Australian homelessness increases during the pandemic, says report
December 7, 2021, 1:12 am

Australian homelessness increases during the pandemic, says report

Homelessness-Homeless man/Pixabay

The Xinhua reported, Australian homelessness has increased during the pandemic despite a drop during the first wave of infection.

It said that Homelessness Australia on Tuesday published an analysis of federal government data on the number of Australians requiring homelessness support.

It found that in May 2020, when the government doubled the JobSeeker welfare payment in response to widespread lockdowns, the number fell 5 percent from 91,672 to 87,301.

However, with JobSeeker payment now wound back to 620 Australian dollars (437.1 U.S. dollars) a fortnight, a slight increase from 566 Australian dollars (399 U.S. dollars) prior to the pandemic, the number of people claiming homelessness support in May 2021 increased to 93,726.

Australia-Melbourne-Richmond/Pixabay

Jenny Smith, chair of Homelessness Australia, called for a permanent JobSeeker increase to 966 Australian dollars (681.1 U.S. dollars) a fortnight, equalling 69 Australian dollars (48.6 U.S. dollars) a day.

She told Nine Entertainment newspapers: "The sector has been saying for years now that increasing income support would reduce homelessness, and now we have the evidence that proves it."

"The federal government knows what it needs to do. If it raises the rate of JobSeeker for good, then far fewer people would find themselves without a home.

"There's still an opportunity for that to happen because we will probably need more economic stimulus coming out of the pandemic."

The federal government has ruled out a more significant increase, arguing that a rate too high could incentivize unemployment.

A spokesperson for federal Families and Social Services Minister Anne Ruston said a permanent increase to 1,115 Australian dollars would cost an additional 81 billion Australian dollars (57.1 billion U.S. dollars) over the next four years.

They said: "Our focus now is reopening the economy and supporting Australians into work because we know that for every person we get in a job, they are better off and the country is better off."

Source: xinhua

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has announced its sponsorship of the “Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition (GU - IST Solutions), hosted by Gulf University at its main campus.
This strategic sponsorship reflects BENEFIT’s active role in advancing technological innovation and fostering sustainable solutions to future challenges. It also seeks to empower Bahraini youth by enhancing their skills, capabilities, and competitiveness in innovation and solution development—contributing meaningfully to the broader goals of sustainable development across all sectors.
As part of BENEFIT’s active involvement in the competition, the company has announced that Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication, will serve on the competition’s supervisory committee. Her upcoming participation reflects BENEFIT’s forward-looking commitment to championing academic and professional excellence.
Commenting on the occasion, Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication at BENEFIT, said, “We are privileged to support this pioneering initiative, which aligns seamlessly with BENEFIT’s enduring commitment to fostering innovation and nurturing the potential of Bahrain’s youth. Our participation is rooted in a deep sense of social responsibility and a firm belief in the pivotal role of innovation in shaping a sustainable future. Through such platforms, we seek to empower the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and foresight required to develop impactful solutions that address future challenges, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030.”
Dr. Aseel Al Ayash Dean of the College of Engineering in Gulf University commented, “We extend our sincere gratitude to BENEFIT for their generous sponsorship and support of the Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition. This contribution plays an instrumental role in helping us achieve the strategic goals of this initiative, namely, cultivating a culture of innovation and sustainability, encouraging efforts that address the imperatives of sustainable development, and enhancing the practical and professional capabilities of our students and participants.”
The event will bring together a diverse spectrum of participants, including secondary school students, university undergraduates, engineers, industry professionals, entrepreneurs, academic researchers, and subject matter experts representing a wide range of disciplines.
The competition seeks to inspire participants to develop and present innovative, sustainable technologies aimed at addressing pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges. It encourages the formulation of business models that integrate advanced technological solutions with core principles of sustainability. Moreover, it serves as a platform for emerging leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators to contribute to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals, promote the ethos of responsible technology, and demonstrate its transformative potential across various sectors.
Attendees will have the opportunity to view a series of project presentations submitted by participants, covering diverse areas such as eco-friendly product design, smart and sustainable innovations, renewable energy technologies, water conservation and management, waste minimisation and recycling, green architectural solutions, and sustainable transportation systems. Outstanding projects will be formally recognised and awarded at the conclusion of the event.