Homelessness Australia and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Housing Association (NATSIHA) are warning First Nations families are being left behind, as new analysis reveals a surge in the number of Indigenous adults and children turning to homelessness services.
Homelessness Australia has released fresh data to coincide with the launch of Homelessness Week, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's Day on Monday (4 August).
The latest snapshot, 'Raising the alarm: Australia's family homelessness emergency' found a concerning 5% rise in the overall number of people in families with children accessing homelessness support services between 2021-22 and 2023-24. Of those people in homeless families, 31% are Indigenous.
The snapshot also includes sobering detail about how Indigenous children are disproportionately affected. In 2023-24 homelessness services assisted 77,003 children, of which 24,552 were Indigenous children.
The homelessness sector is issuing a stark warning to the federal government, with homelessness rates worsening in recent years, including the unacceptable and disproportionate rise in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people seeking homelessness support.
"This crisis is out of control and this data shows systemic inequality, housing shortages, and domestic and family violence are pushing First Nations communities into worsening disadvantage," Homelessness Australia CEO Kate Colvin said.
"First Nations Australians already face higher rates of overcrowded housing and poor housing conditions and earlier contact with homelessness services. These figures show the gap is widening, and that's unacceptable," Kate Colvin said.
"Homelessness isn't just a housing issue; it's a health issue, an education issue, and a justice issue. You can't access healthcare without a stable address. Children can't consistently attend school if they don't know where they'll sleep that night. And without secure housing, our people are more likely to be criminalised simply for surviving. Until the Australian Government treats housing as the foundation for all other outcomes, it will continue to fail in its commitment to Closing the Gap," Zachariah Matysek, Acting CEO of NATSIHA said.
"This new data confirms what our communities have been saying for decades - that we are being left behind in the most basic of human rights: a safe and stable home.
"Almost one-third of children experiencing homelessness are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. That's not just a statistic - that's a national shame. We urgently need a First Nations-led National Housing and Homelessness Plan, resourced properly and backed by real commitments, not just rhetoric," Zachariah Matysek said.
Key findings:
First Nations over‑representation is growing – First Nations people already account for 28 per cent of all people who are homeless and 31 per cent of people in homeless families.
Demand continues to climb – Between 2021‑22 and 2023‑24 the number of Indigenous Australians in families seeking help rose 4 per cent (from 27,639 to 28,773).
More families are in crisis at the point of contact – First Nations families already homeless when they first asked for support jumped 12 per cent over the same period, while those still homeless at the end of support rose 8 per cent.
Separate Homelessness Australia analysis of monthly service data shows an 19 per cent jump in First Nations clients since May 2022, including rises of 21 per cent for women and girls and 16 per cent for men and boys.
In 2023‑24 homelessness services helped 77,003 children; 24,552 (almost one‑third) were Indigenous.
Homelessness Australia is calling for targeted action to address this issue, including a dedicated First Nations National Housing and Homelessness Plan to guide major reforms, a major boost to the Housing Australia Future Fund to supply enough social housing to meet need, and properly resourcing First Nations organisations so they can deliver housing and homelessness services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
