Homeless week highlights ongoing pressures on low income earners
Today marks the beginning of National Homeless Persons Week, and comes at a time when more Australians than ever are confronting the prospect of becoming homeless. Experts note that a wide range of factors are contributing to this: rental vacancies are at an all time low; mental illness is affecting more of us than ever before; and with a fifth consecutive interest rate rise expected later this week, pressure continues to mount on low income earners. Yet despite the ongoing political debate on affordable housing, those providing services for the homeless are already struggling to cope with the current demand, leaving more people to fend for themselves. CEO of Homelessness NSW and ACT, Sue Cripps, is concerned that the problem is just going to get bigger.