The leaders of Catholic Religious Australia and the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference have welcomed Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s national apology on 22 October to survivors of institutional child sexual abuse and recommitted to working with the community to eliminate the scourge of child sexual abuse.

Wednesday 10 October is World Homelessness Day. Habitat for Humanity estimate that 1.6 billion people live in inadequate shelter around the world and more than 100 million people worldwide are homeless, based on a survey conducted in 2015. These numbers have continued to grow as conflict, war and displacement affects countries and communities around the globe. 

Many regional and rural communities are supportive, vibrant, and thriving.  However, there are a number of communities that are doing it tough, where disadvantage has become entrenched and persistent. The demand and unmet need for services identified in this paper are similar to those in many metropolitan areas, but the lack of service accessibility and availability, the high cost of transport, energy and technology and the decreased opportunities for education, training and jobs, are factors that increase disadvantage for people living in regional and rural Victoria.

The Australian Catholic Bishops’ Social Justice Statement for 2018–19, A Place to Call Home: Making a home for everyone in our land, confronts the growing challenge of homelessness and housing insecurity in Australia.