William Rees

Homelessness does not have to exist. We can ensure everyone has a home, if we care.

The Australian homeless population at the 2021 census was over 120,000, having risen by 37% from 2006 to 2021 while the Australian population only increased by 25% in that time. Estimates put the homeless population in 2024 at 200,000, and rising.

Shelters are full to bursting.

Kate Colvin of Homelessness Australia, on the rising rate of Australians becoming homeless and needing shelter services in 2023: "A 7.5% increase in demand in just four months is unheard of. It forces homelessness services to make extremely tough decisions about who get assistance." The rate of increasing homelessness has only risen from there.

Homelessness is not a choice - tens of thousands of working Australians, families, have been driven into this position each year, and they all deserve our help and for us to stand up for them. Homelessness is a cause for mental health crises, drug dependence, and joblessness - not necessarily a result. The majority of people dealing with homelessness are not criminals - they are 13 times more likely to be the victim of crime than someone who is not homeless.

People in other countries have determined that drastic action was warranted at much lower rates of homelessness than we are now seeing. In 2021, the following were some of the countries who had a lower rate of homelessness than we do:
Russia, India, Greece, South Africa, Italy, Poland, Croatia, Serbia, China, United States of America, Vietnam, Romania, Mexico, Netherlands, Brazil, Ghana, Spain, Portugal, Chile, Costa Rica, Turkey, Grenada, Iran, Kazakhstan.

This year I and my colleagues at DW Fox Tucker are taking part in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout to raise money for the St Vincent de Paul Society to support Australians in need. For one night in June, I'll be sleeping rough to raise awareness and money to help and to combat this cancer at the core of our culture whose unnecessary continued existence otherwise undermines and discredits any claim we may have to values we consider to be fundamentally Australian.

To help break the devastating cycle of homelessness, I need your support. Donating $100 at https://www.ceosleepout.org.au/fundraisers/williamrees/sa can make a huge difference to people who need it most.