Submission in response to:

Australian Government Green Paper on Homelessness

Homelessness: A New Approach

Author: Kingsley OkaforIgwe

Bachelor of Arts (Criminal Justice Major)



Migrant communities, in particular the refugees, face the daunting task of settlement. Rising living costs, interest rate rises, and the resultant inflation has complicated some such tasks. All these issues have exerted unwelcome impact on the lives of migrants who are struggling to make headways. These difficulties should not be tackled in isolation, but be addressed through widespread and sustained reforms concerning housing affordability, education, employment and rehabilitation.

1. Housing:

In my current employment as a multicultural social worker, I am fortunate to work with clients who had settled in Australia as refugees, mostly on humanitarian grounds and also non- refugee migrants. With little assistance , these clients are left to fend for themselves. The challenge of settling into the Australian community is being made more complex by the high cost of private rental. With the increased competition for private rental, refugee/migrants revert to community based �not for profit organizations� for assistance in relation to housing and other household expenses. Where accommodation is provided, most are on temporary basis, and as a result, concerned migrants� move from one temporary accommodation to another until all options are exhausted.

This adversity in relation to housing is epitomized by an account of a single mother of five. Being seven months pregnant with her sixth child, she appealed to the Victoria Government Office of Housing for assistance. Her application for public housing has been approved and she has been placed on a waiting list that could take up to three years. Her current lease agreement in transitional housing where she is now residing is due fo r expiration in July of this year. Prior to her application for public housing, she made several futile applications for private rental. With no end in sight to her housing crisis, she is now fearful that she will become homeless on expiration of the current lease. She is not alone in this respect; there are other migrants who are facing similar fates. Many of these are endeavoring to obtain private rental with limited resources at their disposal, the challenges are now, more than ever complex. This person�s account sums up all that is lacking in the present system and may cast doubts, and make mockery of the Australians� innate character of offering a helping hand to those in need and to the less able.

It tends to follow that landlords are more favorable with applicants who have a lesser number of dependant children and those who are employed rather than those who depend on welfare for income. This leaves migrants in a quandary in light of their adversities. As a consequence of the strain on the lives of immigrants, anger, frustration and resentment may ensue overtime due to the belief that they cannot achieve their goals of equality along with their non-refugee/migrant compatriots.

It is in this context that migrants and refugees consider that access to employment opportunities are a potent safeguard against unemployment (including underemployment) and homelessness, and therefore await with keen interest any reforms that will substantially improve their employment opportunities.

2. Education and Employment Opportunity:

It is fair to say that a good number of refugees have limited employment skills due to the considerable period of time that they resided in refugee camps. Unhindered access to targeted training should be made available so that affected persons can acquire the skills necessary to compete in the employment market, and thereby aid in invigorating the Australian economy.

In lig ht of the much reported skills shortages, the country could not afford to lose any of its competent workforce and the corresponding expertise through underemployment of some sections of the community. On many occasions, migrants (not necessarily refugees), who have employment skills, disclosed with disappointment that they were discriminated against on the basis of their ethnic origin. One man, for example, migrated to Australia seven years ago, and had studied in Melbourne where he obtained a degree in International Relations. Despite his sound academic attainment, he is unable to obtain employment. He has made ninety employment applications all of which were unsuccessful. With six dependant children, he is only employed for one day a week. Apart from this illustration, evidence that would demonstrate that there are many other migrants whose ethnic origin is a hindrance to securing reasonable employment thus far exists. Frustration and anger by persons who have similar expe riences may build up and threaten integration and community cohesion. This is where targeted and unambiguous Government action in the form of Public Policy, consistent with Australian obligation under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination would be instrumental in overturning the growing trend of unemployment, underemployment and discrimination based firmly on ethnicity.

I understand that there might be individuals who may argue that there is no need for targeted training and employment opportunities for the migrants/refugees, given that the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth), Equal Opportunity Act 1995 (Vic) (including similar Acts in other Australian States and Territories) and the Workplace Relations Act 1996 (Cth) prohibits discrimination on the basis of ethnicity. I fail to accept this probable line of argument, given that neither Act would be an effective way to protect migrants in an environment dominated by well-placed non-migrants. Affirmative action programs have provided a better platform towards achieving this aim. For instance, the United States introduced similar programs in response to similar problems. These affirmative action programs were aimed at creating and promoting opportunities to ensure that smaller targeted groups such as African-Americans were not excluded from career positions or from pursuing active career paths that were available to other persons. This made the �hiring and promotion of target groups such as women and Afro-Americans mandatory and subject to a quota� (Robbins & Barnwell, 2006, p 522).

