Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T20:19:18.905Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Why are so many Indigenous Women Homeless in Far North and North West Queensland, Australia? Service Providers’ Views of Causes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 November 2014

Deborah Graham ,
Valda Wallace ,
Deb Selway ,
Elizabeth Howe  and
Tamara Kelly
Deborah Graham*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, James Cook University
Valda Wallace
Affiliation:
Indigenous Centre, James Cook University
Deb Selway
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, James Cook University
Elizabeth Howe
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, James Cook University
Tamara Kelly
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, James Cook University
*
address for correspondence: Deborah Graham, Department of Psychology, James Cook University, PO Box 6811, Cairns, Queensland, 4870, Australia.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Homelessness is a complex problem affecting Australian Indigenous women disproportionately compared to the rest of the Australian population. Homelessness service providers in Cairns and Mount Isa, Australia, provided their perceptions as to why Indigenous women were presenting to homeless services. The key reasons cited by service providers were: domestic violence; alcohol and other drugs; and financial hardship. Other reasons included racist real estate agents; avoiding alcohol and family; overcrowding; literacy and numeracy skills; difficulty returning home and; not enough public housing. Potential solutions to help break this cycle of homelessness are explored. This research suggests that an important overall goal in reducing homelessness is to ensure that Indigenous women are safe at home in their own communities.

Keywords

homelessnessAustralian Indigenouswomenservice providershousingCairnsMount Isa
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Tropical Psychology , Volume 4 , 2014 , e8
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner (2005). Social Justice Report 2004. Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.Google Scholar
Aldemir, H. (2009). Rethinking the place of children in the nexus between domestic violence and homelessness. Parity, 22 (10), 48–49.Google Scholar
Australian Bureau of Statistics (2014). Information paper: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Peoples Perspectives on Homelessness (No. 4736.0). Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/mf/4736.0Google Scholar
Australian Bureau of Statistics (2011). Census of population and housing. Estimating Homelessness, 2011. (No. 2049.0). Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/DetailsPage/2049.02011?OpenDocumentGoogle Scholar
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2013). Specialist homelessness services: 2012–2013. Cat. no. HOU 27. Canberra: AIHW. Retrieved from http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/?id=60129545629Google Scholar
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2011). Housing and homelessness services: Access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Cat. No. HOU237. Canberra: AIHW.Google Scholar
Baldry, E., & McCausland, R. (2009). Mother: seeking safe home. Aboriginal women post-release. Current Issues in Criminal Justice, 21 (2), 288–301.Google Scholar
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3 (2), 77–101. doi: 10.1191/1478088706qp063oaGoogle Scholar
Brown, K. A., Keast, R. L., Waterhouse, J. M., & Murphy, G. D. (2009). Social innovation to solve homelessness: wicked solutions for wicked problems. In: European Group of Public Administration Conference, 2–5 September, Malta.Google Scholar
Burton, D. (2011). Domestic violence and homelessness in Tasmania. Parity, 24 (10), 50.Google Scholar
Chamberlain, C., & MacKenzie, D. (2008). Counting the Homeless Australia 2006. Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved from http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/subscriber.nsf/0/57393A13387C425DCA2574B900162DF0/$File/20500-2008Reissue.pdfGoogle Scholar
Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (2010). National Indigenous Housing Guide. DFHCSIA: Canberra.Google Scholar
Edwards, R. (2011). Staying home leaving violence: Listening to women's experiences. Sydney: University of New South Wales, Social Policy Research Centre.Google Scholar
Flatau, P., Conroy, E., Spooner, C., Edwards, R., Eardley, T., & Forbes, C. (2013). Lifetime and intergenerational experiences of homelessness in Australia, AHURI Final Report No.200. Melbourne: Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute.Google Scholar
Heaven, L. (2009). Domestic violence and homelessness. Parity, 22 (10), 53–54.Google Scholar
Joffe, H. (2011). Thematic Analysis. In Harper, D. & Thompson, A. R. (Eds.), Qualitative Research Methods in Mental Health and Psychotherapy: A Guide for Students and Practitioners (pp. 209–223). Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons. doi: 10.1002/9781119973249.ch15Google Scholar
Lawrie, R. (2003). Speak out speak strong: Researching the needs of aboriginal women in custody. Australian Indigenous Law Reporter, 8 (2), 81.Google Scholar
Memmott, P., & Chambers, C. (2010). Indigenous Homelessness in Australia: An Introduction. Parity, 23 (9), 8–11.Google Scholar
Memmott, P., & Nash, D. (2012). No wrong door? Managing Indigenous homelessness in Mt Isa. The Institute for Social Science Research. University of Queensland: Brisbane.Google Scholar
Memmott, P., Nash, D., Baffour, B., & Greenop, K. (2013). Crowded out: A case study of homelessness, crowding and the tennant creek women's refuge. Parity, 26 (4), 16–17.Google Scholar
Mokaraka, K., & Scott, S. (2012). Aboriginal women released from prison to homelessness. Parity, 25 (9), 75–76.Google Scholar
Murray, S. (2009). Falling through the gaps: Domestic violence and homelessness. Parity, 22 (10), 39.Google Scholar
Nunan, C. (2009). Women domestic violence and homelessness. Parity, 22 (10), 7–9.Google Scholar
Pholeros, P. (2010). Will the crowding be over or will there still be overcrowding in indigenous housing? Lessons from the housing for health projects 1985–2010. Developing Practice: The Child, Youth and Family Work Journal, (27), 8–18.Google Scholar
Spinney, A. (2012) Home and safe? Policy and practice innovations to prevent women and children who have experienced domestic and family violence from becoming homeless, AHURI Final Report No.196. Melbourne: Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute.Google Scholar
Tually, S., Faulkner, D., Cutler, C., & Slatter, M. (2009). Women, domestic and family violence and homelessness: Putting housing back in the equation. Parity, 22 (10), 36–38.Google Scholar
Vostanis, P., Grattan, E., & Cumella, S. (1998). Mental health problems of homeless children and families: Longitudinal study. BMJ: British Medical Journal, 316 (7135), 899–902.Google Scholar