Sydney`s vagrant population has soared by 48% in five years (Daily Telegraph)
A landmark report shows surging house prices in Sydney are driving a growing number of elderly residents and victims of domestic violence on the streets.
According to the Daily Telegraph, Australia`s vagrant population monitoring report 2018 (Australian Homelessness Monitor) revealed that over the past five years, Australia`s vagrant population has increased by 14 percent. Over the same period, the number of homeless people in Sydney jumped 48%, of which the inner city street population growth rate as high as 53%.
Based on a breakthrough research model on the scale and causes of social problems in Britain, The report found that the increase in street population in Sydney was mainly due to the "housing crisis" or "housing burden crisis" leading to a growing number of victims of domestic violence in need of accommodation by government agencies. In addition, the Sydney housing boom means more middle-income families choose to rent, pushing the poor out of the market.
The number of "street sleepers" in Sydney rose 35 percent between 2011 and 2016, the researchers found. By contrast, the number of street sleepers in Victoria grew by just 3% over the same period. In addition, the growth rate of vagrant population in Sydney varies from gender to gender, with a 25 percent increase in the number of female vagrants and a 19 percent increase in the number of men.
According to the 2016 census, the number of homeless people in Australia is one hundred and fifteen thousand nine hundred and ninety nine, and the number of elderly vagrants is up 28 percent.
Parson (Hal Pawson), professor of (University of NSW) at the University of New South Wales and author of the 2018 Australian Rangers Monitoring report, said the rate of growth among elderly vagrants was the fastest and shocking. Parson-led surveys estimate that about six hundred and twelve thousand nine hundred and ninety nine people, including two hundred and twenty eight thousand nine hundred and ninety nine children, have fallen below the poverty line because of housing costs.
Domestic violence is also the main cause of vagrancy, accounting for 40%.
It is reported that the report is sponsored by the charity "start Housing (Launch Housing)," the agency`s chief executive (Tony Keenan) said, "this is the first time we have connected all the points. Fully understand the reasons for the existence of severe vagrant population problems in Australia. The problem of vagrancy is not inevitable. This study proves that policies and aid programs do work. "
