THE number of people already sleeping rough or homeless when first seeking help from services soared over the last year, as the rental crisis leaves more Australians without secure housing.
The latest statistics released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare for the 2022-23 period have revealed the number of people who are already homeless when seeking help has increased by 5.5%.
While the proportion of people sleeping rough when they first approach homeless services has increased 17%.
Additionally, there was a 16% increasing in people exiting homelessness support to rough sleeping and a 12% increase in exits to institutions like prisons or acute mental health facilities.
Crucially, the number of people exiting homelessness support services to enter the private rental market declined by 2% over 2022-23.
“These figures are a stark and alarming indicator of how the deepening housing crisis is pushing more Australians to sleep in their car, pitch a tent or couch surf,” said Kate Colvin, CEO at Homelessness Australia.
“It’s very hard to work or learn when you have no roof over your head or a real prospect of getting a home.”
Despite the deepening rental crisis across the country, the number of clients supported by homelessness services only increased by 1.3%, from 272,694 to 273,648, indicating capacity has hardly been improved at all.
These numbers also reflect a decline of 16,814 people compared to the volume of those being assisted when funding to homelessness services was temporarily increased during the lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Ending homelessness is entirely doable as we saw during COVID,” added Colvin.
“We need substantial investment in social housing, sustained focus on the causes of homelessness, and a significant boost in funding for homelessness support services.”
In Victoria alone, there has been a 24% overall increase over the last five years, with one in two areas in the state experiencing growth of more than 20%.
Homelessness Australia also pointed to the “$73 million funding black hole currently looming for homelessness services”, referencing the federal funding for the Equal Remuneration Order (ERO) supplementation for homelessness services.
The ERO funding is meant to cover the wages of the workforce, which is due to expire in June 2024.
“Australians are facing a housing and cost of living crisis that is pushing more people into homelessness. Without more funding for critical homelessness first responders, we risk seeing these trends worsen, putting more Australians in jeopardy of experiencing the harsh realities of homelessness,” concluded Colvin.