Homelessness statistics
What is Australia’s homeless population?
On Census night in 2021, statistics show 122,494 people were estimated to be experiencing homelessness. That’s an increase of 5.2 per cent since the 2016 Census.
However, there are more people who — due to varying circumstances — are vulnerable to becoming homeless, this is called being ‘at risk of experiencing homelessness’. The statistics gathered by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) in their annual report on the number of people seeking support from Specialist Homelessness Services partly reflect this larger picture of homelessness in Australia.
In 2022-23, more than 273,600 people sought help from homelessness agencies (Specialist Homelessness Services). Of these people, 53 per cent were at risk of homelessness rather than homeless.
The table below shows homelessness statistics for a few of the main groups of people experiencing homelessness and seeking support from services.
If you are worried about your housing situation or are experiencing homelessness, or know someone who is, find out how we can help.
Homelessness statistics in your state
Statistics gathered by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) show which states and territories have the largest numbers of people seeking support from Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS).
Based on state population data, NSW had the lowest rate of people receiving assistance — 1 in 119 — despite total numbers representing 25 per cent of the national SHS population.
In the Northern Territory, although only 4 per cent of the national SHS population, the rate of people seeking assistance was extremely high: 1 in 25 people.
Homelessness facts: What does it mean to be ‘homeless’?
When a person does not have suitable accommodation, they are considered homeless if their current living arrangement:
- Is in a dwelling that is inadequate; or
- Has no tenure, or if their initial tenure is short and not extendable; or
- Does not allow them to have control of, and access to space for social relations
This may include:
- Rough sleeping, for example on park benches, in public toilets, under bridges
- Makeshift tents
- Sleeping in a car
- Staying temporarily with a friend, family member or acquaintance (couch surfing)
- Staying at refuges, in boarding houses, or other forms of crisis or transitional housing for the homeless
- Overcrowded housing – that is, dwellings that require four or more extra bedrooms to adequately accommodate the residents
As the following chart shows, many people who are experiencing homelessness are sleeping in houses. However, because that house (or dwelling) is likely to be either unsafe, overcrowded, lacking suitable facilities or unreliable, it means a person is experiencing homelessness.
Regardless of where people are sleeping, being homeless — or at risk of experiencing homelessness — means feeling unsafe and disconnected from community or loved ones. It causes or heightens mental health and physical health challenges, and makes getting ahead in life almost impossible.
What causes homelessness?
Homelessness is not a choice. It affects people from all demographics and all walks of life. The causes of homelessness are numerous and complex, however, there are certain individual characteristics or life experiences that can heighten someone’s vulnerability to experiencing homelessness. These are called individual risk factors, not causes of homelessness. When combined with inadequate social or structural support, they can drive someone into homelessness.
The more individual risk factors for a person, the closer they move to the centre of the circle where their risk of homelessness increases.
The ‘drivers of homelessness’ that may interact with one or more individual risk factors include:
- An increased cost of living and associated financial stress
- A lack of affordable housing options
- Long-wait times for social (government-subsidised) housing
- Inadequate government support payments to manage rising costs
- Long-term unemployment
- Poverty
Some individual experiences are:
- Family violence, child abuse or sexual assault
- Traumatic experiences — such as intergenerational traumas, loss of loved ones (especially a carer for a young person), family breakdown
- Time spent in an institution such as out-of-home care or prison
- Experiences of war, violence or persecution
- Mental illness
- Addiction to alcohol, drugs or gambling
| Of these individual experiences, domestic and family violence is the most common main reason that leads people to seek support from a Specialist Homelessness Service (25 per cent). |
Additionally, certain groups of people are typically more at risk of homelessness and are reflected in the numbers of people seeking support (source: AIHW):
- Females
- Single parents or living alone
- People of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander identity
- People with mental illnesses
Because of the current cost-of-living crisis and housing shortages, Specialist Homelessness Services have seen an increase in new adult clients nominating ‘housing affordability stress’ and ‘housing crisis’ as a reason for seeking support (2018-19 to 2022-23). Additionally, ‘financial difficulties’ have been identified by the most number of people (‘the most common reason’) for seeking assistance, most likely in conjunction with other issues.
