As the Salvation Army National Homelessness manager, I have seen and heard some heartbreaking stories. From mental health issues to alcohol and drug misuse, gambling addiction, family breakdown and cultural and economic intergenerational poverty. However, the most horrific trend we are seeing is the issue of premature deaths amongst those experiencing primary homelessness.
New research is showing that primary homelessness increases your risk of an early death between three and seven times, amounting to a life expectancy average of only 50 years of age. The most distressing part of this story is that many of these premature deaths are preventable.
These are not just numbers on a page. There are real people; someone’s son or daughter, someone’s mother or father, someone’s friend or colleague. People forced into homelessness are dying too young due to a range of factors including the high cost of rental accommodation, shortage of social housing, job loss and ill health which can lead to poor physical and mental health outcomes.
I recall a man named Matthew, who was supported by The Salvation Army in Tasmania as a result of his primary homelessness experience. He was housed and tried to access mental health services to get back on his feet. Matthew experienced poor mental health as a result of his experience of homelessness, and he subsequently passed away from an accidental overdose as he tried to self-medicate.
It is because of people like Matthew, and so many others like him across Australia, that The Salvation Army want to bring this issue to light during National Homelessness Week. The Salvation Army are here for the most vulnerable people in our society. We work to care for and support those experiencing homelessness, not only to help them find affordable and secure rental housing, but to also journey with them to provide support and achieve positive outcomes.
We cannot do this alone. Housing and support are not the only issues required by people experiencing homelessness.  The Salvation Army is calling for more support from the Commonwealth and State governments to ensure that all facets of homelessness are resourced, including the important issues of social housing supply. As we saw with Matthew, housing was not the only factor at play in his overall wellbeing, but with increased mental health and case management support we would hope to see a reduction in the number of premature deaths across the country
If you or someone you know is experiencing homelessness and needs support, please reach out to The Salvation Army by visiting salvationarmy.org.au or calling 13 SALVOS (13 72 58).
Dr Jed Donoghue
National Homelessness Manager for The Salvation Army
