Human society worldwide has long framed the poor as ‘less’ or religious teachings believing there will always be poverty. This reinforces ‘learned helplessness’ as those viewing the homeless believe it never ends and those homeless feel nothing changes, they are useless, they feel so low as not feeling ‘deserving’ of help. They no longer trust.
Those walking passed the homeless experience a declining human ‘felt’ connection to them and discomfort as they may be unsightly. This deflects political and social responsibility of failed systems and lack of political will or unresponsive to the real needs of those homeless. There is little understanding as society projects the need to fit in, do the right thing, get a job or having a friend or family that loves you. In truth, homelessness is a result of imbalance where the human community has been pulled apart often through negativity, judgement, low finances, crisis and societal indifference mirroring the low self esteem all homeless people feel as they are viewed as homeless. It is how they are treated that reinforces this myth.
Our economic system rewards profit maximisation within a corporate model which becomes a focus on more materialism (greed). Media (particularly US) normalises violence as entertainment (covert, overt, gaming) but fails to teach empathy or human skills to rebuild and rebalance human “social” lives. People are crowded into impersonal large cities which diminish connection (no eye contact) and minimise opportunities of getting to know people (social distancing). When fewer were working, people knew their neighbours, in social groups and were visible around the community.
People are not in “real” community but become commuters or colleagues and live siloed lives, living alone or in shared houses. They become shape changed by media minimising values or working in “professional” business cultures that minimise human emotions as inappropriate at work.
The very important social fabric which ensures mental/physical/social wellbeing comes under strain and slowly unravels due to work pressures, marketing false needs and wants, diminishing family values in a world that is speeding up as a result of technology and illusionary goals that do not serve the greater good.
Today, there is never enough time for each other to be present. Success is characterised in monetary terms rather than human altruistic character building traits, thus being a real human.
These hierarchical systems of top down, order and professional distances undervalues the importance of healthy/wholistic relationships in families, social policies that place the child at the ‘centre’ of community life. Family balance is the foundation of learning community (sharing, caring, responsibilities), experiencing shared concern (care), feeling empathy (stand in their shoes) and taking actions for others as would be personally wanted. In community it is natural to acknowledge other people with a positive nod or gesture (they are me) and having the courage to venture a comment or question ‘hello’, ‘nice day’, ‘how are you?’ or ‘are you okay?’
It is important to note that poverty and homelessness in its true core essence is not about a ‘house’, it is about not feeling “home where the heart is.” Some feeling no-one loves them, they have no friends, their family are estranged, or they are the victims of abuse and fearful. Others can be very mean with money, or go to great lengths to protect wealth suspicious of others.
A homeless person can be living in a Toorak or a Darling Harbour mansion and/or sitting at a boardroom table in the millionaires club. They keep up appearances. If they have neglected or blocked their inner needs, become a role, done the right thing, yet living lives of quiet desperation keeping up the pretence of I’m fine but are crying inside.
How many suicide?
The real poor are often the most greedy (needy) as this intense need for ‘more’ is driven by ’emptiness’ and shapes their patterns of behaviour. Their homelessness is in recognition that they feel no-one truly loves them, or sees them as who they are, thus like the heartbroken romantic they believe love is the lie and the world is a harsh place. They learn to be hard, indifferent, superficial as they act their way through life never fulfilling what is empty inside.
There is a poverty in people not living authentic lives with others, as described above, others respond to the role or status but never really know them. There is no equality, mucking around, letting down guards but instead turning up as others expect. This is how detachment forms. In the film Titanic Rose is desperate in high society and meets Jack a homeless vagabond who opens her world to true freedom:
How many reading this will offer their hand or walk past?
This is how poverty and homelessness co-exist in our world two faces of the same coin. Some say love is the answer, this is a truism. First love yourself, have some fun, then you can truly love others and not walk passed as if a robot. You are deeply beautiful beyond your wildest imaginings.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs is a hierarchical pyramid which delineates different levels of social aspiration starting at basic physiological needs (food, shelter) and moving up the scale to safety needs, love and belonging, esteem and then self actualisation. Patch Adams said in all his years as a doctor most people have low self esteem. Those who are homeless are at the two bottom rungs indicating their needs are not being met. Many are in crisis as a result of broken families, relationships, deaths, health issues or the structural violence of poverty as a result of rigid policies, ideologies or the pretence of welfare as a system not a result of compassion.
Remember the Lady in the Van. I am probably her today. I live in my van and am looking for a place to put it without being moved on.
