Homeward Bound: A Report on Homelessness and Social Security, funded by AIAL

29 Dec 2019

The National Social Security Rights Network (NSSRN) and Canberra Community Law have released a research report entitled Homeward Bound: Social Security and Homelessness.
The Report was funded by the Australian Institute of Administrative Law.

The Report makes recommendations for how the social  security and public housing systems could be improved to reduce or prevent homelessness. This
Report’s findings rely on data collected by CCL which demonstrates the impact of social security and public housing on residents on the Australian
Capital Territory. These findings have broader application to other Australian jurisdictions, particularly given that social security is a responsibility
of the Commonwealth Government.

Social security recipients experience the highest rates of poverty in Australia with over half of Newstart Allowance recipients living below the poverty
line and most priced out of the private rental market. For many social security recipients, public housing is the only viable housing option. However,
this research found that high demand and long waiting lists leave many people with nowhere to turn.

The client experiences examined in this research include people sleeping rough, people unable to pay their rent, people sleeping on couches, in their cars
and in the living rooms of friends and family. Clients frequently sought assistance from CCL after relationship breakdowns, family tensions or overcrowding,
which made their informal living arrangements untenable. Those in private rental accommodation said they faced eviction but had not yet been allocated
a public housing property. Even people in public housing were extremely vulnerable to any changes in their personal circumstances, including unexpectedly
high bills or other expenses, or costs associated with repairs or damage, as their Centrelink payments left no room for emergency expenditure.

The views expressed in the Report are of CCL and NSSRN and are not necessarily those of the Australian Institute of Administrative Law.

Read the full report here.