, Hogan allegedly penned the letter with a red marker and underlined “MY HOUSE” in the message, stuck to a pole next to his garage door.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">His neighbour Tyler Proctor, who is a local politician according to the </span><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-9594375/Paul-Hogan-sends-stern-message-homeless-outside-mansion.html"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Daily Mail</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, spoke recently about the homelessness crisis and referred to the area where Hogan’s home is located as “hell on earth”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“His house is like a fortress and it needs to be. I can see why [he] wants to move out,” Proctor told the outlet.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though the star has been living in the United States since 2005, he </span><a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/paul-hogan-s-homesick-plea-falls-on-deaf-ears"><span style="font-weight: 400;">recently appeared on </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sunrise</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">and admitted he wanted to return to Australia but didn’t want to go through hotel quarantine.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credit: YouTube</span></em></p>

News

Placeholder Content Image

Women in their 60s are the new homeless

<p>Having worked hard your whole life, you’re a few years away from retiring and pondering winding down, then – bam! You suddenly find yourself homeless. Sound impossible? Sadly, it’s becoming the reality for an increasing number of Aussie women in their late 50s and 60s.</p> <p>We tend to think of homelessness being associated with youth living on the streets. But homelessness comes in many forms, from couching-surfing to staying in shelters, bunking in with your children, or living out of a car. And it is rapidly affecting women in their later years.</p> <p>Putting the spotlight on the problem is the first step in trying to resolve it.</p> <p><strong>Scope of the problem</strong></p> <p>Some <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/2049.0">116,427 Australians were homeless in the last Census</a> in 2016. And while men dominate homelessness figures overall, the ABS noted that “the number of older homeless females increased by 31% to 6,866 in 2016, up from 5,234 persons in 2011.”</p> <p>That’s a one-third increase in just five years.</p> <p>Meanwhile <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-welfare/homelessness-and-homelessness-services">Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS) agencies supported over 1.2 million Aussies</a> between the 2012 and 2019 financial years, including 290,300 in 2018-19 alone. Of these, 60 per cent were female, and over 55s are one of the demographics “known to be at particular risk”.</p> <p>As our population ages, this problem is only likely to get worse – particularly in the post-COVID world. It’s a trend I’m already seeing more frequently among women seeking financial advice in an attempt to turnaround their finances and their lives.</p> <p><strong>Why is this happening?</strong></p> <p>Like most social problems, this one has many contributing factors. The ones I see all too often are:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Single parenting:</strong> Raising kids on a single income isn’t easy. What money does come in, it is put towards short-term living costs, leaving nothing to put away for retirement.</li> <li><strong>Divorce:</strong> Relationship breakdowns often leave women with little in the way of savings. Either walking away without what they are entitled to, or getting the family home in settlement with a mortgage only to find out they can’t afford to keep it and are forced to sell.</li> <li><strong>Family and domestic violence:</strong> <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports-data/behaviours-risk-factors/domestic-violence/overview">One in six Australian women are victims of violence at home</a> (compared with one in 16 men). Many are literally fleeing for their lives, with a woman killed by her partner on average every nine days.</li> <li><strong>Gender pay gap / gender retirement gap:</strong> In 2020, <a href="https://www.wgea.gov.au/data/fact-sheets/australias-gender-pay-gap-statistics">Aussie women still earn 13.9 per – or $242.90 – less per week</a> in full-time earnings than men. That in turn means lower contributions going into their superannuation.</li> <li><strong>Primary caregiving:</strong> Many women are forced to abandon full-time work for caregiving responsibilities. And not just for kids – they are juggling caring for children and elderly parents/in-laws simultaneously.</li> <li><strong>Simple biology:</strong> <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/3302.0.55.001">Aussie women statistically live four years longer than men</a>. Logically, a longer lifespan requires more money to maintain our standard of living. And inheritance from their partner is not always forthcoming, as it may have been spent on healthcare or used up to fund travel or other lifestyle things.</li> <li><strong>Not seeing advice</strong>: Many women fear seeking financial advice early enough and have no financial plan or a too conservative plan.</li> </ul> <p><strong>What can women do?</strong></p> <p>Thankfully, there are steps women can take to minimise the risk of becoming homeless in their pre-retirement years.</p> <p>As a start, I generally recommend:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Having an emergency fund:</strong> This is non-negotiable. Even a small amount put aside each week offers some relief should disaster strike.</li> <li><strong>Spending and investment plans:</strong> Have an eye over all your expenses, reviewing bills like loans and insurances regularly to get the best deal and having spare cash to invest.</li> <li><strong>Insurances:</strong> Have appropriate personal insurances for your or your partner so a life event doesn’t destroy your position.</li> <li><strong>Time management:</strong> Finding a better routine can help free up more time for income-generating activities.</li> <li><strong>Upskilling:</strong> Make yourself more employable and able to command more money by gaining extra qualifications and training in your field.</li> <li><strong>Don’t</strong> <strong>fear advice:</strong> Lots of women admit to being scared of seeking advice on money matters. By doing so, they often miss out on expert tax, super, budgeting and investment strategies.</li> <li><strong>Being proactive:</strong> Many women leave household finances to their partner, meaning they come unstuck if their partner dies or they separate. It’s your money too, and you have an equal say in how it’s spent/invested for the future!</li> </ul> <p><em>Helen Baker is a licensed Australian financial adviser and author of two books: </em>On Your Own Two Feet – Steady Steps to Women’s Financial Independence<em> and </em>On Your Own Two Feet Divorce – Your Survive and Thrive Financial Guide<em>. Proceeds from the books’ sales are donated to charities supporting disadvantaged women. Find out more at <a href="http://www.onyourowntwofeet.com.au">www.onyourowntwofeet.com.au</a></em></p> <p><em>Note this is general advice only and you should seek advice specific to your circumstances.</em></p>