The film Lady in the Van is a true story of a homeless woman in Camden, in London. She parks in the street and the neighbours move her on. She just keeps moving around the same place. Eventually a writer invites her to stay in his drive. It is a moving story of judgement, tension and how the homeless are victim blamed but in actual fact trauma was the cause of their destitution. It was a writer who invited her into his driveway. She was not easy, but little did he know that she would be the source of his story that would change his world. His kindness and compassion became the pathway to him making a real difference in a world often indifferent.
Interestingly, it is those who are the most difficult who can be the most in need as they believe they are right, close their hearts, are indifferent to others, and do not care what you think. They are typically independent, refusing help and determined to not give their power away. Each person has a masculine and feminine orientation, these difficult ones who are aggressive are often in the masculine orientation telling others what to do. They are the ones who have not been able to process their traumas or emotions and their aggression is self protection to ensure safety.
Below is the emotional guidance scale. Human emotions are multi-faceted, we move through a Kaleidoscope of emotions, and these emotions change what we see. That is why you can have a focus group discussing an issue and they can see the world differently. Their socio-emotional predisposition colours their world. Unacknowledged fears, trauma, trained beliefs, cultures can all become filers that change reality. Reality is changed by our emotions. Negative emotions will see a cruel world, loving emotions will see with compassion, kindness and acceptance. We cannot jump to positivity we have to work our way up the downward spiral to the upward spiral, bit by bit as we accept beliefs that move us closer to joy. This joy is balance, inner peace and acceptance/forgiveness of life. Beyond that is self actualisation.
The emotional scale above provides insights into the scale of negativity and the goal of moving up the scale as people heal. Those lowest on this scale will feel (21) Insecurity/Guilt/Unworthyness and (22) Fear/Grief/Depression/Powerlessness/Victim are typically at 21 and 22. Those trending towards the top (1) feel Joy/Knowledge/Empowerment/Freedom/Love/Appreciation and (2) Passion. Where was Princess Diana? She would have ranged from (1), (2), (11), (12) and (22) [Bulimia]. So wealth does not give (1), as real inner wellbeing is about our relationship with ourselves. Do we love ourselves?
Princess Diana was a humanitarian who believed in following the heart and helping the most disadvantaged. She personally wants a vision of joy in the world and to see all people as family. This is what brought her happiness:
“Nothing brings me more happiness than trying to help the most vulnerable people in society. It is a goal and an essential part of my life—a kind of destiny.”
Some of her most notable quotes: https://www.inspiremore.com/10-inspiring-and-still-needed-messages-from-princess-diana-of-wales/
In 2018, Susan Carew (Holmes) attempted to start Homeless Lives Matter. It was like a walking meditation in relation to understanding the underlying inequality (power imbalance), poverty trap (wealth imbalance), ineffective advocacy (funding/access imbalance) and what it truly means to Advance Australia Fair as a real proposition of a ‘fair go’ to restore ‘harmony’. This country was well known for egalitarianism (balance) which is equality of opportunity. Susan grew up in equality and never saw poverty or homelessness in Canberra in the 1960’s, 1970’s, 1980s even though most families were not wealthy. In 2024, this problem is clearly visible in most cities. The highest homeless rate per capita is in Canberra.
Homelessness is highest in capital cities. Yet in poor countries, whilst homelessness is visible there are cultural values where you look after your own family. In western culture, you look after yourself becomes ‘not my responsibility’ or ‘you made your bed’ as a means of opting out as many have not learned community or social responsibility.
The hard work on this topic as a lived experience awakened questions about true equality, real understanding, genuine care and freedom from fear, hunger and lack of shelter in a first world country where there are plenty of resources not equally shared.
The approach to the problem was not about fighting for equality or fairness, it was to live the experience of BEING fair and expressing the truth of a situation to raise awareness as many negative stereotypes (propaganda) block solutions which is why it never ends. That is the real block chain which enables poverty traps.
Increasingly as narratives and ideological beliefs turn to victim blame homeless or unemployed people, the bias is used as a reason to cut or stop funding and excise responsibility for those who are not ‘economic units’ (or unproductive, useless eaters) but members of a society where full employment was never achieved.
The business narrative over the years has infiltrated media and government narratives losing sight of the original intention of government for the people by the people to ensure all are equal as a social policy. The monetorisation of life has with underlying value accorded to shared notions of success facilitated the “social/human” disconnect, disrespecting those who appear hope-less. Increasingly the “human” is removed from services.
