In Australia, anyone can experience homelessness—kids, adults, and families from all kinds of backgrounds. Many people don’t realize how big of a problem it is in their communities.
Every night, according to the Human Rights Commission, about 1 in 200 Australians have nowhere safe or affordable to sleep.
A home isn’t just a house—it’s a place where people feel safe and secure. Everyone deserves a safe place to live.
What Is Homelessness?
The Australian Bureau of Statistics states that someone is homeless if they don’t have a good place to live and their current living situation is not safe or suitable:
“is in a dwelling that is inadequate;
or has no tenure, or if their initial tenure is short and not extendable;
or does not allow them to have control of, and access to space for social relations”
A home is more than just walls and a roof. It’s a place where people feel safe and secure. Everyone has the right to live in a safe and stable home, but sadly, many people in Australia have to stay in temporary places like shelters, crisis housing, or motels.
Homelessness isn’t just about not having a house—it also means missing important things that make a home, like safety, privacy, stability, and control over where you live.
What Is Hidden Homelessness?
In Australia, many homeless people aren’t always seen. They might sleep in a car, stay on a friend’s couch, or spend the night on a public bus. They have a place to stay, but it’s not a real home they can call their own. These people are known as the “hidden homeless.”
Causes Of Homelessness
There are many reasons why people become homeless, and it’s often a complicated problem. Some people lose their homes because they don’t have enough money, can’t find a job, or there aren’t enough affordable places to live. Other things can also lead to homelessness.
Some common reasons people become homeless are:
- Domestic Violence
- Poverty and limited income
- Lack of affordable and social housing
- People living with disability
- Unexpected life events
Domestic Violence
Many organizations say that family and domestic violence is the main reason women and children lose their homes. It’s also the biggest reason they need help finding a safe place to stay.
A inquiry by the Australian Parliament found that people who have experienced family and domestic violence, as well as Indigenous people, often struggle with homelessness. In some cases, the problem is getting worse.
Poverty And Limited Income
Poverty doesn’t just lead to homelessness for adults, but it is also common for people who have been homeless, making it harder for them to find and keep a home.
People can become homeless when they don’t have enough money, are in debt, didn’t get a good education, have mental or physical health problems, have a disability, rely on public housing, live in poor conditions, or feel left out of society.
Getting out of poverty is very difficult, partly because government support in Australia has been too low to cover basic living needs. Poverty and serious struggles put people at high risk of homelessness and the trauma that comes with it.
Lack Of Affordable And Social Housing
The Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) studied the reasons people become homeless.
AHURI found that there are big problems in society that make it harder for people to afford a home. Some of these problems include:
- Housing problems: Places with more homeless people often don’t have enough affordable rental homes. AHURI also found that housing problems can be made worse by personal struggles, like alcohol or drug use.
- Job shortages: More homeless people live in areas where it’s harder to find jobs.
- Lack of homelessness services: Some places don’t have enough help for homeless people. AHURI found that the Northern Territory, New South Wales, and Queensland don’t have enough services for the number of people who need them.
Homelessness has been rising in places where there aren’t enough affordable rental homes and rents are high. This is happening the most in big cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Hobart.
Over the last 30 years, fewer Australians own their homes. House prices have gone up a lot, but wages haven’t changed much.
In 1991, the price of a house was about four times what the average family earned. By 2015, it was more than seven times. Because of this, more people are renting instead of buying a home. At the same time, the number of government-supported homes has dropped from over 6% of all housing in 1996 to about 4% in 2016.
Since there aren’t enough affordable homes for people with lower incomes, homelessness has increased by 30% from 2006 to 2016.
People Living With Disability
People with disabilities have a higher chance of struggling to find stable housing and can have a harder time getting the help they need.
The people who take care of them (carers) are also at risk of becoming homeless. This is because caring for someone can make it difficult to work or go to school.
When carers can’t work as much, they earn less money, which makes it harder to afford rent and daily expenses. If they are already struggling financially, the stress of paying bills and trying to have a good quality of life can put them at even greater risk of becoming homeless.
Many homeless people may have a disability, but if it hasn’t been diagnosed, they can struggle to get help from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). To get NDIS support, a person needs an official diagnosis for a mental, physical, or learning disability. Even if someone has clear challenges, it can be hard to prove it without the right paperwork.
There are long wait times to see specialists who can diagnose these conditions, and mental health services can be hard to access. Private testing is very expensive, and there aren’t many free options. Some people may also struggle to gather the proof they need, like attending appointments or understanding their own needs. Moving around a lot, not having stable housing, and missing medical records make things even harder.
Unexpected Life Events
Natural disasters and unexpected events, like the COVID-19 pandemic, can also make homelessness worse. Because people experience homelessness in different ways, the help they need will also be different.
What Causes Homelessness In Older People?
Homelessness among older people is becoming a bigger problem in Australia. In the 2021 Census, the ABS found that one in seven homeless people were aged 55 or older.
As more people get older and buying a home becomes more expensive, this problem is expected to grow. Things like domestic violence, relationship breakdowns, money troubles, and not having enough retirement savings can make older people more at risk of becoming homeless.
Some groups are more likely to experience homelessness, including veterans, Indigenous people, and those from different cultural backgrounds. The ABS found that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 8% of older Australians who are homeless.
Why Are Young People Homeless?
For young people, being homeless is not a choice, but sometimes it feels like the only option. If their home life is unsafe or unstable, they may have to leave without knowing where to go.
According to the AIHW, about half (49% or 19,100) of young homeless people in Australia also struggle with alcohol or drug problems or have a mental health issue.
Things like neglect, family problems, substance abuse, poor living conditions, losing a loved one, not finding a job, or not getting enough support after leaving foster care can make it harder for them to find and keep a home as they grow up.
Homelessness can have lasting effects on a young person’s health, making it harder for them to stay in school, take care of their mental health, and feel connected to their community.
Our Mission
Hannah’s House provides crisis accommodation and mobile support to young women of Ipswich, QLD who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
We offer a safe, caring and encouraging environment where young women can come in a time of trouble, where during their stay, our staff work alongside our clients to help them move forward with a positive outlook and outcomes for their lives.
Hannah’s House links our clients with support networks within the Ipswich community, based on their needs and circumstances and, where appropriate, with family members.
Hannah’s House also provides many different services to assist young women to set goals and see positive outcomes where they can live successfully and independently.
Need Help?
Hannah’s House has been assisting young women since 1982. We believe that each person has intrinsic value, and deserves the chance to improve any negative situations they find themselves in.
Want To Help?
There is more than one way to help. While money donation is the easiest, you can contact us for other help options, such as clothing and other donations.
Ipswich, QLD