A landmark new study has revealed that a staggering three million Aussies are at risk of homelessness, an increase of almost 1.9 million since 2016.

The Call Unanswered report by Impact Economics found that between 2016 and 2022 the number of people at risk rose from 1,174,465 to 3,040,362.

And that huge increase has overwhelmed the capacity of homelessness services who have had to close their doors to people desperately seeking help.

Tent cities have been popping up across the country. Picture, John Gass

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The report, which surveyed specialist homelessness services across Australia over two weeks in September 2024, found that rental vacancies had been at record lows since mid-2022, sitting at just 1.2 per cent in September, half the availability in January 2020 or around the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Call Unanswered report by Impact Economics. Source: ABS

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“The largest drops in vacancies occurred in Darwin and Perth, where there is now one rental property available for every four that was available in January 2020,” the report said.

“Adelaide, Brisbane, and Sydney now have about half as many rentals available as they did in January 2020.

“Fuelled by the fall in rental vacancies, average rents have been climbing across Australia and increasing the number of households are experiencing rental stress.”

The report found:

NSW

Since the 2021 Census the number of households experiencing rental stress has increased by 14.2 per cent, with the increase concentrated in greater Sydney which has experienced an 18 per cent increase.

In 2024 there were an estimated 312,000 low income households experiencing rental stress, an increase of 38,900 since the 2021 Census.

Victoria

The number of households experiencing rental stress has increased by 43,100 since the 2021 Census, an increase of 23.1 per cent. Again, the increase was concentrated in the capital city, which is estimated to have experienced a 27.2 per cent increase.

In 2024, there are an estimated 229,000 low income households in rental stress across Victoria.

A rough sleeping tent city near the Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne in May. Picture : NCA NewsWire / Nicki Connolly

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Queensland

Across Queensland there are an estimated 200,000 low income households in rental stress, an increase of 16.1 per cent since the 2021 Census.

An estimated 88,000 low income households outside of Brisbane are experiencing rental stress, an increase of 5600 since the 2021 Census.

Meanwhile in Greater Brisbane, an estimated 112,000 households are experiencing rental stress, a 22,000 increase since 2021.

Tent city at McKillop Park at Rothwell, north of Brisbane, in April Picture: John Gass

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South Australia

South Australia has experienced a 16.1 per cent increase in the number of households experiencing rental stress, an increase of 8,800 since the 2021 Census.

In 2024 it is estimated that there are 62,600 households across South Australia in rental stress.

Western Australia

In 2024 an estimated 83,800 households are in rental stress, which is an increase of 15,700 since the 2021 Census.

This represents a 23.1 per cent increase, with an additional 14,100 households estimated to be experiencing rental stress in Perth.

The Call Unanswered report by Impact Economics

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Tasmania

In Tasmania, the level of rental stress was already high and there has been a smaller increase since 2021. Across the state there has been a 11.3 per cent increase, with an additional 2000 households experiencing rental stress. This represents 19,700 households, including 10,150 outside of Hobart.

ACT

The ACT has seen a large increase in the number of households experiencing rental stress since 2021, with 3500 additional households. This represents a 31.3 per cent increase and in 2024 an estimated 14,700 households were experiencing rental stress.

Northern Territory

Northern Territory has some of the highest rates of homelessness in Australia, driven by high levels of overcrowding. The analysis highlights that the housing crisis has driven an additional 26 per cent of Territorians into housing stress, including 1300 in Darwin.

A tent city in Coffs Harbour. Picture: Toby Zerna

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The report said that rough sleepers were accommodated in hotels during the pandemic, with that support eventually ending with people returning to the streets.

“Since temporary COVID-19 supports ended, providers have reported that demand remains as high as it was during the pandemic, if not higher,” the report noted.

“The removal of emergency funding and temporary accommodation options has left services struggling to meet the needs of a growing client base.

“People who are homeless are much more common than crisis beds in Australia.

“In many states, there are only a few hundred crisis beds available compared to tens of thousands of homeless people.”

The report revealed that the number of people already homeless and needing support had increased in every state between 2018/19 and 2023/24 – NSW (+24%), Queensland (20%), Western Australia (+24%), South Australia (+16%) and Northern Territory (+56%).

It noted the needs of clients had also become more complex.

Providers were forced to turn away families 21 per cent of the days surveyed, while individuals were turned away 51 per cent of the time.

“Unaccompanied young people with no accommodation were turned away on 11 per cent of the days surveyed, 35 instances,” the report said.

“The analysis of homelessness risk factors shows that many more people meet the risk criteria in 2022 than in 2016.”

Homelessness Australia CEO Kate Colvin said homelessness services simply don’t have the staff to stretch to everyone needing help, and have to go on ‘by-pass’, and triage support to people each day.

“This means opportunities to help people avoid homelessness are missed and people go longer without support or miss out entirely, making the path out of homelessness longer, more brutal and less likely to succeed,” she said.

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Impact Economics principal and report author Dr Angela Jackson said that cost of living increases always hurt those on lower incomes the most and thee figures highlight the extent of that hardship.

“Most of us would expect that if we needed help with finding somewhere to sleep tonight or to avoid eviction, we would receive that help but that is not the reality for many with homelessness services overly stretched,” Dr Jackson said.

“We need to address structural issues but also increase support today to deal with the current crisis.”

The report is the centrepiece of a new nationwide campaign, No one turned away, which calls for funding for homelessness services to be increased.

Tracey Wilkinson was among about 40 people living at the showgrounds in Lawnton, Brisbane. pic: Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier Mail

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PropTrack economic analyst Megan Lieu said that while the pace of rent price growth had slowed and rental stock had improved over the past year, weekly rents remained at record highs and supply remains scarce.

PropTrack’s September quarter rental report found that median advertised weekly rents grew by 1.6 per cent during the quarter and 7 per cent in the year – half the annual increase in the 12 months to September 2023 and the slowest annual growth since September 2023.

New rental listings have also reached their highest level in three years, rising by 8.6 per cent in the past 12 months, Ms Lieu said, adding that the strain on renters was still significant.

“Some renters may be alleviating pressures by seeking out cheaper properties, moving to more affordable areas or exploring opportunities in the housing market,” she said.

“When we look at lending activity and a few measures of demand, there seems to be some evidence of this shift.”

People eating at the Order of Malta soup kitchen in Bondi, one of the many services helping the homeless across Sydney. Picture: Richard Dobson

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