Refer https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/aug/07/the-big-stigma-is-its-the-homeless-persons-fault
We could end poverty and homelessness overnight with the willingness to do so. As a renewable way of seeing changes what we see and then believe.
Covid-19 pandemic directives had every homeless person off the street. The Covid-19 narrative repeated ‘death‘ as a mantra rather than healing. This had the psychological effect of devaluing life and focusing attention on fear not healthy community solutions. Homeless were seen as unhygenic and potentially diseased as this group were perceived as unvaccinated and profiled as dangerous. When these classifications had no evidence base. Today, we return to business-as-usual and the homeless are sleeping rough again or living in cars, staying with friends (couch surfing) or house-sitting. The problem as demonstrated by Covid was not lack of resources, it was a lack of political will to truly solve this issue in the public interest. Important discussions such as allowing foreign investment in housing (social impact investments), selling public housing (public assets privatised), diverting taxation funds away from social infrastructure/ services to public-private infrastructure ventures where the public funding covered the risk with the aim in some cases to transfer the asset to private sector partners, as contracts reference but do not have direct accountability to the public. The rising interest rates post a pandemic where small to middle sized businesses disappeared (due to longevity of lockdowns), public taxation was directed to pandemic preparedness and other social services curtailed under the banner of a ‘global emergency of international concern’ which did not specify imminent danger, created major vulnerabilities to those already with health issues, those living alone, those unable to work, and the unemployed and homeless. Major social upheavals happened at this time as social isolation was increased which leads to mental health issues and suicide. Thus the physiological and safety needs (refer Maslow’s hierarchy) rather than love, belonging, health, esteem and actualisation needs (altruism) being promoted. This produced higher costs of living, breakdown of families, substance abuse (soothing), social isolation, loneliness, anxiety, depression and a downward spiral trapping people in poverty (refer The Emotional Guidance Scale). Nobody wants to be seen as not coping, but many were severely shaken and harmed.
Structural violence is a form of violence wherein some social structure or social institution may harm people by preventing them from meeting their basic needs. This may be due to education levels, re-skilling, selling public housing, re-setting an economy to a IT compliance technocracy. For example investing in more IT jobs, digitisation of the public sector, working from home, digital payments, digital ID thus redirecting funding away from manufacturing, administration and post pandemic recruiting half a million migrant labourers to be employed on essential projects side stepping labour laws and rights. At the same time, traditional areas of employment disappear exposing many of the population to sectors they are unskilled in – IT, medical, biotechnology, automation, artificial intelligence. The TAFE’s (technical colleges) have reoriented training to Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) which are masculine fields. This disadvantaged females regardless of promotions. Females are oriented towards caring, relationships, arts, humanity. Areas that are minimised.
Over the last decade the country has experienced a declining middle class. The Sydney Morning Herald reported: “…The current cost-of-living crisis, made more painful by surging gas and electricity bills along with escalating mortgage repayments has pushed the middle class into uncharted territory. Consumer confidence is a key indicator of our economic health, and has plummeted to levels not witnessed since the recession of the early 1990s – which while unsurprising, is also terrifying. The very foundation of the middle-class dream – financial security and a comfortable lifestyle – is under threat, and is starting to look a lot like the decline seen in middle America over the last 30 years….”
Jane Elliott the Texan educator who produced the Blue Eyed Brown Eyed experiment proved that what we think about we bring about. This division of a class on the basis of a characteristic job/no job, vaccinated/not vaccinated, digital/not digital, compliant/not compliant etc. The dominant narrative of inclusion/exclusion provided evidence of the power of suggestion which embeds discriminatory attitudes. It works off the basis of inferior and superior. Therefore, if we undermine, bully, withdraw privileges, stereotype, cite biological/genetic reasons for poor treatment, lower expectations, project negative assumptions about intellect and personal capability on the basis of a characteristic. We artificially create the conditions that will be used to validate that assumption to justify harm.
Frontline documentary: A Class Divided
The issues of discrimination, poverty and homelessness are complex and at the same time mirrors back to society the moral and ethical landscape that is largely invisible but socialised by the culture via media, families and ideologies.
The underlying question is – What and who do we value in our society? To become aware of how we include or exclude on the basis of perceived value or entitlement typically attached to ethnicity, skills, status, gender, age, income, wealth and property. Those who do not reflect ‘success’ in material ways are psychologically deemed ‘failures’ and of lower value.
