Jenny Begent is the National Social Services Manager for the Salvation Army. She is responsible for an annual budget of $1.2 million.Jenny told us that homelessness was the biggest problem facing Australia. The rate is 50 persons per 10,000 and includes rough sleeping, "couch surfing" and sleeping in a car. The Problem was first identified in the Vertigan Report (1996) and it has worsened considerably since. Every night, across Australia the Salvation Army accommodates 16,000 adults (not including accompanying children).
The largest group of homeless people is single women over 50. This group is often subjected to physical, mental and financial abuse and their situation can deteriorate rapidly. Unfortunately, there is no "exit point" response for this group to alleviate their situation.
The effects of long-term homelessness are very profound. Those affected have no social skills, underlying mental health problems and are unable to live independently.
Jenny suggests that we can lobby local, State and Federal governments to place a higher priority on this long-term problem that should not exist in our society.