It’s Clear That Australia Can Do Better
The 2021 census data is now in, what does it tell us about homelessness?
Through all the stats and breakdowns, what it clearly shows us is that the problems with homelessness in this country are not getting substantially better.
We work in the homelessness space. The numbers unfortunately are not improving enough, we can see this through the data.
Here are 5 key takeaways from the new report:
Increasing from 116,367 in 2016 to 122,487 in 2021. This is representative of nearly 1 in 200 Australians experiencing homelessness on any given night.
Where the problems may be improving in some areas, they are being made worse in others. The numbers often hide the shifting populations.
18,373 kids under the age of 12 were reported as being homeless.
For youth, homelessness is not a choice.
This is a dramatic increase, well above the national average of 1 in 208
Not all homelessness is visible, less than 7% of people experiencing homelessness are sleeping rough on the streets. The majority will be in unsafe living environments like these.
What Can Be Done?
All too often these statistics and issues go overlooked. It’s obvious that this is an issue not as clearly in the public eye. Unlike stats on unemployment rates or economic trends, we only get data on homelessness in Australia once every 5 years, and by the time the data is released it’s already behind the curve.
It’s our belief that new solutions and ideas need to be put forward to address this problem on a national scale. What we hope to do is both increase public awareness and offer new solutions to these complex issues.
Read on for more key findings from the census, or visit our Linktree to connect with us and find out how you can be part of the conversation for change.
More Findings
The rate of homelessness fell from 50 in 10,000 to 48 in 10,000, which still translates to approximately one in 210 Australians experiencing homelessness (with the real number being exactly 1 in 208), working out to about 0.48% of the population.
That means that there are over 120,000 Australians experiencing homelessness on any given night. Exactly 122,487 people, a crowd over 20% larger than the attendance at the 2022 AFL Grand Final.
However, it’s important to remember that homelessness is a complex issue, and the census data is only one way of measuring it. Many people who are experiencing homelessness may not be captured in these statistics, it can be very difficult to see the complete picture.
While the problems are complex, we believe them to be solvable. We can do more to help that less than half a percent of our population get to sleep with a roof over their heads each night.
This data was collected in August 2021, when many people experiencing homelessness were placed into temporary housing and offered more financial support through the national covid response.
As life and “business as usual” resumes, amongst the rising inflation and cost of living increases, the problem is more than likely, much worse than what we may read in these findings.
Homelessness is often stigmatised, which makes it difficult for people to get the help that they need and find stable housing. Increasing public awareness and understanding of the causes and impacts of homelessness can help reduce this stigma and help people to find their way out of the cycle of homelessness.
Together, we can lift people out of poverty and empower them to exit homelessness.
Here are some ways to get involved:
Donate to pledge your ongoing support of our mission:
https://donorbox.org/make-a-difference-with-mobilise
Learn how to have your own conversations on the street:
https://linktr.ee/wearemobilise
Join us for an outreach via our Mobilise Outreach FB Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/775571525958760
