The thousands who sleep rough

The problem has only worsened over the past twenty-five years. So, this year during Homelessness Week from August 3 to 9, Homelessness Australia is encouraging community support and pushing for government action to end homelessness.

This year’s theme is Homelessness Action Now.

On Tuesday Australians will be filling in the Census, but the latest official nationwide total (Census August 2021) revealed that 122,494 people were experiencing homelessness – an increase of 6,067 people, or 5.2 per cent, compared with the 2016 Census.

Homelessness is not just about sleeping on the streets. The 2021 figure included 47,895 people living in overcrowded dwellings, 24,291 in supported accommodation, 22,137 in boarding houses and 16,597 staying temporarily in other households.

About 7,636 people were sleeping outdoors or living in tents and makeshift shelters.

Young people were most vulnerable. Australians aged between 12 and 24 accounted for 23 per cent of the homeless population, while 17,646 homeless people were children under 12. Men represented 55.9 per cent of those experiencing homelessness and women represented 44.1 per cent.

These figures underestimate the true scale of the problem because homelessness is often hidden with people sleeping in cars, moving between friends’ homes, escaping family violence or living in temporary arrangements that may not be acknowledged by the Census.

Australia’s housing shortage, rising rents, cost-of-living pressures, family violence and limited availability of social housing all contribute to the problem.

More details available at homelessnessaustralia.org.au/homelessness-week/

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