Homelessness Week is an annual week coordinated by the national peak body, Homelessness Australia, to raise awareness of people experiencing homelessness, the issues they face and the action needed to achieve enduring solutions.
The ABS definition of homelessness is informed by an understanding of homelessness as 'home'lessness, not These elements include: a sense of security, stability, privacy, safety, and the ability to control living space. Homelessness is therefore a lack of one or more of the elements that represent 'home'.
Is homelessness still a problem in Australia?
In March 2018, the Australian Bureau of Statistics released the latest statistics on homelessness in Australia collected at the 2016 Census.
According to new data from the 2016 Census of Population and Housing, the rate of homelessness in Australia has increased 4.6 per cent over the last five years.
Dr Paul Jelfs, General Manager of Population and Social Statistics, said that while there was an overall increase in the estimate of homelessness in Australia, this number is made up of various distinct groups and each tells a different story.
People living in ‘severely’ crowded dwellings, defined as requiring four or more extra bedrooms to accommodate the people who usually live there, was the greatest contributor to the national increase in homelessness.
“In 2016, this group accounted for 51,088 people, up from 41,370 in 2011.
“On Census night, 8,200 people were estimated to be ‘sleeping rough’ in improvised dwellings, tents or sleeping out – an increase from 3.2 persons per 10,000 people in 2011 to 3.5 persons per 10,000 people in 2016,” Dr Jelfs said.
Younger and older Australians have also emerged as groups experiencing increasing homelessness in Australia.
“One quarter of all people experiencing homelessness in 2016 was aged between 20 and 30 years,” Dr Jelfs said.
People aged between 65 and 74 years experiencing homelessness increased to 27 persons per 10,000 people, up from 25 persons per 10,000 people in 2011.
Recent migrants (those who arrived within the five years prior to the 2016 Census) accounted for 15 per cent of the homeless estimate. Almost three quarters of this group were living in ‘severely’ crowded dwellings and the majority came from countries in South-East Asia, North-East Asia and Southern and Central Asia, including India, China and Afghanistan.
Can we really end it?
Homelessness' key facts Source: Homelessness Australia
Right now, more than 116,000 Australian are homeless. The main causes of homelessness are poverty, unaffordable rents, and family violence.
On any given night in Australia, 1 in 200 people are homeless.
Currently, 189,000 Australians are waiting for public and community housing and the wait time is many years for non-urgent clients. Despite the increased need, federal homelessness funding has remained static. 1 in 3 people were turned away from homelessness services last year due to a lack of resources.
To find out more about homelessness services around Australia, visit the Homelessness Australia website.
