More affordable housing needed to stop rise in homelessness, study finds.

Launch Housing today released the results of a  study into the geographic trends of homelessness in Australia revealing larger scale economic and demographic factors are key drivers of homelessness.

Outlining the findings of the research, Launch Housing CEO Tony Keenan said “This research shows that where you are in Australia makes a huge difference to your likelihood of experiencing homelessness.”

“The area you live in and other broader social and economic factors such as an area’s income inequality are better indicators than explanations focusing only on individuals – problems with drugs and alcohol, or mental illness.”

“The Northern Territory accounts for a large proportion of homelessness in Australia. But outside that, homelessness increased most in areas clustered in the metropolitan regions of our mainland state capitals.”

“The extreme rates of homelessness in remote Australia – up to fifteen times the national average – is largely due to severe overcrowding amongst Indigenous communities and highlights the continuing failure of all Governments to develop appropriate policy solutions in those areas.”

“The significant increases in homelessness in growth corridors of outer metropolitan areas is often seen in areas demographic factors such as a higher rate of men, of sole parents and of young people in urban areas” he said.

“Homelessness rates are clearly rising in areas which have a decreasing supply of affordable rental properties.” said Mr Keenan.

“This research demonstrates that action on affordable housing could address a significant proportion of homelessness and importantly – help prevent people from becoming homeless” he said.

“There is a clear need for a national strategy on homelessness to address the variation of experiences across the country and governments must invest more into appropriate solutions.”

The research was a collaboration between Launch Housing and the Centre for Urban Research at RMIT and was funded by AHURI. The research maps the changes in the rate of homelessness around Australia as well as these regions share of overall homelessness.

Read the media release.

Get the fact sheet.