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, even more people are at risk of becoming homeless due to varying circumstances. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) Specialist homelessness services annual report 2023–24 shows a year-on-year increase of 6500 people accessing Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS) between 2022–23 and 2023–24, rising from 273,600 to 280,100.
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 AIHW show which states and territories have the largest numbers of people seeking support from SHS.
Based on state population data, NSW had the lowest rate of people receiving assistance — one in 123 — despite total numbers representing 24 per cent of the national SHS population.
In the Northern Territory, although only four per cent of the national SHS population, the rate of people seeking assistance was extremely high at one in 25 people.
Homelessness facts: What does it mean to be ‘homeless’?
A person may be considered homeless if they do not have suitable accommodation and their current living arrangement:
- Is in a dwelling that is inadequate
- Has no tenure, or if their initial tenure is short and not extendable
- 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 or 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
- 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, experiencing homelessness — or being at risk of homelessness — means feeling unsafe and disconnected from community or loved ones. It impacts mental and physical health 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 and domestic violence, child abuse or sexual assault
- Traumatic experiences, such as intergenerational traumas, loss of loved ones (especially a carer for a young person) and 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 reason people seek support from SHS (26%). |
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, SHS have seen an increase in adult clients nominating ‘housing affordability stress’ (+19,019 people) as a reason for seeking support (2018–19 to 2023–24). Additionally, ‘financial difficulties’ has been identified by the greatest 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, 64 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 fact that females aged 25–34 is the largest group to seek support from homelessness services (source: AIHW).
Cost of living concerns, combined with anxiety and fear around a lack of affordable housing options, are contributing to people’s uncertainties about their own housing situation:
Source: The Salvation Army, internal research, June 2025
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 due to the societal challenges we are seeing in Australia and people’s individual circumstances.
As part of a study of almost 3600 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 2025: Struggling to survive, The Salvation Army, Policy, Research and Social Justice Department (May 2025)
“I don’t manage. I survive. I have gone without food for five days before so my children could eat, only having water. I’ve stopped taking some of my own medications so I can afford food for my children. Feeling unable to do anything more is horrible.”
– 29-year-old woman from Queensland responding to The Red Shield Report 2025: Struggling to survive, The Salvation Army, Policy, Research and Social Justice Department (May 2025)
We believe in good for people’s lives — it is our motivation for ending homelessness
Experiencing or being at risk of homelessness impacts people’s health outcomes. Research by the AIHW 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 an individual or family then extends to a sense of stability and an ability to better connect to a 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 loved ones into. It provides people with safety and hope.
In the 2023–24 financial year, The Salvation Army assisted nearly 40,000 people through our homelessness services. This includes providing emergency accommodation, meals and casework to support people with their goals.
As of 30 June 2024, Salvation Army Housing managed over 1900 properties throughout Australia, providing long-term housing, transition housing as well as crisis and rooming house tenancies, supporting over 3000 people.
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 14,700 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