|
Service beggars belief Emily Power 25jun05 POLICE must play a greater role in moving beggars from Melbourne's streets and into social services, a report recommends. The Federal Government, however, would need to increase its social service budget of about $320 million by 40 per cent to cope with the number of homeless and poor. The We Want Change paper on begging and homelessness by the Public Interest Law Clearing House has found police refer just 6 per cent of beggars to support services. Police charge about 20 people a month under the Vagrancy Act, but Philip Lynch, from PILCH Homeless Persons' Legal Service, said there are few other options. "There is a lack of supply in the homeless social service sector," he said. "The reality is if police saw someone begging and tried to call up a crisis accommodation service, there is no way they would get them in." The report rejected zero tolerance and recommended employment schemes, and more social services. Other findings included: NINETY-four per cent of beggars are homeless, and cannot find shelter in the welfare system. ALMOST three-quarters the number of homeless people suffer a mental illness, and 47 per cent are drugs or alcohol addicted. THE average hourly earnings from begging is between $5-$20.
|