Homelessness and poverty
Homelessness and poverty
- Homelessness Australia
- 2 pages
KEYWORDS: Homelessness, poverty
While there are many different ideas about what constitutes poverty in Australia, most definitions share some basic elements. There is considerable debate within Australia about whether or not the Henderson Poverty Line is still an accurate measure of what constitutes the threshold below which a person or family unit can be said to be living in poverty. The ABS uses a measure of half the median Australian income plus family payments to arrive at a figure at which a person would struggle to meet the cost of living. People live in poverty when they do not have enough resources to reliably meet their basic needs: food, housing, heating and health care among them. Poverty in an affluent country like Australia is relative – that is, basic needs and standard of living are socially defined based on community expectations and standards. People who live in poverty struggle to meet their physical needs (for example food and safe housing) and their social needs. These can include education, transport and the “extras” that many Australians take for granted: recreation, sporting activities and school excursions.
Homelessness
KEYWORDS: Homelessness, poverty
While there are many different ideas about what constitutes poverty in Australia, most definitions share some basic elements. There is considerable debate within Australia about whether or not the Henderson Poverty Line is still an accurate measure of what constitutes the threshold below which a person or family unit can be said to be living in poverty. The ABS uses a measure of half the median Australian income plus family payments to arrive at a figure at which a person would struggle to meet the cost of living. People live in poverty when they do not have enough resources to reliably meet their basic needs: food, housing, heating and health care among them. Poverty in an affluent country like Australia is relative – that is, basic needs and standard of living are socially defined based on community expectations and standards. People who live in poverty struggle to meet their physical needs (for example food and safe housing) and their social needs. These can include education, transport and the “extras” that many Australians take for granted: recreation, sporting activities and school excursions.
Homelessness