There are other assumptions which allow people to ignore poverty and homelessness. They assume in a wealthy material society they can get on welfare. What is not understood as that welfare payments are not enough to cover rising rents. This is occurring because of foreign and domestic property market speculation creating boom and bust conditions. In property booms the price of real estate rises as discussed. Moreover, infrastructure projects with private equity investment under Private/Public Partnership Agreements increases foreign investors building new residential properties, mergers & acquisitions, patenting and participation on Boards and Advisory committees influencing policy. Increased liquidation of public assets, investment and credit availability attracts fuels wealth and spending. However, if large infrastructure project beneficiaries are funded as equity investors rather than public taxation in large projects then users pay is likely to be long term public revenue streams directly impacting the consumer and taxation becomes either contractor profit or a grant in a controlled market (service providers) rather than adding public asset value. This can create a scenario of empty new buildings (vacancies) which are unaffordable to those who need accommodation now.
Refer https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-11/sydney-apartment-market-hit-by-ghost-tower-phenomenon/11193132
Refer https://hackernoon.com/token-economics-to-help-the-homeless-65ba94907781
The stigma of poverty undermines and lowers expectations of a better future. Moreover, the embarrassment of where a person lives is amplified when the dwelling is aging or dilapidated properties reinforcing the ‘worthlessness’ of occupants. Tower blocks, wind tunnels, squalid conditions, surveillance, poorly designed residential mixes and police indifference reinforce the stigma that those in poverty are worth-less and uncivilised.
Apart from those on the street, homelessness is largely invisible. It is estimated in Australia that there are approximately 116,000 people known to be homeless, the figures are likely to be higher given invisibility and those opting out. Socially, many feel shamed and embarrassed as they recognise they are seen as less and this very disempowerment becomes a glass ceiling they cannot break through. Once a person become labelled they are viewed through a distorted lens (less than equal). This prejudice adds to the overwhelming situation a person finds themselves in. Jane Elliott’s video uses ‘black’ issues (colour of eyes) but it can be status, unvaccinated (today), learned helplessness (no response, no advocacy), disability, aesthetic looks, disfigurement etc. Powerlessness is a key issue.
The Technological Fourth Industrial Revolution as cited by the World Economic Forum focuses on implementing a Technocracy using digitisation of business, government and societal interactions. This major change was not the result of a referendum but fundamentally changed Australian democracy (choice) to a compliance model (yes, conditional access) that is used for automation, artificial intelligence, IT computerisation, mass surveillance, loss of privacy, digital IDs, tracking, globalisation where the public are encouraged to buy on-line with digital transactions which means wealth leaves the country and local industries overtime are drained disappearing as they can’t compete with cheap labour or migrants on special visas replacing workers in essential services.
The privatisation of government services and corporate professsionals on government advisory committees ensures corporate interests restructure government public services into this digital cyber space. For example, over 6 weeks in June-July 2023, the Australian Government held consultations on the initial Data and Digital Government Strategy, following its release in May 2023. They heard from members of the public, community and advocacy groups, state and territory governments, industry, academia and the Australian Public Service (APS) in a segmented sample that was not representated of the Australian population. https://www.dataanddigital.gov.au/about/what-we-heard
The Data and Digital Government Strategy report was released by Finance Minister Katy Gallagher and promotes a seamless public sector which is digitised. This has implications for public sector jobs, foreign software companies accessing public data, foreign consultants directing Global Reset policies, impersonal digital interfaces, artificial intelligence and automation. https://www.dataanddigital.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-12/Data%20and%20Digital%20Government%20Strategy%20v1.0.pdf
Anyone homeless will feel even more isolated and excluded from society rather than given real help in a digital world. The surveillance is frightening and tracking feels like stalking and coercive control. By those who do not value democracy this reality becomes more akin to Aldous Huxley’s A Brave New World or George Orwell’s 1984. Aldous Huxley and George Orwell are quoted as follows:
Technology interfaces replace face-to-face expand subliminal advertising (fast images/words flashing largely unconscious), social distancing, indifference, dumbing down, low ethics, lack of empathy and reducing society to data bits and bytes where there is no debate only compliance or non compliance. This will impact mental health and suffering further unravelling of the social fabric as people become enslaved in a digital dystopia and stare oblivious into their iPhones and walk past the homeless as if they don’t exist. Those in poverty will be sub-classes on universal basic incomes and pacified as work becomes agile companies where people have to compete to get a days work on a project by project basis. Chips are envisaged to be implanted to monitor work/pay as people are reduced to commodities existing way beneath their potential (see Woman in a Van).
