AC, what about this bloke; "Tom" about 70 years old, came across him on the streets "cadging". Turned out Tom lived in a house, had for years, most of his life. before his mother died. The place was filthy, a mess indescribable, backyard grass overgrown, no gas, no electricity, still had water. Tom didn't get a pension, he had letters years old from 'Centrelink' some unopened. How did he survive, you may ask, I did, collected cans, and asked people for money in the streets, smoked bumpers, didn't drink, had an old CBA passbook account with a few hundred dollars in it, never touched it. Why according to Tom it was the money to bury him about $300. Whey Tom got a few bucks he would buy a packet of hotdogs or something from the supermarket and eat colddogs, Tom would sometimes buy a hot meat pie, called it a bake dinner.
Tom died of cancer and a brother was found, cleaned up Toms house and sold it for over %1 million. The brother, knew Tom was in mums house, but they had, had no contact in the years since mum passed away. His younger brother was a nice ordinary bloke, but he lived in Victoria and their lives had simply drifted apart. Tom had worked in a regular job years back. when checked Tom had a little bit of unclaimed Superannuation, which went to his brother, more that the $300 he set aside to bury him. About 6 people attended his send off. Sad.

A large number of homeless people live with untreated mental health issues, and thus cannot work nor rent anywhere to live, due to their behaviour problems or lack of desire to find anywhere to live.

If we increase mental health treatment centres and assisted group housing for these people, we would have far less homeless people. Check out the homeless living on the streets in winter and you will see mainly people with severe mental health problems, so don't be so harsh on them....

The politics of envy strikes again.
Rich, comfortable well off people jealous because someone is getting a pittance to keep them alive.
Sick bigoted scumbags.

Suse, absolutely true, the number of homeless people with mental health issues, staggering. People not taking their medication, off the planet, some are incapable of picking up papers, don't know what sort of job one could expect them to do. They can't read, don't remember who you are, even if they seen you yesterday. There are people on the streets of Sydney who could not even tell you their own name.

Some post moralizing clap trap. "easily wasted cash, and there in lies the major problem." Butch, just give us the answer, a lot of people would like to know that answer. There is one bloke out there who literally throws money at people. He collects coins, then throws them at people. What do you want done with him.

Paul and MIKK, while I accept some homeless are mentally ill and totally un employable, there are other who are not, and it is these people who I suggest are in such a state through their own doing.

Now if someone displays a total lack o0f ability to run their own life, how on earth do we expect them to manage money. This is why we need to stop paying cash, because they simply cant manage it.

Now before you get back on your hobby horse, im not suggesting this is wrong, (that they cant manage money) its just that like so many social issues, we treat the symptom, while ignoring the cause.

First and foremost, homeless people in the likes of Sydney would receive quite a few bucks from passers by, simply due to numbers. However, how many times have you heard the story of people wanting to buy them food, but they insist on money.

So Paul, to answer your question, step one is a restricted debit card instead of cash. You could then set up shelters where they pay $30 per day for three meals and a bed. This way they are housed and fed, and, they have a small amount to spend on other items, clothing etc. But no cash for the likes of gambling, grog or fags.

Let's face it, most shelters are run on donations and voluntary workforces, so it stands to reason that if they housed say $100 people, that's over a million dollar a year boost to the centre, and im sure most centres would welcome that.

Of cause centres also have rules, and these in turn also turn some homeless away.

Of cause the alternative is we continue to sit back and watch the situation worsen, and do little or nothing, as has been the case for decades. Just throwing money into a broken system.

I reckon that suseonline was right when she said that many of the homeless have mental disorders. Drug use and choice would impact on that.

What is not being mentioned is the elephant in the room which was the removal and sale of the C'wealth's mental health and rehab facilities that tipped so many vulnerable and marginally coping people out into the street for relatives to care for, which they couldn't manage of course.

There should be no need to add that (in my view) many of the police shootings of offenders presenting with weapons and I hasten to say that the police cannot avoid to protect the public and themselves, are people who might not have had that final ending if they had had access much earlier and continuing to the sort of mental health facilities that the feds used to provide by dispensed with during the Howard and Hawke years.

Let the record be clear, it was BOTH sides of politics and Greens were urgers too. Differing ideological imperatives but the same effect - to allow fad economics that appealed somehow to their respective idealism (world view) to determine social policy. Both sides AGREED and took their own separate action on the defunding and sale of those facilities.

I still have and use several solid pine low lounge tables that were crafted in such a facility (in the ACT) that have withstood the tests of time. Performing work like that under supervision and just having a place to go provided a necessary routine, predictability and sense of being of worth that so many vulnerable people need. It also provided trained, watchful eyes for changes in behaviour. And alternatives for police and families when presenting behaviour required a sanctuary for a time, or longer perhaps.

This thread and similar others before remind me of the arrogant stupidity and short term politics of federal politicians and how there isn't a statesman among them. As for women bringing a different perspective, they are just the same old, same old act and Party hacks. No ideas, just "Gimme my entitlements, NOW!".