The Pandemic’s Butterfly Effect on The Property Market, Family Violence and the Homeless

Logan Justin Gunawan s4096363

Let’s take a look at crime across Victoria in the past 10 years.

Let’s take a look specifically at family violence.

Follows roughly the same trend as offence count.
Peaks in 2021 unlike 2020 in offence count (What happened during the pandemic to cause this?)

Since 2023, homelessness has also been on the rise. But why has it increased?

Family violence as a large reason for homelessness. (As supported by same peaks of family violence before)
Finance cited as a large reason for homelessness.

What kind of financial problems are causing homelessness?

Financial difficulties as the highest reason for financial struggle in the homeless.
Massive rise in housing affordability stress since 2020 while other reasons fall. (Could this be the common link with increased crime?)

The pandemic. But more importantly, its impact on the property market.

People could not work during the pandemic. How could they afford to live once the steep corrections came in place?

Graph from the Australian Bureau of Statistics

Now, stress is starting to trend upwards again. Because of the pandemic:

Ordinary people financially struggled.
When the property market made its steep correction, people could not afford to keep up.
As stress trends upwards, family violence increases as a result. (This is our link)
As family violence increases, the number of homeless increase, but also…

Stress Over Time from Australian Bureau of Statistics

Family Violence is itself a catalyst for crime.

Youth Offense

Due to the pandemic’s effects on the economy, stress began to creep onto Victorians.
As stress increased, the rate of family violence also began to increase, creating runaways who become homeless or creating youth offenders.
Even after “corrections” Victoria still feels the ripple effects that the pandemic left.

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