Magnet mobility myths: exploring geographical mobility amongst people experiencing, or at-risk of, homelessness in Australia

Abstract

It is often assumed that people experiencing homelessness gravitate to large cities and central city areas because of the concentration of homelessness services — a so-called magnet or honeypot effect. Yet little is actually known about how people experiencing homelessness move across space over time. This article explores this geography by comparing the mobility of those experiencing homelessness, those ‘at-risk’, and those renting privately in Australia, between waves in two Australian panel surveys: Journeys Home and the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA). Results suggest that while people experiencing homelessness are more likely to move than the other two groups, they more similarly short distances and appear more likely to move for reasons such as relationship breakdown, eviction and to escape violence. While some evidence of movement to areas with particular characteristics (sorting) was detected amongst those at-risk and those renting privately, this was not the case for those experiencing homelessness. Results do not support the contention that people experiencing homelessness gravitate to central urban areas well-resourced with homelessness services over time. The findings challenge assumptions about magnet effects and homelessness and have important implications for the provision and delivery of homelessness services in Australia and beyond.

KEYWORDS  :

• Homelessness
• risk
• mobility
• magnet
• sorting

Acknowledgment

Thanks to Kath Hulse for her ongoing support and valuable insights and Karina Roberts and my two anonymous peer reviewers for their very helpful feedback.

Availability of data and material (data transparency)

This paper uses unit record data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey and Journeys Home. Both surveys are funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services (DSS) and managed by the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research. The findings and views reported in this paper, however, are those of the author and should not be attributed to either DSS or the Melbourne Institute. HILDA and Journeys Home data is available via application to the Department of Social Services (Australia) with information on the collections including user manuals and technical reports available from the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research https://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/hilda https://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/journeys-home.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1 http://www.ocregister.com/2017/07/29/dana-point-increasingly-a-magnet-for-homeless-and-frustrated-residents-want-city-to-get-control/ http://www.nytimes.com/1998/08/16/us/mild-and-merciful-san-francisco-a-magnet-for-the-homeless.html

2 https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/jan/27/melbournes-homeless-offered-housing-solution-under-98m-program

3 Please note all analyses were also run using the cultural definition of homelessness. The pattern of results remains the same and these results are available from the author in request.

4 However, unpublished work explored differences for those becoming homeless and remaining homeless between waves. This analysis found that those becoming homeless were more likely to move between waves but there was no difference in terms of the distance moved or the types of regional boundaries crossed.

5 Social security is administered by a central agency that operates at the national level in Australia.

6 Those sleeping rough are not more likely to change state or territory when they move. Results available from the author on request.

7 A full table with all reasons for moving is available from the author upon request.

8 Unfortunately, Journeys Home did not include ‘to be closer to services’ as an option in its question on reasons for moving.

9 Please note that this variable was only available at the Statistical Area Level 3 (SA3) spatial unit.

Additional information

Funding

The research was completed as part of a PhD. An industry top-up scholarship was received from the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI).