Home is where the heart is a phrase commonly used and underscores the sanctity of the relationship between where we lay our head and our social and emotional well-being.
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There is nothing more distressing and confronting than seeing people sleeping rough and for those of us returning to our warm and safe homes it is potentially a source of guilt and regret.
It is also important to remember that the vast majority of homelessness is hidden.
People sleeping in cars, couch surfing, in insecure housing and crisis accommodation - this all means being homeless.
The COVID-19 pandemic has laid the cracks in society wide bare and also an accelerant for both positive and negative trends in society.
In Australia on any given night there are over 116,000 people experiencing homelessness.
In the past 12 months, housing rents have increased by 15.1 per cent.
A lack of affordable and secure housing is the number one reason for people seeking homelessness support in Australia.
For many women and children, family and domestic violence is the number one cause for not having secure housing.
The stability, safety, and affordability of housing strongly influences health outcomes.
I recently did the Vinnies CEO sleep out which is a one-night event over one of the longest and coldest nights of the year.
Across Australia hundreds of CEOs, business owners as well as community and government leaders slept outdoors to support the many Australians who are experiencing homelessness and people at risk of homelessness.
That night I joined colleagues across the Illawarra and we heard stories from individuals who found themselves homeless through the many vagaries of life.
One man told us how his marriage break-up had derailed his life.
Another told us that escalating rents in the Illawarra Shoalhaven had locked him out of finding safe and affordable housing.
The fear and terror of intimate partner violence challenged housing security for some women.
I also learned that night that the fastest segment of the homeless population are women over 55.
That was a real wake-up to me.
The stories of individuals who were brave and courageous enough to share their stories were both chastening and humbling.
Each of us committed that cold night in Wollongong to keep the focus on housing as a crucial issue for health and well-being.
The relationship between housing and health is complex requiring a whole of community approach.
As many in our area relish the rise in house prices as people retreat from the city during the pandemic it also raises questions on how we provide a safety net for the most vulnerable in society.
The booming regional real estate prices and low interest rates are welcome to some but a brick wall and source of desperation to many.
Housing the homeless has consistently been shown to improve health outcomes. During the COVID-19 pandemic we have seen what had been a previously impossible problem with a solution.
Housing the homeless has consistently been shown to improve health outcomes.
During the pandemic we have seen what had been a previously impossible problem with a solution.
During the early days of the coronavirus shutdown initiatives took place to get homeless people off the streets into hotels, and empty student accommodation.
Surprise, surprise they were healthier and happier.
This shows that with political will, resources and commitment this can happen.
People can have dignity, health and shelter we just need to work on it.
Homelessness Week, from August 1-7, seeks to raise awareness of the causes and impact of homelessness events.
This includes providing information on the importance of housing as a solution and educating communities on how they can make a difference.
It is also important to remember that we need to consider the structural issues contributing to homelessness - mental health, poverty, violence, alienation and racism.
This complex problem requires multifaceted solutions but increasing the visibility of being homeless is important.
Only 7 per cent of homeless are sleeping rough on the streets.
The vast majority are hidden.
But out of sight is not out of mind and everyone deserves a home.
- Professor Patricia M. Davidson is vice-chancellor of the University of Wollongong
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