Our thinking Archives - Jesuit Social Services

Palm Sunday 2026
- 19 March 2026
For many years Palm Sunday has been a day of support for a just and humane response to refugees. The joining of the date and the cause go together. Both are about hope. Both test that hope and call us to live with hope against hope, writes ANDY HAMILTON SJ.
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2025
- 17 October 2025
"We should not need a special day to encourage us to eradicate poverty in Australia. Poverty is more than a problem to be studied. It wears the face of people whom we meet in the street, through the Vinnies, and see sleeping on the streets. Poverty could wear the face of ourselves, of our children,"…
Signs of Hope on the Edge: Social Justice Statement 2025-2026
- 20 August 2025
ANDY HAMILTON SJ reflects on the recently released 2025-26 Social Justice Statement, whose theme is "Signs of Hope on the Edge: Serving Homeless People with Mental Ill Health."
Homelessness Week 2024
- 31 July 2024
The theme of this year's Homelessness Week is 'Homelessness Action Now' - which highlights how intolerable the present situation, where housing is seen as a privilege and not a right, is. ANDY HAMILTON SJ writes that homelessness is not an accident, but the result of bad economic theory, a culture of greed and self-serving politics.…
New 10-year national housing and homelessness plan must prioritise public housing and raise the rate of income support
- 2 November 2023
The Australian Government is developing a National Housing and Homelessness Plan – a 10-year strategy to inform future housing policy in Australia and the first long-term strategy since 1992. Jesuit Social Services recently contributed a submission to the Plan calling for an increase in social housing – with a focus on public housing – and urging…
Victorian Election 2022: Fund specialised holistic care services to prevent people with complex needs falling through the gaps
- 30 November 2022
Our Victorian election platform advocates for funding for specialised holistic care services for people with complex needs, such as our Perry House.
Homelessness Week 2022
- 31 July 2022
Homelessness Week 2022 runs from 1-7 August and reminds us of the fundamental importance of safe and secure housing to a stable life in which a person can thrive, writes ANDY HAMILTON SJ.
Leaving prison for good: The critical role of safe and secure housing
- 5 June 2022
Access to safe and secure housing is a fundamental human right. It provides a solid foundation for a person’s health, wellbeing and agency, and helps build more productive and cohesive communities. Across Australia, however, it is estimated that approximately one in seven people who have been in prison need assistance from a specialist homelessness service…
Homelessness Week 2020 - The way forward must be built on respect. And respect begins with a home.
- 3 August 2020
Homelessness Week 2020 (August 2-8) is taking place in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and ANDY HAMILTON SJ writes that the week is a crucial reminder of the naivety and recklessness of the policies that have produced homelessness. The way forward must be built on respect, and respect begins with a home. Homelessness Week…
Give people a home, and you give them a second chance to get their lives on track
- 20 November 2018
Unstable housing is the most significant factor affecting the likelihood of somebody returning to prison. If we want to reduce re-offending and create a safer society, we must ensure people leaving prison have access to safe and secure housing, writes Jesuit Social Services’ Policy, Research and Advocacy Officer JEMIMA HOFFMAN. The recidivism rate in Victoria…