People experiencing homelessness have a death rate almost double the wider population, shocking new data has revealed.
An Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 10-year study has uncovered the heartbreaking relationship between death and homelessness.
It found the mortality rate for people who sought support from homelessness services in the 12 months before their death was 1.8 times that of other people.
Over the 10-year period, 12,525 people died within a year of seeking homelessness help with the median age of death just 49.
More than 10% of all deaths of women aged 25 to 34 over the 10-year period were women who sought homelessness assistance in the past 12 months.
Council to Homeless Persons CEO Deborah Di Natale urged the Victorian Government to take decisive action to address the crisis.
“These figures lay bare a heartbreaking reality: homelessness is cutting lives tragically short.
“Too many people are dying without a safe home, and dying too early. Half of the deaths in the survey occurred under the age of 50. It requires immediate action from all levels of government.
“Behind every statistic is a person who deserved safety, dignity, and a chance at life. They deserved a home, and a chance to spend more time with their loved ones.
“This data confirms what frontline workers have known for years: homelessness has far-reaching implications. This is a public health emergency.
“Homelessness is preventable, and so are these tragic deaths.
“Too many young women who experience homelessness are dying – further evidence that gendered violence is a national crisis.
“We have a responsibility as a society to value lives more highly than this.
“The Victorian Government must take decisive action to break this devastating cycle.
“As a starting point, all deaths of people experiencing homelessness should have to be referred to the coroner. The attorney-general has the power to make this change with the stroke of a pen.”
The AIHW data also shows injury and poisoning is the number one cause of death for people experiencing homelessness.
One in 6 accidental poisoning deaths in Australia is a person who has sought homelessness assistance in the past year.
One in every 20 Australian suicides is a person who has sought homelessness assistance in the last year.