The alarming rise in homelessness across Australia has reached a critical point, with a staggering 10,000 additional Australians finding themselves without a home each month. This represents a 22% surge over the past three years, as revealed by a distressing report from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and Homelessness Australia.
The face of homelessness is changing, with an increasing number of employed individuals, including part-time teachers and nurses, seeking housing assistance. This shift underscores the growing economic pressures that even those with jobs are facing in today’s market.
Frontline homelessness services are now assisting approximately 95,000 people each month, a figure that has seen a 9% increase in new clients who were already homeless before seeking support over the three years leading up to 2023-24.
The report highlights that of the additional 10,000 people per month, 4,636 were rough sleeping, with the remainder couch surfing or living in temporary accommodation.
The UNSW City Futures Research Centre’s Hal Pawson points to skyrocketing rents as a primary driver of this crisis.
Over the last four years, there has been a ‘29% real increase’ in rental costs, after accounting for inflation. This ‘pretty hefty rise’ has pushed many into precarious living situations or outright homelessness.
The report also sheds light on the growing number of employed Australians accessing homelessness services, with the proportion of employed people rising from 10.9% to 15.3%, or by 33,000 individuals, over the five years to 2022-23.
Despite the anticipated construction of 50,000 new social homes this decade—an 11% increase from 2023 levels—experts like Pawson warn that this will not suffice. While the increase is significant and should be welcomed, it falls short when compared to the scale of need.
The call for action is clear: more must be done.
On the front lines, workers like Christine Haggard, team leader at VincentCare, witness the human impact of this crisis daily.
Haggard reports seeing professionals such as teachers and nurses who, despite having an income, cannot keep up with the cost of living due to part-time work and soaring rent prices. With an internal waitlist for social housing exceeding 300, the system is described as ‘clogged,’ with no guarantee of securing a spot even for those in dire need.
The response from Homelessness Australia’s CEO, Kate Colvin, is one of urgency.
She acknowledges the recent increases in rent assistance and commitments to social housing investment by federal and state governments but emphasises that these measures are insufficient to address what has become a homelessness emergency.
Colvin calls for immediate action and an emergency homelessness investment to ensure that when people reach out for support, the system is capable of helping them.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on the rising homelessness issue. Have you seen or experienced any changes in your community? What do you think could help address the challenges faced by those affected? Share your insights with us in the comments below—we’re all in this conversation together.
