up here in the Philippines, where about 400 families out of 100,000,000 own just about everything worth owning, there are heaps of beggars, even in this city we live in Cagayan de Oro, the 10th largest, with plenty of sparkling malls and traffic congestion. Sure, there's social security, but the poor are given plenty of hoops to jump through, and there's no urgency for their plight. And three years after Typhoon Sendong, many who were never poor before are still waiting for decent shelter.
But that's in a country that's about one of the most unequal on earth.
But here in Australia, one of the luckiest on the planet, to have a homeless population of over 100,000 is an absolute disgrace and an utter indictment of the "I'm all right, Jack!" attitude so common today.
Some day, we might be suffering from multiple tragedies, and will be waiting for help, but will anyone else notice us?

Well Lynn I suggest you shoulder your very large share of this burden.
The fact is the majority of these people have mental health issues. You and your PC cohorts ensured that the "Asylums" for these people were closed and lawyers got very fat on suing everybody so that now nothing can be done for them.
They would be better off somewhere structured where they could be cared for but you and your ilk want rights for everybody as long as there is a big quid for the legal profession. Well now they are making millions and you blame the rest of us?
I suggest a long hard think Lynn and perhaps you will find that rubbish ideas have produced rubbish outcomes.

yep the deconstruction of the family unit by our progressive freedom fighters have certainly done the most towards the mess we now have in our prosperous society. The homeless in Australia is not the failure to care as Lyn states but more often than not the result of 'progressive ' policies which favour very much the highly paid Government social industry. The mantra that more resources (code for those wicked capitalist) proves false and only aids those in highly paid social jobs. As the cash increases so does homelessness which is not something that is broadcast very well.

Have to agree with JBowyer, and can only add,the breakdown of the family unit, and out of control youngsters, are also part of the problem!
When by rights, they need to be at home and still at school!
Not out there, selling themselves for a nights shelter or a feed, or their next hit; or eventual overdose!
There was a time when family and commitment actually meant something!
Replaced with oh so easy, no blame divorces; and a me, me generation, that has never seen tough times.
There's real work, some of these folk could do, if they're prepared to get their hands dirty!
Like swilling pigs on a pig farm!
Yeah sure its dirty smelly work, but the money is clean,as is genuine (learned) self reliance.
And even a Farmer supplied, watertight,bondwood caravan, has to be vastly superior, to sleeping rough!
Perhaps what we need besides reopened asylums , and governments that once more shoulder core responsibilities JB, is a return to compulsory conscription as a means for youngsters, to safely opt out of troubled/abusive home situations.
And I think most would be genuinely assisted by boot camp, and the gaining of some (obligatory) marketable work skills!
As opposed to on the streets and getting hooked, with all that then goes with it!
Rhrosty.

Rhostry the only thing I learned with conscription was how to march, present arms and how to kill people . Not the right teaching there of life's skills.
Some of your article I do agree with though, their should be no homelessness as nearly all people have a home in the first place but for various reason decide to drift into homelessness, then no home ,but may still be welcome in the home they left.
Seeing many homeless people living rough and on passing one wonders where their money they get from Centrelink has gone, smoking, gambling, drugs etc, same with the beggars, do you believe what they tell you as regards their poverty, therefore you pass them by, it is now a very distrusting world unfortunately.
Then again some human beings have so much wealth they rely on people to open car doors for them, expect a bow and curtsy and return to one of their money homes, they are never concerned with the plight of the homeless people, only lip service extended. Perhaps if wealth was more evenly distributed homelessness may vanish but these days it is the rich and famous who fill the media with their overpaid professions like tennis stars , actors, singers, footballers etc all very much overpaid, after all it is only another job, a doctor or nurse is far more important who in the end will have to possibly care for the homeless man or woman when they become ill, not you or I.

It's a terrible indictment upon our society to see so many of these homeless people trying to find sufficient shelter and safety on the streets of Sydney and other major cities around Australia.

However, many of the young people aren't homeless at all, they have relatively decent homes in which to live, but simply choose to live on the streets because they will not abide by the rules, that have been laid down by their respective families, when living at home.

I think it was RHROSTY who stated that it might be a good idea to renew conscription as a method of teaching these youngsters some of the more important values of life ? And I'd agree, except many couldn't take it, and would probably knock themselves off, or something just as radical, in fact most would try anything that would excuse them from any sort of sociological compliance.

I'm afraid I don't have the solution to this very vexed problem ? Sorry, actually what I meant to say is, I do have 'a' solution, it's just the magnitude and complexities of the problem, have yet to be defined. Even then, society, the government, and most of these kids parents, would never allow a solution that I might bring to the table, ever to be implemented !