Background
Counting the Homeless
The 2001 and 2006 Census collections enumerated people are defined as primary and secondary homeless. Primary homeless includes all people without conventional accommodation, such as people living on the streets, in deserted buildings, improvised dwellings, in parks, etc. Secondary homeless includes people who move frequently from one form of temporary shelter to another. Tertiary homeless are people who live in boarding houses on a medium to long-term basis (13 weeks or longer).
Further detail on the Homeless in Australia may be obtained from Australian Census Analytic Program: Counting the Homeless, 2006 (cat. no. 2050.0)
Geographic Units
In the Census, the smallest geographic area is a Collection District. It consists of approximately 225 households and generally represents the work of one Census collector. Collection Districts are aggregated to form larger geographic areas as part of the Australian Standard Geographic Classification (ASGC), (cat. no. 1216.0). A Statistical Local Area (SLA) is one of the larger geographic units and for this activity is the most appropriate way of representing the inner city area of Australia’s capital cities.
6.1 What is a homeless person?
1. Use a ‘think, pair and share’ approach and ask students to discuss how they would describe a homeless person.
2. Use the information provided by each group to discuss the idea of a stereotype for homeless people.
3. Create a definition of a homeless person from the class responses. Compare this definition with the definitions provided in the glossary.
6.2 What are the characteristics of a homeless person?
1. Using Tables 1 – 6, divide the class into 6 groups and allocate one table per group.
2. Ask the students to study the data provided in their table and to identify two key points that they will share with the rest of the class.
| TABLE 1: PERSONS IN DIFFERENT SECTORS OF THE HOMELESS POPULATION ON CENSUS NIGHT |
 | 2006 |
| Boarding houses | 21 596 |
| SAAP (emergency shelter or transitional accommodation) | 19 849 |
| Friends and relatives | 46 856 |
| Improvised dwellings, sleepers out | 16 375 |
| Total | 104 676 |
Source: Counting the Homeless, 2006, Pub. No 2050.0
| TABLE 2: types of homeless HOUSEHOLDS |
| 2006
% |
| Single person | 76 |
| Couple only | 14 |
| Family with children | 10 |
Source: Counting the Homeless, 2006, Pub. No. 2050.0
Source: Counting the Homeless, 2006, Pub. No. 2050.0
| TABLE 4: AGE BREAKDOWN OF HOMELESS POPULATION, 2006 |
| % |
| Under12 | 12 |
| 12 – 18 | 21 |
| 19 – 24 | 10 |
| 25 -34 | 15 |
| 35 – 44 | 13 |
| 45 – 54 | 12 |
| 55 – 64 | 10 |
| 65 or older | 7 |
Source: Counting the Homeless, 2006, Pub. No. 2050.0
| TABLE 5: SEX AND AGE OF HOMELESS |
| Under 12 years | 12 – 18 years | 19 – 24 years | 25 – 34 years | 35 – 44 years | 45 – 54 years | 55 – 64 years | 65 years and over | All |
| % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % |
| Males | 52 | 46 | 53 | 57 | 63 | 64 | 61 | 64 | 56 |
| Females | 48 | 54 | 47 | 43 | 37 | 36 | 39 | 36 | 44 |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
Source: Counting the Homeless, 2006, Pub. No. 2050.0
| TABLE 6: SEX BY DIFFERENT SEGMENTS OF THE POPULATION |
| Boarding house | Friends or relatives | SAAP (emergency shelter or transitional accommodation) | Improvised dwellings | All |
| % | % | % | % | |
| Male | 72 | 52 | 47 | 60 | 56 |
| Female | 28 | 48 | 53 | 40 | 44 |
| 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
Source: Counting the Homeless, 2006, Pub. No. 2050.0
6.3 Which states have more homeless people?
The publication Counting the Homeless, 2006 (cat. no. 2050.0) identified 104 676 as being Primary Homeless in Australian States and Territories (Table 7).
You have been allocated $100 million to assist with the development of services to the Primary Homeless. Your task is to decide how this money should be allocated to each state and territory in Australia.
1. Using Table 7, ask students to calculate the percentage of homeless people in each State and Territory and complete column (b). New South Wales has been completed already.
