By 鈥渂anning鈥 homelessness, Melbourne City Council is implying it is a 鈥渃hoice鈥. Homelessness is usually the cause of a range of interconnected factors, some of which include poverty, unemployment and family violence. There is also a shortage of affordable housing and jobs that pay a living wage.
惭别濒产辞耻谤苍别鈥檚 Herald Sun newspaper has once again vilified the unemployed by publishing an article linking methamphetamine use with being on welfare. Only individuals who had been arrested by police were surveyed in the study mentioned in this piece.
The October 18 front page article read: 鈥70% of ice users arrested by police admit being on welfare, nationwide survey finds鈥. However, this does not mean 70% of those receiving welfare payments are ice users.