The homeless and people at risk of homelessness are among Australia’s most vulnerable and underprivileged demographics. At the moment, around 116,000 Australians are homeless, 20,000 out of which are in Queensland (Queensland Government, 2017). Half of the homeless population lives in severely crowded dwellings, 21% dwell in supported accommodation, and 8.7% sleep rough in the streets (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2020). Even though Australia’s economy displays sustained growth, the number of homeless people has risen by 14% since 2011 (“Homeless Australia”, 2016). One-third of homeless Australians are under 18; it is said that young people experience greater difficulties securing long-term employment and accommodation (Australian Human Rights Commission, n.d.). Among the factors contributing to the issue are domestic violence, substance abuse, low educational attainment, trauma, mental illness, and poverty.
Australian RedCross is pulling its weight in resolving the issue of homelessness in Australia. Each year, the organization helps 2,180 people to find housing and prevents another 1,380 people from going homeless (“Homeless services”, n.d.). When it comes to communication tactics, Australian RedCross relies heavily on public relations and collaboration with other non-profits and state institutes, such as Hutt St Centre (“Homeless services”, n.d.). Aside from that, the Australian RedCross office builds a strong social media presence to connect with people.
The success of the Australian RedCross in fighting homelessness is contingent on its leadership efforts. On the whole, RedCross has been through many financial challenges and almost ran out of resources to address disasters and social ills, but new leadership transformed the organization. Bhati and McDonnell (2020) emphasize the role of building a strong online presence for boosting the fundraising potential of charitable organizations. However, when it comes to donations, the Australian RedCross has to be extremely transparent to continue trustful relationships with its patrons and collaborators.
Reference List
Australian Human Rights Commission (n.d.) Homelessness. Web.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2020) Homelessness and homelessness services. Web.
Bhati, A. and McDonnell, D. (2020) Success in an online giving day: the role of social media in fundraising. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 49(1), pp.74-92.
Homeless Australia (2016) Web.
Homelessness services (n.d.) Web.
Queensland Government (2017) Homelessness prevention. Web.