2. Study the values in Table 7 below and discuss how the money should be allocated to each state and territory.
Source: Counting the Homeless, 2006, Pub.no. 2050.0
6.4 How do our capital cities compare?
The number of homeless provided in Table 8 is a count of persons defined as ‘Primary Homeless’ only. These are people without conventional accommodation (living on the streets, in deserted buildings, improvised dwellings, in parks, etc.). The data provided does not include persons in boarding houses or who are temporarily homeless.
The data is provided for the Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) at the heart of Australia’s capital cities. If desired, the quickest way to view the boundaries of these areas is to select Census QuickStats for the SLA’s identified in the Table 8 below.
| TABLE 8: COMPARISON OF PRIMARY HOMELESS IN CENTRE OF aUSTRALIA’S CAPITAL CITIES, CENSUS NIGHT, 8TH AUGUST 2006. |
| | No. Primary Homeless
(a) | SLA Area km2 | No. Primary Homeless
per km2
(b) | No. Primary Homeless per 10 000 usual residents
(c) | No. Primary Homeless per 10 000 enumerated persons
(d) |
| 105057201 Sydney (C) - Inner | 84 | 4.2 | 20.00 | 38 | 23 |
| 205054601 Melbourne (C) - Inner | 55 | 1.9 | 28.95 | 47 | 25 |
| 305011143 Brisbane City - Inner | 65 | 0.7 | 92.86 | 239 | 104 |
| 405150070 Adelaide (C) | 135 | 15.6 | 8.65 | 81 | 59 |
| 505057081 Perth (C) - Inner | 125 | 1.8 | 69.44 | 1158 | 256 |
| 605052811 Hobart (C) - Inner | 19 | 0.6 | 31.67 | 417 | 181 |
| 705051018 Darwin City - Inner | 18 | 2.6 | 6.92 | 072 | 029 |
| 805051449 Canberra City | 35 | 1.5 | 23.33 | 484 | 192 |
| Total | 536 | | | | |
Source: 2006 Census of Population and Housing, Customised Data Report for Statistical Local Areas
Compare the statistics provided on primary homelessness in Australia’s capital cities (Table 8).
Divide the class into groups of 4 students. Ask each member of the group to create a graph using one of the columns (a-d) in Table 8
(a) Number of primary homeless,
(b) Primary homeless per square kilometre
(c) Primary homeless per 10 000 persons usually resident in the inner city on Census night
(d) Primary homeless per 10 000 persons enumerated on census night in the inner city
1. On completion, ask students to compare their graphs, and explain the variations observed.
2. Ask each group to decide which measure is best for comparing Primary Homeless in Australia’s capital cities. (The graphs are provided in the answer section of this activity)
3. Identify the organisations which may be interested in the number of homeless in the inner city?
6.5 What are conditions like for homeless people?
The activity may be developed to incorporate a film review on the topic of ‘The Homeless’ using a variation of Dr. Edward de Bono's Six Thinking Hats®. Review the video before commencing this activity. Choose a video or DVD appropriate for the year level e.g. The Oasis (www.theoasismovie.com.au)
The hats are provided as a way of focussing attention during the showing of the film and discussing the material within it.
1. Explain the purpose of the hats:
· White hat - Data, information or statistics
· Red hat – Feelings, hunches or gut reactions
· Black hat - Judgement, devils advocate or why something may not work
· Yellow hat – Optimism, positive thinking
· Green hat – Creativity, solutions, possibilities, new ideas
· Blue hat – Used to manage the thinking process, thinking about thinking
2. Allocate a coloured hat to each member of the class or allow students to choose their preferred hat colour.
3. As students view the film they are to make their own notes focussed solely on information related to the colour of their hat.
4. At the end of the film, ask students to share their observations based upon the colours of their hats. These observations may be collated by the class or included in a written response appropriate to the video.
6.6 What can be done?
1. Identify services which assist homeless persons in your State or Territory.
2. Ask the students to research organisations dedicated to assisting the homeless.
3. Summarise the results of the research in a table showing the agency, its focus and the actions it has in place to assist homeless people.
