Homelessness affects almost 50,000 Australian women. Photo / John Grainger
Homelessness affects almost 50,000 Australian women. Photo / John Grainger
A prominent Australian celebrity has slammed Australian politicians for ignoring a "national crisis" of homelessness among women.
Television cook Julie Goodwin on Thursday shamed Prime Minister Scott Morrison over his failure to protect almost 50,000 women who are experiencing homelessness in Australia.
Goodwin said many of these women are in "grave danger" and could even lose their lives if the "invisible crisis" continues to be ignored.
"This is a national crisis and should be one of the biggest election issues, but none of the parties are talking about it," she said.
"It's shameful that Scott Morrison has done nothing to help and now wants to slash the amount spent on the homeless by $40 million (NZ$43m)."
The MasterChef star spoke out after a recent survey involving several women's charities revealed a third of women are worried they too could face homelessness.
Julie Goodwin has roasted the federal government over recent funding cuts to combat homelessness in Australia. Photo / Supplied
The survey found more than 86 per cent of people believe the federal government isn't doing enough to provide emergency and long-term housing for homeless women.
"These women are citizens of this country and this country can afford to bring them out of despair. The solution is very simple – every woman deserves permanent housing. Every woman deserves a place to call home. The government needs to fund it," she said.
"One lost pay cheque, one more argument, one more illness and all of a sudden, the rug's been pulled out from under your life and you're staring down the barrel of losing everything."
Homelessness Australia chairwoman Jenny Smith said the significant wealth gap between men and women and the rising housing market are the driving forces behind the nation's crisis.
"[The] data shows that women continue to bear the brunt of any crisis, whether it be fires, a pandemic, or an economic recession," Smith said.
According to the Bureau of Statistics and the Urban Developer, 67 per cent of the more than 116,000 people experiencing homelessness in the country are women and girls.
Goodwin endorsed the Unhoused campaign, which calls on both the coalition and opposition to commit A$7.6 billion towards permanent homes for women – the number recommended by the Equity Economics "Nowhere to Go" report of July 2021.
Australians have been urged to show their support towards women experiencing homelessness by signing a petition on the Unhoused website.
