"After 17 years of economic growth, homelessness in Australia remains highly unacceptable" (C.O.A, 2014). Across the country, there are over 100,000 Australians who are considered homeless. Half of these are under 24 years old and 10,000 are children. Although there are some effective programs targeting those who are unfortunately homeless or at the risk of it operating around Australia they are not sufficient in numbers nor do they recognize the lack of affordable housing issues underpinning homelessness. Homelessness is primarily a lack of affordable housing and any attempt to solve the problem must result in adjusting the living wage to a reasonable standard. This essay will examine the causes of homelessness, with a focus on lack of affordable housing which shows that homelessness cannot be prevented without recognising this. .
Homelessness is the state or condition of having no home especially the state of living in the streets. Indigenous people are disproportionately affected by homelessness. While Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up only 2% of Australia's population, they represent 9% of the total homeless population and 19% of people in improvised housing. 60% of the homeless are men and 40% of the homeless are women. 39% of the homeless population is young people under 18. The average age a teen becomes homeless is 14 and 7 months of age. 1 in 7 young people between the ages of 10 to 18 will run away. Teens age 12 to 17 are more likely to become homeless than adults. Homelessness is a complex issue with many causes. Two of the major causes are the lack of affordable housing and the second would be physical illness or injury. Many houses cost too much over the amount that someone would earn. "A national welfare group's report found less than 1 per cent of Perth rental properties are affordable for families living on a minimum wage, forcing many into homelessness.