[Greens-Media] New State Homelessness Strategy Needed Now

[Franks, Office]

IMMEDIATE RELEASE      July 30, 2014

New State Homelessness Strategy Needed Now

With homelessness becoming an increasing concern in South Australia the Greens have called for the State Government to urgently commit to a new State Homelessness Strategy.

The previous strategy 'Homeless to Home 2009-2013' expired in 2013.

Greens MLC, Tammy Franks, said: "Figures revealed this week by the Hutt Street Centre* show that demand for that service had almost doubled in the past financial year, with further evidence that the growth is most rapid in presentations by women and families seeking help.

"We know that the major reason for a person to seek homelessness assistance is because of family or domestic violence and this is even more likely to be the reason when a woman is seeking help.

"With a dark cloud of Federal funding uncertainty hanging over the homelessness and domestic violence support sectors we need to see vision from our local political leadership on this issue.

"Yet almost a year after the past strategy expired we have heard little from this State Labor Government.

"It's even colder comfort that the Labor election 'Plan for South Australia 2014-2018' only mentioned the words 'homelessness' or 'homeless' a grand total of only 6 times in its 213 glossy pages.

"It's simply not good enough to have no extant state homelessness strategy.

 "Now is not the time to rest on laurels when it comes to commitment to reducing homelessness in our state. We can and must do more and a state homelessness strategy is both a basic and essential requirement.

*Cases managed by the Hutt Street Centre rose from 316 (2012-13) to 610 (2013-14) in the past financial year. (As advised by the Hutt Street Centre).

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report indicates that the number of clients who have experienced domestic violence is roughly one in three. The majority of clients who were escaping domestic and family violence were women and children. Females (15 years and over) accounted for 67% of this group and children (14 years and under) accounted for 25%.

Media Contact: Yesha Joshi 0457 549 938




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