MENTION the word “homeless” and many people’s minds will instinctively conjure images of an ageing man in an alcoholic stupor sleeping on a park bench under a blanket of newspapers.
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In reality, however, only a tiny number of Bendigo’s hundreds of homeless residents fit this cliched description.
The awful truth is that homelessness can strike almost anyone at any time and there are a myriad of reasons why someone might lose the security of a roof over their head.
Undoubtedly, some people’s path to poverty is paved with poor choices regarding money, drugs, alcohol or the law, but many, many others are simply a victim of circumstance.
Who, other than the very wealthiest among us, could absorb the sudden loss of employment and not be plunged into significant financial stress?
Experts say a deceptively large portion of the population are only a couple of missed mortgage or rental payments away from homelessness.
Then there are those who descend into poverty through mental health issues, or a gambling addiction, or a lack of education.
Of course, one of the leading causes of homelessness is the breakdown of a relationship and, all too frequently, associated family violence.
And then there are Bendigo’s homeless children – comprising about one-in-five of all the city’s homeless – who are the most innocent of victims in this crisis.
Statistics from Homelessness Australia indicate homelessness has increased by 20 per cent in Victoria in the last decade, with about 100,000 people without reliable accommodation on any given night.
That does not necessarily mean these people are sleeping on benches or shopfronts or under bridges.
Rather, they could be taking refuge in their cars, couch-surfing from friend’s house to friend’s house, or relying on the generosity of relatives.
With so many contributing factors, there is no easy answer to solving the problem of homelessness.
But the first step is, as a community, to challenge our own long-held prejudices.
Only once the stereotypes swirling around this issues are broken down can we start to bring homelessness out into the light, address the underlying causes and be more effective with our response.
- Ross Tyson, deputy editor