Retirement Income

Placeholder Content Image

If Australia really wants to tackle mental health after coronavirus we must take action on homelessness

<p>The COVID-19 pandemic has opened fault lines in social, economic and health-care policy in Australia. One area in which all three converge is homelessness.</p> <p>It’s almost impossible to practise self-isolation and good hygiene if you’re living on the streets or moving from place to place. This puts homeless people at higher risk of both catching the disease and transmitting it to others.</p> <p>At the beginning of the pandemic, governments recognised this problem and responded by <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-25/homeless-put-up-in-four-star-hotel-during-coronavirus/12176942">housing homeless people in hotels</a>.</p> <p>But we need to act now to ensure these people aren’t forced back onto the streets as the pandemic recedes.</p> <p>This is particularly important given we’re worried about the mental health fallout of the pandemic. Evidence shows homelessness and mental illness are inextricably linked.</p> <p><strong>Homelessness in Australia</strong></p> <p>The initiative to house the homeless in hotels has been targeted mostly at “rough sleepers”, of whom there are <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-25/homeless-put-up-in-four-star-hotel-during-coronavirus/12176942">more than 8,000</a> in Australia.</p> <p>But people who sleep on the streets make up only a tiny proportion of the Australians <a href="https://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/subscriber.nsf/0/61102520832D348ECA257A6F0012AF91/%24File/2049055001_2012.pdf">we consider to be homeless</a>. Homeless people also include those living in unstable or substandard accommodation, for example.</p> <p>In 2018-19 <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-welfare/homelessness-and-homelessness-services">more than 290,000 Australians</a> – roughly 1.2% of the population – accessed specialist homelessness services.</p> <p>So this is only a temporary solution to a national emergency, and addresses only the tip of the iceberg.</p> <p><strong>Mental illness and beyond</strong></p> <p>At least <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/mental-health-services/mental-health-services-in-australia/report-contents/specialist-homelessness-services">one in three</a> homeless people have a mental illness.</p> <p>Homelessness is often a <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/current/mental-health/draft">consequence of mental illness</a>, especially of the more severe kinds that involve hallucinations, confusion, mood swings, depression and intense anxiety.</p> <p>It’s also a consequence of family violence, which itself <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jun/07/domestic-abuse-victims-more-likely-to-suffer-mental-illness-study">increases the risk of poor mental health</a> in children and adults.</p> <p>But homelessness can also be a <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/current/mental-health/draft">cause of mental illness</a>, through its associations with poverty, unemployment, emotional stress, food insecurity, discrimination, exploitation, loneliness and exposure to violence, crime and drugs.</p> <p>The pandemic has momentarily lifted the cover on homelessness as a widespread and, so far, intractable social, economic and health problem.</p> <p>It’s not only a reservoir of private suffering for those driven to the social margins through unstable or inadequate accommodation.</p> <p>Homelessness also has <a href="https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/rights-and-freedoms/publications/homelessness-human-rights-issue">broad social impacts</a>, including lost productivity, adverse effects on young people’s health, education and well-being, and increased consumption of mental health services and criminal justice resources, among others.</p> <p><strong>Next steps</strong></p> <p>What will happen to the homeless people currently housed in hotels <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-28/advocates-call-for-long-term-solution-to-homelessness-in-sa/12194210">as the pandemic subsides</a>?</p> <p>As catastrophic an event as COVID-19 has been, it has created a unique opportunity to improve the long-neglected and critically poor state of social housing in Australia.</p> <p>The Community Housing Industry Association recently put forward a strong economic argument under the <a href="https://www.communityhousing.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/20200197-SHARP-Final-ReportSGS.pdf?x59559">Social Housing Acceleration and Renovation Program (SHARP) proposal</a> for national investment in building 30,000 social housing units and upgrading existing housing.