The aim of the program is to break the cycle of homelessness by providing counselling, group work, mediation and practical support to the whole family. The Australian Government has committed $78 million to ensure there are additional safe places for women and children experiencing family and domestic violence to live.

In 2018/19 the NSW Government will spend over $200 million to provide generalised Specialist Homelessness Services, including accommodation and a range of supports for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

First, HUD’s Homeless Assistance Grants received an additional $130 million compared with FY 2017, bringing total funding to $2.513 billion. This will cover increased costs from rising rents, and fund a net increase in programs.

For the first time, the cost of homelessness in Victoria has been costed at $25,615 per person per year, covering health, crime and other factors, research conducted by SGS Economics and Planning found. With 7,600 Victorians living on the streets, that represents an annual cost of $194 million.

1. Manila, Philippines. The most homeless city in the world is Manila, Philippines with 3.1 million people, with 70,000 of them being children. Homelessness is a large problem across all of the Philippines with one-fourth of the the overall population living in poverty.

The editorial goes on to reference studies that have estimated the annual community cost of “rough sleepers” to be around $25000 per person, and that youth homelessness costs Australia $626 million per year in additional health and criminal justice costs.

Homelessness inhibits this care, as housing instability often detracts from regular medical attention, access to treatment, and recuperation. The inability to treat serious medical conditions can aggravate a person’s health issues, thus contributing to cost.

These include depression, poor nutrition, poor dental health, substance abuse and mental health problems. According to recent studies, homeless people also experience significantly higher rates of death, disability and chronic illness than the general population.

116,000 people

As of January 2020, California alone had about 151,000 inhabitants experiencing homelessness. But Nan Roman, president of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, says the primary cause of the crisis is simple: Housing has gotten way too scarce and expensive.