Housing and financial stress seen in Salvation Army research
Stress around the cost of living is widespread in Australia right now. In recent Australia-wide research conducted by The Salvation Army among more than 1000 people, almost all females noted their concern about the cost of living. Specifically, 77 per cent of females under the age of 40 said they are ‘very concerned’ — this is the highest among all cohorts and aligns with the facts that females aged 25-34 are the largest group to seek support from homelessness services (source: AIHW).
Cost of living concerns, combined with anxiety and fears around a lack of affordable housing options and the uncertain times we are living in, are contributing to people’s uncertainties about their own housing situation:
Source: The Salvation Army, internal research, June 2024
Additionally, The Salvation Army sees heightened challenges among people accessing our Emergency Relief centres — called Doorways — for urgent material aid and ongoing casework. Although many people are not experiencing homelessness when they come to Doorways, they are at an increased risk of it due to the societal challenges we are seeing in Australia and people’s individual circumstances.
As part of a study of 1500 people who sought assistance from Doorways over a 12-month period, The Salvation Army saw how many people are struggling with housing stress.
As a result of these sorts of challenges:
The challenges were more pronounced for families:
Source: Red Shield Report 2024: Cost of Living Squeeze, The Salvation Army, Policy, Research and Social Justice Department (May 2024)
““[Being short of money is] very stressful and causes a lot of anxiety. I worry about my future. I’m petrified of becoming homeless. I slip in and out of depression and have low self-esteem. I don’t feel as though I am living, just surviving." ”
–56-year-old female respondent to Red Shield Report 2024: Cost of Living Squeeze, The Salvation Army, Policy, Research and Social Justice Department (May 2024)
The Salvos believe in good for people’s lives — the motivation for ending homelessness
Experiencing or being at risk of homelessness impacts people’s health outcomes. Research by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found severe overcrowding can lead to more rapid transmission of infectious diseases, while all forms of homelessness can lead to poor nutrition, back pain, dental issues, mental health conditions or barriers to accessing adequate health care.
Additionally, the fear of losing one’s home is associated with mental health challenges such as hopelessness, depression and thoughts of suicide.
Source: Money and Mental Health: Social Research Report, August 2022, Heartward Strategic on behalf of ASIC and Beyond Blue
Do you need support with your mental health?
In an emergency, call 000
Lifeline — 24/7 crisis and suicide support — 13 11 14
Beyond Blue – 24/7 online and phone support and counselling
On the positive side, however, when a person moves into secure housing after a period of insecure housing, there is evidence that shows health can be improved. This includes decreased rates of hospitalisation, reduced transmission of infectious diseases, improved mental health and overall improved wellbeing.
The good that can emerge from ending homelessness for someone then extends to a sense of stability and an ability to connect to their community. A stable home can increase education and employment prospects. It provides families with a place to raise their children; a place they can invite their friends into. It provides people with safety and hope.
In 2022-23FY, The Salvation Army assisted more than 38,000 people through our homelessness services. This includes providing emergency accommodation, meals and casework to support people with their goals. We also provided more than 970 people with longer-term housing through our Salvos Housing initiative.
These good effects are the reasons why The Salvation Army is so passionate about ending homelessness — for good — not just for a time. When there is stability, good can grow in people’s lives.
Help us end homelessness — for good
We imagine a world where homelessness is brief, rare and non-recurring. Currently that is not the case — in 2022-23, around 14,900 clients of Specialist Homelessness Services returned to homelessness after a period of secure housing (that is, they were homeless, housed and then homeless again).
We believe we can end homelessness for good — and you can help.
Action you can take:
- Talk to your family, friends and colleagues about homelessness — ask them how the cost of living or rental crisis is affecting them; what they think the drivers of homelessness are; or share some facts you’ve learned today
- Join the Everybody’s Home campaign — a national campaign that will keep you informed and provide you with opportunities for involvement
- Google search the words ‘homelessness and housing peak body’ with your local state/territory and learn about what they are doing to end homelessness
- Write to your local Member of Parliament about homelessness and the housing crisis — read our tips
- Share your thoughts about homelessness — fill out our webform and share what you’ve noticed or ideas about how Australia could end homelessness, which we will add together with others and use to advocate to the government on your behalf