Homelessness

what causes tension/conflict

caused by differing/opposing views on various aspects of the issue

3 Points of view on homelessness

NIMBY, Discrimination and inequality that causes homelessness, Homeless deathrate

why does the Church respond to homelessness

• Catholic people look to Jesus as someone to immitate, Jesus was a model of compassion and justice and therefor considering what he would do for the homeless encourages the Church to help them in the way that Jesus would and did.

• Certain Catholic social teaching principles call Catholics to help the homeless: Human Dignity, solidarity, preferential option for the poor and the common Good

• Many Christian scriptures and parables teach us to help the poor: the good samaritan, corporal works of mercy, the Beatitudes

• Catechism

• everyone is made in the image and likeness of God

How does the Church respond to the tension and Conflict

Intellectually: encyclicals, pastoral letters, social justice statements

example: A place to call home (social justice statement The Australian Catholic Bishops’ Social Justice Statement for 2018–19)

Quotes:

• Housing, the Bishops say, is ‘an essential entitlement for all people to meet their basic needs, flourish in community and have their inherent human dignity affirmed and upheld by others’

• we see a respect for human dignity that recognises the face of Christ in each person they serve

Practical: Organisations

Examples: St Vincent De paul

founded by fredrick ozanam in 1833 at 20 years old by serving the poor in his community through conferences which would ask the people what they needed and upheld their human dignity. Now St vinnnies helps over 61,000 people in WA alone

They offer:

Winter sleepout

Raising money and awareness for the issue

Providing food, shelter, clothing, and financial aid, to those in need

Takes donations

Op Shops and volunteer work

financial aid

NIMBY (not in my backyard) for homeless

tension for homeless:

• Loss of community and belongings: forced removal leads to loss of personal items and disrupts support networks

• Mental health impacts: Displacement causes anxiety, depression and chronic stress. Stereotypes leave homeless people isolated and can affect the the homeless are treated

• Limited shelter access: Restriction on homeless shelters causes overcrowding and conflict in competition for housing

• fear of authorities: Being removed due to police intervention creates distrust

• uncertainty and instability: removal or rejection causes insecurity which makes accessing long term help more difficult

  Statistics

• 21% of rough sleepers have a diagnosed menta illness

• 122,000 people were estimated to be experiencing homelessness in Australia. Of these, approximately 47,900 (39%) were living in 'severely' crowded dwellings.

• one-third of the violence experienced by homeless people is committed by the public

NIMBY (society)

Tension and conflict for society:

• divided public opinion: communities torn between upholding public order and advocating for human rights

• Public pending priorities: resources go to healthcare and clean-ups

• Loss of faith in institutions

• pressure on local councils

• parents not wanting their kids exposed to homelessness or the homeless

Stats:

• Out of 1,300 residents surveyed across Castle Hill, Crow's Nest, Rhodes and Macquarie Park, about one-third fell into the NIMBY (Not-In-My-Back-Yard) category.

• A 2019 report from Mission Australia found that $622 million/year is spent on emergency services (police, health, etc.) for homelessness—far more than the cost of permanent housing.

Discrimination and inequality that causes homelessness (homeless)

Tension and conflict:

• Discrimination: leads to exclusion from jobs, housing and healthcare which fosters isolation and resentment

• Income inequality: creates barriers to escaping poverty, frustration

• Stereotyping and stigma: leads to internalized shame, poor mental health and possibly prevents

• Youth and LGBTQ+ Rejection: Increases vulnerability to abuse, exploitation, and trauma

Stats:

Discrimination and inequality that causes homelessness (society)

tension and conflict:

• Discrimination: Fuels systemic inequality; increases distrust between marginalized groups and systems

Homeless death rate (homeless)

-            Deaths dues to lack of food, water and shelter can cause tension and conflict between homeless people due to a competition of resources

-            Death of the homeless could lead to the homeless having further distrust for the government and law enforcement due to their lack of help

-            This distrust could lead to a hesitation of homeless to seek aid from government funded operations or prevent them from reporting issues to law enforcement possibly leading to more deaths

-            Deaths due to violence between homeless people would breed distrust between the homeless communities further creating tension

-            Mental health is badly affected — many feel hopeless or invisible.

Stats:

• ·        that people experiencing homelessness had a mortality rate across age groups that was 80% higher than the general population. (2023)

   

• The average age at death was just 51 years old

Death rate of homeless (society)

-            Deaths of homeless could create political tension as it is brought up as an issue for different political campaigns or brought to government by concerned communities

-            Homelessness also causes problems for the wider community.

-            Health services and support systems are overwhelmed.

-            Public spaces become areas of conflict some people feel unsafe or uncomfortable.

-            There’s tension between helping and ignoring the issue.

-            Many Australians feel the system is failing.

How does St Vinnie’s aid help decrease tension and conflcit?

Stigma and stereotypes about homeless people

 

• Vinnies humanises homelessness through compassionate service and public education. Their message: people are not to blame for their situation.

 

Public frustration over visible homelessness

 

• By offering practical housing solutions and support, Vinnies reduces the number of people sleeping rough, which can ease public concern.

 

Conflict over government spending priorities

 

• Vinnies advocates for long-term solutions that reduce the overall cost to society (e.g. fewer hospital visits, lower crime rates). They show how investment in housing benefits everyone.

 

Moral division (is homelessness a personal or societal problem?)

 

• Vinnies encourages a moral response rooted in empathy and shared responsibility, in line with Catholic Social Teaching.

 

Community division (“us vs them” thinking)

• Vinnies promotes solidarity by involving the community in volunteering and seeing the homeless as neighbours in need, not outsiders.

NIMBY STATS

Statistics

21% of rough sleepers have a diagnosed menta illness

122,000 people were estimated to be experiencing homelessness in Australia. Of these, approximately 47,900 (39%) were living in 'severely' crowded dwellings.

one-third of the violence experienced by homeless people is committed by the public

Homeless death rates

that people experiencing homelessness had a mortality rate across age groups that was 80% higher than the general population. (2023

The average age at death was just 51 years old

Discrimination stats

employment rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15-64 was 52%, compared to 75% for non-Indigenous Australians   Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

Represent ~3.2 % of the population but 20 % of those experiencing homelessness in 2021.

Lesbian, gay or bisexual people are two to three times more likely than heterosexuals to have ever experienced homeless

Family or domestic violence was the principal reason for seeking homelessness assistance in 2021–22 for 57 % of single-parent families and 40 % of lone women with children