Anti-discrimination laws are at best moribund in this respect, given that migrants, even where there is access to services that would ensure that their rights are protected, are not conversant with the operations of such services. The quasi judiciary nature of such services, for example, the Anti-discrimination Board or the Equal Opportunity Com mission make it unappealing for migrants to approach, considering the confusing legal jargon in use in such commissions, the intimidating court-like settings and the financial burden of using such services. What migrant will then rely on these services for redress? Who will foot the bill for such lengthy processes?

3. From oppression to Freedom?

Apart from the employment opportunity deficiency, refugees were not given a proper explanation of what �a free country� entails. They were not informed in clear and concise terms that with freedom comes constraints and responsibilities. I have discussed this topic at length with some refugees, particularly, the Sudanese with whom I was fortunate to work as clients. They were told that Australia is a free country without being given the distinction between what is acceptable and what is not. I was informed that the education they received was more or less concerned with Australian values, specifically, �fair go� .

The notion of liberty and freedom can be confusing given that most Sudanese migrants resided in refugee camps before arriving in Australia. It was reported that since the 1980s, the Sudanese Government and the Militias allied to the Government had been mounting a sustained campaign of violence against the villages that make up the Southern Sudan, including the Darfur region. These campaigns resulted in a negative perception and mistrust of all Authority. This mistrust was critical to the survival and self-preservation of these ethnic groups. This is why these hapless victims should be rehabilitated.

4. Rehabilitation:

Rehabilitation is central to healing and integration. One would imagine that those who have been shown the path away from terror and tyranny should be sheltered; that the hungry should be fed; and the oppressed should be comforted. The Sudanese refugees/migrants were not rehabilitated from the trauma and sectarian violence th at is common in Sudan. Research suggests that persons who were victims of violence, or those who witnessed sustained violence may develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other related disorders. These disorders, if not properly addressed may spill over into behaviors that the community may deem unacceptable, and may affect interpersonal relationships. The said disturbances may not only be stressful to the sufferer, but also to the broader community if not effectively tackled.

Rehabilitating the refugees would promote community cohesion, and safer communities, where residents could go about their lawful business without the fear of crime or the fear of being victimized. As a consequence of limited housing, most refugees have become transitional. Many empirical researches conducted in Western States, more especially, the Chicago School research of the 1920s, suggest that transience promotes social/community disorganization in the sense that cultural and social va lues have no chance to stabilize. It is now a common trend in Western democracies to formulate policies centered towards tackling the underlying issues, for example, the provision of housing, education, and employment. It was reasoned that the most effective way of obtaining integration, and by extension, community cohesion, is through investments in social development programmes that would empower individuals, families and communities to take charge of their lives.

In conclusion, it is imperative that while seeking to address issues of homelessness, that the problems confronting migrant populations are not ignored or being swept under the carpet. Fast tracking employment options for migrants, or at least the provision of level playing grounds would go a long way to addressing homelessness currently being experienced by some sections of the migrant community, and will assist in building safer communities. This would ensure that no particular community is substantially excluded from the Australian economy.

It is equally important to recognize the roles that community based organizations are playing in settling migrants and refugees into the Australian community. Efforts should therefore be made to harness these contributions toward effective utilization of their resources and knowledge. As it stands now, the services that community based organizations are providing are at best, disjointed. Efforts are being duplicated and priorities misplaced due to lack of a normative approach. This impedes constructive and decisive actions towards some crises that face the migrant community. One such impediment towards developing a normative understanding of the difficulties confronting the said migrants lie in the very fact that every concerned community based organization acts in its own best interest. I would suggest that the efforts of the community based organizations be harnessed and channeled towards an integrated case management system th rough which concerted efforts could be made to tackle the difficulties facing the migrant communities. A targeted action plan by the government would be pivotal to addressing the issues of unemployment, housing, discrimination and other related issues.