Solutions
In the future the word ‘homelessness’ will be replaced by a new narrative that inspires, challenges and empowers a renewable life where no-one is called homeless but solutions are provided to imbalance.
The real wealth or abundance is generated by what we give to each other not what we take. As we experience abundance we give without fear. This opens up the flow of talents, goodwill, ideas, innovation and social support and a sense of community happiness. This builds the real social security.
Happiness! Australia is envisaging a Partnership economics (caring) to replace Domination economics to move away from exploitation and a monetarised life which devalued those trapped in poverty. A partnership system regards people as equal, empowered, supportive, empathetic and moving towards self reliance, empowerment and happiness.
Riane Eisler discusses Partnerships in the Post Industrial economy. Partnership has existed for 30,000 years of partnership.
The corporate modus operandi sell off public assets and contract public services to be funded by private ‘social impact investments’. This ensures non-profit sectors are profitable within public-private partnerships and privatised assets run by digitised delivery which becomes impersonal and soul-less and unaccountable to the public. This will exacerbate the disconnect, will remove the national focus of a fair go and the Australian culture to give others a hand. Instead the repetitive messaging from foreign Tech companies will reinforce self interest, indifference, entitlement, online purchasing (profits redirected overseas away from local business). The gaming industry normalises violence (video games) as fun as the child’s face is superimposed on the soldier who shoots without consequences or social impacts. In truth violence is a call for help it is not a statement of male power and security. The kind, caring, capable and friendly man is the true masculinity that is empowering and rebalances with the feminine to build strong families and communities.
Susan wrote a proposal in 2018 entitled ‘Courtneys Patch Ecovillage’ name after Courtney Herron who was a homeless woman killed in Melbourne and Patch Adams the clown doctor who created an ecovillage community in USA. This ecovillage proposal was recommended to a Housing Minister at a Homeless Conference. The best way out of the poverty trap is to build ecovillages that are self sufficient and sustainable. Those living in community are then self determining, producing their own food and developing new skills on how to live in safe, secure, warm and secure community. People don’t want to be dependent on a system where homelessness is never ended.
Below are links which highlight finding one’s own voice from a lived experience perspective in homelessness, developing solutions, submitting senate submissions and walking to make homelessness visible and starting a radio program (a sample of radio interviews) and self expression in poetry and videos.
Solution: Build An Ecovillage: https://ha.worldpeacefull.com/homeless-lives/solution-build-a-ecovillage/
My Story My Voice: https://ha.worldpeacefull.com/homeless-lives/my-story-my-voice/
Senate Submission: https://ha.worldpeacefull.com/homeless-lives/senate-submission/
Homeless Walk to Parliament: https://ha.worldpeacefull.com/homeless-lives/homeless-walk-to-parliament/
Triple R FM: Homeless Lives Matter Program: https://ha.worldpeacefull.com/homeless-lives/triple-r-fm/
Latest program 6/1/2020: https://ha.worldpeacefull.com/homeless-lives/triple-r-fm/program-3-homeless-voices-part-2-6-jan-2020/
Poetry In-Sight: https://ha.worldpeacefull.com/homeless-lives/poetry-in-sight/
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Motto: “Home is Where the Heart Is”
Values: I CARE – Courage, Awareness, Respect and Equality
Purpose: To deeply listen to the stories of homeless persons in order to raise awareness, respect, equality as all homeless lives matter.
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Video links
Below are videos Susan Carew compiled from a lived experience perspective to provide insights into the homeless issue from the perspective of homeless people. She is making her life visible and transparent in order share given significant social and political misunderstanding.
Homeless Persons Do Not Vote – A Message to Politicians and the Public
Homeless Lives Matter Electing to Walk to Parliament House
Courtney Herron Homelessness and Violence Part 1
OTHER LINKS
A few links to inform and start a conversation:
Testimonials of Homelessness: https://homelesslivesmatterbook.com/
Homelessness in Australia: https://www.homelessnessaustralia.org.au/fact-sheets
Australia history of homeless convicts (history) https://theconversation.com/the-story-of-australias-last-convicts-89723
Homelessness and repeat offending http://theconversation.com/homelessness-causes-offenders-to-end-up-back-in-prison-heres-how-to-break-the-cycle-52059
Most ex-prisoners unemployed or homeless six months after release, study says http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-06-25/australian-study-of-ex-prisoners-finds-high-rates-homelessness/5548430
A new approach to poverty reduction http://www1.uwindsor.ca/criticalsocialwork/learning-from-the-experts-a-new-approach-to-poverty-reduction-south-african-homeless-peoples-federat