</p> <p>Meanwhile, the <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/current/mental-health/draft">Productivity Commission draft report on mental illness</a> and the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (<a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0023/29381/Housing-homelessness-and-mental-health-towards-systems-change.pdf">AHURI</a>) have put forward robust recommendations concerning housing policy for people with mental illness.</p> <p>The Productivity Commission and AHURI both advocate increased investment in low-cost, secure and good-quality accommodation, linked where necessary with suitable support services.</p> <p>Many jurisdictions have excellent programs that help people with mental illness to live independently, such as the <a href="https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/mentalhealth/services/Pages/hasi.aspx#:%7E:text=The%20Housing%20and%20Accommodation%20Support,way%20that%20they%20want%20to.">Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative</a> in NSW. But these need to be scaled up dramatically.</p> <p>Affordable social housing combined with government transfer payments (such as pensions, Centrelink and disability payments) sufficient to meet basic living costs would be a major boon to mental health in this country.</p> <p>Both the Productivity Commission and AHURI highlight <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/current/mental-health/draft">bridging the gaps in social housing</a> could promote recovery from mental illness, enabling greater social participation and enhancing well-being. It’s likely this approach would also prevent many cases of mental illness before they take hold.</p> <p>In the long term this would far exceed the benefits flowing from <a href="https://www.greghunt.com.au/covid-19-48-1-million-for-national-mental-health-and-wellbeing-pandemic-response-plan/">piecemeal handouts for clinical services</a>, which is the present norm in addressing the mental health fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.</p> <p><strong>Home improvements or reducing homelessness?</strong></p> <p>Last week the Australian government announced <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-03/government-coronavirus-construction-stimulus-renovations-25k/12317786">HomeBuilder grants</a> of A$25,000 for owner-occupiers for certain works on their homes. This funding will be going to people who already have homes and can afford substantial renovations.</p> <p>There is a strong case for making similar investments in housing the homeless, which would <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-019-7492-8">substantially benefit the mental health</a> of our most disadvantaged citizens.</p> <p>Now is the time for a nationally coordinated effort by federal and state governments to institute economic, social and health policies to address the nexus between homelessness and mental health, and the poverty that feeds into both.</p> <p><em>Written by Vaughan J Carr and Anthony Jorm. Republished with permission of The Conversation. </em></p>

Legal

Placeholder Content Image

Prince William’s heartwarming gesture to a homeless man

<p><span>Prince William has made a vow to a rough sleeper after hearing that his friend accidentally lost his false leg.</span></p> <p><span>The Duke of Cambridge visited The Beacon Project, which provides support to the homeless and vulnerable, in Nottinghamshire on Wednesday.</span></p> <p><span>He met ex-serviceman Delroy Carr, 58, who had his right leg amputated as a result of drug use 11 years ago.</span></p> <p><span>The prince heard that Carr’s prosthetic leg had been thrown out by mistake by the wife of his friend Daniel Walker.</span></p> <p><span>Walker said he was returning from work one day when he noticed the leg had disappeared.</span></p> <p><span>“I’ve come back and I’ve gone ‘Babe, where’s Delly’s leg gone?’,” Walker said.</span></p> <p><span>“She went ‘dustbin men took it’.</span></p> <p><span>“And I went ‘oh my God, I’ve lost Delly’s false leg’.”</span></p> <p><span>Walker added, “He’s never had one since – nine years. He’s been hopping mad for nine years.”</span></p> <p><span>The prince told Carr that he would personally ensure that his details reach the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre for ex-service personnel to help him obtain a new prosthetic limb.</span></p> <p><em><span><a href="https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2020022685429/prince-william-visits-beacon-project-mansfield/">HELLO</a> </span></em><span>reported that after meeting the royal, Carr said: “He’s a good man. He seems very genuine and really wants to help.”</span></p> <p><span>The Beacon Project was established in 2001 and is now serving up to 50 people at a time, providing access to meals, clean clothes and bathroom facilities as well as medical care and accommodation assistance.</span></p>

