This week is Homelessness Week
In the past 18 months the pandemic has really bought home the urgency in addressing homelessness in our society, not just by providing short-term accommodation but the need for a sustainable long-term solution.
This week is Homelessness Week, an important date in our calendar during which we raise awareness of this complex social issue and its impact in our society.
We have interviewed Professor Guy Johnson, Australia’s first professor of homelessness and housing and the Director of the Unison Housing Research Lab, to help us to debunk some myths and examine some truths around homelessness and unpack this complex subject.
Professor Johnson’s insights will be shared in a 5-part mini-series on our social media platforms:
- Part 1 - Myth: Most homeless people sleep on the streets.
- Part 2 - Myth: Most homeless people are drug addicts, alcoholics and have mental health issues.
- Part 3 – Myth: There is enough emergency accommodation for those who need it.
- Part 4 – Fact: Public and social housing can help prevent homelessness.
- Part 5 – Affordable housing + safety net. We can do better.
Here is the full length version.
We hope you find this series interesting and informative and invite you to share either the full-length video or the series, and join the collective effort to raise awareness of homelessness in Australia.
“We have got to understand homelessness as something that is driven not by individual characteristics but is something that is structured in to the way we set up our housing markets and design our welfare systems. In short, we can do better.” Professor Guy Johnson.
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