On any night in Australia, about 122,494 people don't have a home (ABS Census 2021). Out of these, one in seven are kids under 12 years old (ABS Census 2021). Also, nearly one in four are kids and young people between 12 and 24 years old (ABS Census 2021). About one in five people without a home are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (ABS Census 2021). Being homeless doesn’t always mean living on the streets. Only 6.2% of homeless people sleep outside. Most of the homelessness is hidden. Most of them stay in places like shelters, crowded houses, or on friends' couches (couch surfing). This man has no home and lives rough in the CBD. His stipulation was that I could take his portrait from a distance rather than up close – he was quite adamant that many of those on the street has a deep distrust of cameras – many find it intrusive and can become quite aggressive.
I ask the question , exactly what is it that the Minister for Housing and Suburban Development Yvette Berry and the Minister for Homelessness Rebecca Vassarotti are doing – be transparent and provide in clear language , how are you going to rescue these individuals from the street?
