5 August 2024
Monday 5 August to Sunday 11 August marks Homelessness Week 2024. The week aims to raise awareness, start conversations, aid people experiencing homelessness and prevent those at risk from falling into homelessness.
Homelessness can take many forms, it can look like anything from living in an overcrowded house to sleeping rough. It is important to recognise what homelessness looks like and how you can help those around you who may be experiencing housing insecurity.
Opening conversations about homelessness is an important part of raising awareness of the issue. Homelessness is often something that we think couldn’t happen to us, but the 2021 ABS Census shows that:
- on any given night in Australia, nearly one in 200 people are experiencing homelessness
- one in 7 people experiencing homelessness are children under 12
- almost one in 4 people experiencing homelessness are young people between 12 and 24
- one in 5 people experiencing homelessness are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.
Find out more:
It’s time to learn and share more about homelessness – visit: homelessnessaustralia.org.au
To find out more about housing and homelessness challenges, view the department’s Issues Paper, developed to support consultations on the National Housing and Homelessness Plan (the Plan). A summary of the Plan’s consultation findings is also available at – engage.dss.gov.au/developing-the-national-housing-and-homelessness-plan
To find out more about how the Department of Social Services support those who are experiencing homelessness, visit www.dss.gov.au/housing-support