Punishing people for not having homes to go to is not only cruel, but dangerous
Homelessness Australia is sounding a warning that the City of Moreton Bay Council’s plans to criminalise sleeping rough will only intensify harm to people already suffering the consequences of the national housing crisis.
The council on Wednesday announced all forms of homelessness camping in Moreton Bay would be criminalised from March 12, and they are planning to alert those sleeping rough in the area today.
It follows an earlier decision by the council in December, which no longer allowed people sleeping in cars or vans, or having pets with them in the area, to be defined as ‘homeless people camping’, meaning they were no longer allowed to use public land for shelter.
“We are in the depths of a housing crisis, and there are simply no homes these people can go to. It may be uncomfortable to see our fellow community members sleeping in parks and on the street, but this is the inevitable consequence of not having enough social housing” CEO of Homelessness Australia Kate Colvin said.
“If the government didn’t provide enough measles vaccinations, we wouldn’t leap to the conclusion that a solution was locking up people who caught measles.
“This is a serious reality check. We need both federal and state governments to supercharge social housing investments, and provide greater support for services to people without homes.
“We are experiencing the highest rates of homelessness this country has seen, and persistent homelessness is at an all-time high too. Penalising people is a world away from the actual solution.”
Recent data released by Homelessness Australia shows more than 120,000 people are missing out on homelessness support services they need.
Polling released with the data shows the overwhelming majority of Australians, no matter their age, gender, income or political leaning, strongly support increasing homelessness services, and investment in social housing.
“We know what to do, and criminalising people in really tough circumstances is the perfect example of what not to do. Punishing people for not having a home is un-Australian. Supporting people in times of need is what we do best,” Kate Colvin said.
“The Labor government has made positive inroads in turning around years of neglect when it comes to building social and low-cost housing. But there’s more work to do.
“This election, we need every political party to commit to building more social housing and to increase homelessness services so no one is turned away,” Kate Colvin said.
Media contact: Kathleen Ferguson - 0421 522 080