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Housing crisis behind homelessness in Australia

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-07-06 14:56

CANBERRA  -- A new report revealed on Sunday that expensive housing, debt and unexpected financial problems are key factors behind homelessness in Australia.

The report, called More than a bed: Sydney's homeless speak out, found 71 percent of respondents identified the housing crisis as the major reason for their homelessness. Of those, 88 percent said accumulated debt and unexpected financial difficulties were factors behind the housing crisis.

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Nearly a quarter said that before becoming homeless they had been earning incomes of between 674 Australian dollars (US$647) and 961 dollars (US$922) a week.

The Wesley Mission interviewed 206 homeless people at six shelters across inner-Sydney about their well being and way of life.

The findings indicate how easy it is for an ordinary person to slip through the cracks, Wesley Mission chief executive Reverend Keith Garner said in Sydney on Sunday.

"It could be somebody with their family in our suburbs or in regional Australia or a young person in one of our schools," he said.

Australian Housing Minister Tanya Plibersek said the Rudd government had invested 22 billion Australian dollars (US$21 billion) to make housing more affordable.

"It's a very complex and difficult problem, but key to addressing homelessness will be increasing affordable housing options for people who have been homeless," he said.