Ending and preventing homelessness in Australia 

How we can end homelessness together

We believe it is possible to end homelessness and, when we all work together, we can.

The Salvation Army is among the leading providers of homelessness services in Australia — but we do not work alone. We need to work together with other service providers to meet the needs of people at risk of or experiencing homelessness. We need the government to make societal and structural changes towards ending homelessness. And we need the support of our community — people just like you — to drive awareness about homelessness. Because when we rally together, we can end homelessness — for good.

Advocate with us to end homelessness

We’d love to hear your thoughts about the housing crisis and homelessness, and what you think can be done about it. We will create a report for local members of parliament using your answers along with those from other people in your area.

Find out more and share your thoughts

How does The Salvation Army help people experiencing homelessness?

The Salvation Army believes in good for all people. Our first step towards supporting people who are experiencing homelessness is to meet their basic needs. This may involve a hot meal, a bag of groceries or a safe place to stay.

Experiences of homelessness are complex and dynamic, so The Salvation Army takes a wraparound approach to homelessness, and we tailor our response to meet people’s individual needs. This means we work alongside people to identify their goals and then guide them with appropriate services on a long-term journey.

We do this for people at risk of, and experiencing homelessness.

Our goal is to see everyone living in a safe, secure and affordable home — and achieving lasting ‘good’ in their lives, whether that’s participation in a community, improved employment opportunities or an increased sense of wellbeing.

In practical terms, this wraparound — or holistic — support may include:  

• Supporting people into our Salvos Housing programs for crisis, transitional or long-term housing
• Help with securing housing, including tenancy advocacy to keep their current living situation
• Empowering individuals who have experienced family and domestic violence
• Working with people to address substance use
• Supporting people’s mental, emotional and spiritual health
• Financial counselling, money management and debt repayment strategies

We also refer people to other Salvos and external services. Most importantly, everything is delivered with dignity, without discrimination, in collaboration and to a high standard, with the goal that everybody feels supported and respected through their journey with the Salvos.

How can Australia end and prevent homelessness? 

The Report on Government Services 2023-2024: Housing and homelessness, of shows that all clients who experienced homelessness nationally in 2023–24, over a quarter experienced persistent homelessness. Ending and preventing homelessness is dependent on addressing the drivers of homelessness and the barriers that may get in the way of a person overcoming (exiting) homelessness for good.

A report from Launch Housing in 2022 showed housing affordability as the most rapidly growing cause of homelessness.

The Salvation Army is passionate about supporting people who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness with our wraparound approach and we firmly believe societal and structural change — particularly in relation to housing affordability — is how we can end homelessness. Preventing homelessness means we can eventually end homelessness in Australia.

With this in mind, The Salvation Army partners with other agencies to advocate to the government to:

• Increase family and domestic violence support programs and policies
• Introduce solutions for rental availability and pricing
• Address the general cost of living crisis in Australia
• Increase the amount of affordable/social housing available to people on low incomes

By partnering with other service providers and working with all levels of government, we believe that together, we can end homelessness.

Learn more about our recent policy submissions

How can you help end and prevent homelessness? 

There are many ways you can help people who are experiencing homelessness.  

• Get informed: Read our homelessness statistics articles and understand who is affected by homelessness in Australia. 
• Stay informed: Sign up to the Everybody’s Home campaign to learn more about homelessness and get involved in campaigns.  
• Be empathetic: Learn more about what it means to be without a home by reading people’s stories of struggle through to hope.  
• Break down stigmas: Talk to your family, friends and colleagues about homelessness. Share the information you’ve learned on this page or ask them how they are affected by the housing and cost-of-living crises.  
• Reach out for help early: The lack of affordable housing, cost-of-living challenges or a sudden crisis can make anyone vulnerable to experiencing homelessness. If you — or someone you know — is worried about losing your home, we encourage you to reach out early as there is a lot we can do to support you before you face homelessness or shorten the duration if you already are experiencing homelessness.  
• Offer practical support: If you have some time to share, become a volunteer at a local Salvos service that supports people experiencing homelessness or facing other challenges.  
• Donate: Your generosity to our homelessness services can provide warm meals, safe beds and case management sessions.  

Every person deserves dignity and respect, and a safe, affordable and secure home. Together, we can all do something to end homelessness.