Deconstructing Homelessness
8 week course examining the structural causes of, and responses to, homelessness in Australia.
Delivered by Matt Vapor
This isn’t the usual way Australia discusses homelessness.
Deconstructing Homelessness challenges the narrative, history, funding, research, policies and approaches to homelessness in Australia, while answering the question why does homelessness persist.
This course is related to and informed by Matt Vapor’s PhD research.
The First Session Completed!
Here’s what the attendees have said:
“I was a little intimidated at first, thinking I may not be able to keep up with the intellectual language, this was not an issue. I felt a part of the session."
“This is something unique and ground breaking. It’s a blend of perspectives, of someone that’s experienced homelessness, become a phenomenal researcher and teacher, and is using his experiences and skills to dissect the structures that perpetuate homelessness.”
“The more Matt deconstructs homelessness through this course, the more it feels like I can see the wool lifting from my eyes. The evidence has been right there from the start. Matt has been able to pull together publicly available information to inform contemporary knowledge of homelessness & how the current system is broken.”
“It was refreshing to see and hear an honest, critical analysis of Housing Policy that didn't adhere to the usual narrative.”
“Each week is a continual process, opening up a deeper understanding that the system isn't just broken. The problem isn't about fixing a broken system, the system has never been right for it to break.”
Course Outline
Week 1:
Homelessness and Empathy
Week 2:
Observations from the Adversarial Perspective
Week 3:
Managing the Outhouse to the Sh*thouse: Housing Systems from Federation
Week 4:
Economics Behind Australia's Current Housing System
Week 5:
Low Down on the Flow Down: Homelessness Funding Dynamics in Australia
Week 6:
Equity and Agency: A Critical Analysis of Housing First in Western Australia
Week 7:
Sociology of Homelessness: Dehumanisation and the Dynamics of Fear
Week 8
Solidifying the System: Australia's Housing Future