21 December 2011

Data on the homeless

| johnboy
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Joy Burch has made a late bid for biggest statement of the bleeding obvious in 2011. She notes that one third of people accessing the crisis accommodation gateway are “at risk of homelessness”.

About one third of persons accessing the ACT Government’s crisis accommodation gateway First Point are “at risk of homelessness” and living in marginal housing, and almost two-thirds are women, a new profile of Canberra’s homeless population released today shows.

ACT Minister for Community Services Joy Burch said the Measuring Homelessness report shows that more than half of survey respondents were living in secondary homelessness circumstances, meaning they have temporary accommodation but are unable to stay for an extended period.

The report was compiled using data from First Point, the ACT Government’s central intake service for homelessness and crisis accommodation services, as well as a survey of its clients undertaken in the three days immediately following ABS Census Night in August 2011.

The media release comes with a research paper and indigenous breakout.

The Greens have unkindly responded by asking how many of those seeking help were actually housed?

“The Minister has publically announced the numbers of homeless seeking help, and also revealed the high numbers of women, children and young people,” Greens spokesperson for Children & Young People, & Women, Meredith Hunter MLA, said today.

“But it’s not clear how many of the 290 homeless people seeking help were actually housed.

“These are vulnerable people, often fleeing violence. It is totally unacceptable that this problem is hidden and that people in crisis situations are not housed.

“So while we know there is a major social need, we don’t know how the services are responding.

“We do know that national figures indicate high turn away rates – but we don’t know what the ACT turn away rates are.

In general the non-vulnerable who find themselves out of home can afford a hotel until they secure a rental.

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watto23 said :

I’d rather have hald a dozen properties making money than half a dozen negatively geared.

Spot on with this. Although negative gearing gets talked about most, there are investors (like me) who far prefer this approach. After all, the only difference between negative and postive gearing is that positive gearing involves profit.

Hanksinatra said :

From the plight of the homeless, to negative gearing. Lets get straight onto something interesting like interest rates and market values.

I’m sure we could work in a discussion about the best schools in Canberra is we really tried.

Imagine living in a situation of insecurity like this, particularly with children. I’m sure many of these women go back to situations of violence simply because there is no real alternative. And the children, shunted from one place to another, must miss out on so much. ‘Secondary homelessness’ sounds like such a euphemism; these people have no home is the sense that most of us understand.

There’s still no room at the inn.

Wait, I haven’t even figured out what negative gearing is, yet! Somehow making no money can make you rich?

From the plight of the homeless, to negative gearing. Lets get straight onto something interesting like interest rates and market values.

Stevian said :

BimboGeek said :

Which is weird considering that every second person has a rental investment property.

Which must be kept empty so that the may avail themselves of the benefits of negative gearing

As a motivation to buy a rental negative gearing has long since gone out of favour. Plus I doubt many Landlords seek to have vacant properties in any case.

Stevian said :

BimboGeek said :

Which is weird considering that every second person has a rental investment property.

Which must be kept empty so that the may avail themselves of the benefits of negative gearing

I don’t see how keeping a rental empty assists with negative gearing. If you can afford a property without any rental income, then why negatively gear it in the first place! I’d rather have hald a dozen properties making money than half a dozen negatively geared.

Still the slumlord actually showed people are willing to pay for ordinary accomodation. Why there is no long term hostel, with bunk beds some bathroom facilities and cooking facilities for something like $100 a week in Canberra I don’t know. Actually I do know, developers will pay a s***load more for the land and build something a lot more profitable…..

BimboGeek said :

Which is weird considering that every second person has a rental investment property.

Which must be kept empty so that the may avail themselves of the benefits of negative gearing

Which is weird considering that every second person has a rental investment property.

Tetranitrate12:55 pm 21 Dec 11

In general the non-vulnerable who find themselves out of home can afford a hotel until they secure a rental.
[/Quote]
In general that’s true, however in Canberra securing a rental isn’t exactly a trivial undertaking.

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