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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-06-02 Daily Xml
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HOMELESSNESS

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (15:19): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Mineral Resources Development, representing the Premier in his capacity as Minister for Social Inclusion, a question about homelessness in South Australia.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD: The St Vincent de Paul Society Winter Appeal for 2009 has just begun. As part of that appeal, Vinnies has asked hundreds of men, women and children, overwhelmed by homelessness and life's hardships, to contribute to what they call a 'collective journal', describing their lives in words and pictures. The result is a powerful document detailing the loneliness, depression and fear that can accompany homelessness and poverty. The entries include a picture by a young girl who has drawn her family home within a love heart that is overshadowed by dark clouds. One entry is from a father who has provided a rubbing of the 35ยข he was left with to feed his family, and a 16-year old girl drew a picture of a tear swimming with the words 'abused', 'alone', 'unwanted', 'useless' and 'abandoned' around it.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare last week published a report entitled 'Demand for accommodation by homeless people 2007-08', which has put some facts and figures to the despair of homelessness in our community. Of concern to Family First was the finding that nationwide, on average, 654 people require new and immediate emergency accommodation daily. Of these, 269, on average, are accommodated and 385 people are turned away; that is, approximately 59 per cent, on average, every day are turned away. Most concerning to us is the figure of 77 per cent, involving couples with children who are refused shelter each day, and 83 per cent of the time this was because there was simply no room available: that is, no room in the inn, if you like. My questions to the minister are:

1. How do these national figures compare with South Australian data; that is, are we doing better or worse than average?

2. What is South Australia doing to ensure that there is enough accommodation available for homeless South Australians during this cold winter period, particularly those with children?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Energy) (15:21): I thank the honourable member for his important questions and will refer them to the relevant minister in another place and bring back a response.

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