International Travel

Placeholder Content Image

Meghan Markle’s homeless brother says she helps charities more than her family

<p>Meghan Markle’s estranged half brother has spoken out about how he has been left homeless and is sick of his sister and Prince Harry not helping out family.</p> <div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> <p>Thomas Markle Jr, 53, fell on hard times after losing jobs and splitting up with his fiancee. He has since been forced to move in with his elderly mother in New Mexico after his life “fell apart”.</p> <p>Thomas told<span> </span><em><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.the-sun.com/news/408950/meghan-markles-homeless-brother-says-hes-sick-of-her-helping-charities-but-not-her-family/" target="_blank">The Sun</a></em><span> </span>how he lost out on jobs due to having the same last name as the famous royal.</p> <p> “Being associated with Meghan has nearly destroyed me.</p> <p>“I am homeless and could have been under a bridge with a cardboard sign begging for money.</p> <p>“But thankfully my Mom has taken me in.</p> <p>“Mentally, this has been a f***ing nightmare ever since Meghan got together with Harry.”</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8MjqZQpfba/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8MjqZQpfba/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal)</a> on Feb 5, 2020 at 11:02am PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>He says that he has thought about changing his name to “escape the curse” and that the Palace or Meghan herself could have helped him out.</p> <p>“For her to sit there on her royal pedestal and watch this happening to her family — she should have done her humanitarian work for us.</p> <p>“I’m sick of hearing about her and Harry helping this charity, that charity — whatever cause is in this week.”</p> <p><em>Photo credits: The Sun</em></p> </div> </div> </div>

International Travel

Placeholder Content Image

Homeless soprano: Overnight fame for street singer after brilliant opera performance captures the world

<p>A homeless Los Angeles woman has achieved instant viral fame, and a potential chance at a professional career after her brilliant opera singing caught the attention of an LAPD officer.</p> <p>Underground the Californian metropolis’ Koreatown district, the unknown woman who had shopping bags and a trolley in tow could be heard belting out a Puccini classic,<span> </span><em>O mio babbino caro</em>.</p> <p>Once she noticed she was being recorded, she continued the performance, as her vocals were heard throughout the Metro station.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">4 million people call LA home. 4 million stories. 4 million voices...sometimes you just have to stop and listen to one, to hear something beautiful. <a href="https://t.co/VzlmA0c6jX">pic.twitter.com/VzlmA0c6jX</a></p> — LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) <a href="https://twitter.com/LAPDHQ/status/1177423181679755264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">27 September 2019</a></blockquote> <p>The woman was later identified as 52-year-old Emily Zamourka, who grew up in Russia and immigrated to America as a 24-year-old classically trained violinist and pianist.</p> <p>But to everyone’s surprise, she’s never had any formal voice coaching.</p> <p>Zamourka says she found it hard to work after dealing with a number of debilitating health problems.</p> <p>She would then busk on LA’s busy streets, until her $10,000 violin was stolen three years ago.</p> <p>“[The violin] was my income. It was my everything to me – I could not actually pay any of my bills and could not pay any more of my rent,” Zamourka told local television networks.</p> <p>“I am sleeping, actually, on the cardboard in the parking lot. I’m sleeping where I can sleep.”</p> <p>The original video has been viewed over 560,000 times with many people trying to get Ellen DeGeneres and<span> </span><em>America’s Got Talent’s<span> </span></em>attention.</p> <p>For Zamourka, she just wants to leave her current circumstances behind.</p> <p>“I will be so grateful to anyone who is trying to help me get off the streets,” she said.</p>

Home & Garden

Our Partners

Over 60

© Copyright 2024 OverSixty.All Rights Reserved.