Elle Gardiner’s Post

A sobering report showing the extent of the increasing, and unmet demand across homelessness services. ✋ 39% of services were forced to close their doors to people seeking help 📞 83% of services were unable to answer phone calls leaving people in crisis without immediate assistance. 📩 74% of services were unable to reply to emails, impacting housing referrals and support requests. 🏡 The number of Australian households experiencing rental stress has increased by 18% since the 2021 Census This leaves people - children, young people, single parents, older Australians, people sleeping rough, those escaping violence and trauma - without the support they need. Read the report by Impact Economics and Policy and Homelessness Australia here: https://lnkd.in/gS9HaWw6 Listen to Kate Colvin explaining the findings here: https://lnkd.in/g2xWUyKm #homelessness #demand #frontline #endinghomelessness

'The province has still not put in place anything to ensure the new housing they hope to encourage will really be affordable. This budget has no funding to build any supportive housing units this year. Ontario is falling even further behind what we need. We did not find anything in this budget targeted at preventing homelessness.' Based on assumptions that current stock of supportive housing can be maintained. I can tell you that the current stock of supportive housing is very vulnerable to acquisition for redevelopment (renovations) and to other sales out of supportive housing - and this housing stock is being lost. #AffordableHousing #SupportiveHousing #OnPoli

Homelessness in Mayfair: A Symptom of Political Apathy and Systemic Failure 🛑 Yesterday, former Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi posted a tweet showing a person sleeping rough on a pavement in Mayfair, questioning what’s going on in London. The image, set against a backdrop of one of the city’s wealthiest areas, highlights a stark contrast that’s become all too common in today’s Britain. But Zahawi’s tweet raises bigger questions than it answers. After 14 years of Conservative rule, marked by austerity, cuts to social services, and a lack of affordable housing, we’re seeing the real impact of these policies on our streets. The tweet may have been aimed at scoring political points, but it inadvertently reveals the long-term neglect and policy failures that have led to the homelessness crisis we face today. As a society, we need more than just empty rhetoric and finger-pointing. We need leaders who don’t "just walk past," but who stop, engage, and work towards meaningful change. It's time to move beyond performative concern and towards comprehensive policy reform—because homelessness isn't just a photo opportunity; it's a human rights issue. 🔍 Read my latest blog to uncover the deeper narrative behind Zahawi's tweet and explore what needs to change to truly address homelessness in the UK. It’s time for empathy, accountability, and action. #HomelessnessCrisis #SocialJustice #UKPolitics #AusterityBritain #Leadership #HumanRights #EndHomelessness #PoliticalAccountability #SocialChange #CompassionateLeadership

Youth Foyers, such as members Uniting’s Foyer Central in Sydney, and Mission Australia, which will open a brand-new Youth Foyer in Townsville, are breaking the cycle of youth homelessness. The evidence is in: More than 80% of young people exit into stable housing, and 65% gain secure employment. "It's proven to work - changing the trajectory of young peoples' lives, and all young people need housing security and support to be equipped to live their best lives," said Uniting NSW.ACT CEO Tracey Burton. The need in NSW has never been greater, with two in three young people who needed medium-term specialist housing support turned away in the last year due to insufficient funding and availability. To create lasting change, NSW needs more Youth Foyers. An investment of $220 million over three years from the NSW Government would build 10 new locations and provide 400 homes to help young people transition to independent, thriving futures. It's one of the asks supporting calls from youth homelessness experts in our NSW Pre-Budget Submission: https://Inkd.in/gUcpv7DH What do you think? Share your thoughts below 👇 #YHMD2024 #youthhomelessness #children #youngpeople #homelessness The Foyer Foundation Image: Foyer Central residents paint with mural artist Zoe Edema

NEW REPORT: Youth in Canada are more likely to face eviction, which can have devastating effects on their long-term stability & housing outcomes. Our new report speaks on the lived experiences young people face when evicted from their homes & highlights their insights on how eviction systems can be reformed to focus on a more supportive and human-centered approach to eviction prevention. This report is part of our ongoing research with our partners on youth homelessness that will inform our formal submission to the Federal Housing Advocate—launching in October! Read the report: https://lnkd.in/eBA4HkXJ

🏠🔍👀 YOUTH HOUSING SYSTEM 👀🔍🏠 | "Addressing youth homelessness is not just a moral imperative; it's an urgent societal need. At ACHC, we are committed to being part of the solution," says Katherine Neil, CEO.   ACHC is proud to partner with #HomeTime in a national campaign to unlock Australia’s housing system for children and young people with nowhere to live.   Each year, nearly 40,000 children and young people between the ages of 15 and 24 find themselves without a place to call home, with the highest concentrations in New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland. This alarming statistic underscores the critical need for immediate action.   Australia's existing housing infrastructure falls short in providing adequate support and shelter for individuals under 25 due to various structural limitations. For instance, housing providers like ACHC are disadvantaged when considering young people for tenancies due to lower rental income through the social security system.   To drive meaningful change and address this pressing issue, we urge you to take action: ✍🏽 Sign up for the campaign at www.hometime.org.au  📧 Email your federal MPs through https://lnkd.in/dMBM47R6    Join us in advocating for a brighter future where every young person has access to safe and supportive housing. Together, let's #FixHousingForYoungPeople

Here it is, the last of my blog posts on the new Housing (Scotland) Bill. This covers the homelessness reforms that are proposed. As ever, comments/thoughts welcome. https://lnkd.in/eNXZYY_E

Solutions to rural homelessness need urgent attention - from the provision of adequate support for rural services to the development of more rural affordable homes. #rural #ruralhousing #ruralhomelessnesscounts

Hope for Justice has signed a joint letter to the new leader of the House of Commons, Lucy Powell, calling on the new Government to end the criminalisation of homelessness. Homelessness can be an outcome of modern slavery and also a vulnerability which places people at risk of being targeted by traffickers. Perpetrators may exploit a person’s lack of housing by offering illegal work, money, somewhere to live, and sometimes alcohol or drugs. They then gain control over the individual. We have worked with survivors who managed to escape from their traffickers, but then ended up homeless because they had nowhere to go. We are one of 25 signatories – homelessness, housing and human rights organisations – who are urging the new UK Government to scrap the Vagrancy Act. This legislation makes it a crime to sleep rough or beg in England and Wales. But we do not believe this law tackles the root causes of homelessness. In fact, it is more likely to push someone further away from safety and the vital services that help them. We want to see an end to this vicious cycle. We hope that Labour will stand by its manifesto pledge to develop a cross-government strategy to end homelessness. You can read the joint letter in full here: https://lnkd.in/eQZ_frWv #VagrancyAct #ScraptheAct #Homelessness #RoughSleeping #ModernSlavery

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Point-in-Time (PIT) Homelessness Count for 2023, there was a tragic 12% increase in homelessness since the 2022 count.  My colleague Francis G. Torres authored a piece for the Bipartisan Policy Center, providing insights into the 2023 PIT count and its implications. With one in every 500 Americans homeless at the time of the count, now is the time to raise public awareness about the worsening housing affordability crisis. Lawmakers at every level need to act to reverse these trends. Read BPC’s analysis here: https://lnkd.in/eXq2UZgK