Insights into homelessness and marginal housing: a comprehensive analysis of Census data estimates

Of all people experiencing homelessness on Census night, nearly two in five (39%) were living in ‘severely’ crowded homes.

The latest data from ABS revealed that 122,494 people were estimated to be experiencing homelessness at the time of the 2021 Census, an increase of 6,067 people (5.2%) since 2016.

The rate of homelessness decreased to 48 people per 10,000, from 50 in 2016.

Of those experiencing homelessness in 2021:

• 68,516 (55.9%) were male, an increase of 1.6% from 2016
• 53,974 (44.1%) were female, an increase of 10.1% from 2016.

Females accounted for 81.7% of the 6,067 increase of people experiencing homelessness in 2021.

The rate of homelessness for males decreased in 2021 to 55 males per 10,000 (from 58 in 2016), while the rate for females increased in 2021 to 42 females per 10,000 (from 41 in 2016).

Homeless operational groups

The ABS uses six operational groups for presenting estimates of people experiencing homelessness on Census night.

These groups are:

• people living in improvised dwellings, tents or sleeping out
• people living in supported accommodation for the homeless
• people staying temporarily with other households
• people living in boarding houses
• people in other temporary lodgings
• people living in ‘severely’ crowded dwellings.

The ABS also compiles estimates from Census data for the following three groups of people who may be marginally housed but are not classified as homeless:

• people living in other crowded dwellings
• people in other improvised dwellings
• people marginally housed in caravan parks.

Of the 122,494 people experiencing homelessness in Australia in 2021:

• Two in five (39.1%) were living in 'severely' crowded dwellings
• One in five (19.8%) was in supported accommodation for the homeless
• One in six (18.1%) live in boarding houses.

Between 2016 and 2021, there were:

• 26.5% increase in people living in boarding houses
• 14.4% increase in people in supported accommodation for the homeless
• 6.9% decrease in people living in improvised dwellings, tents, or sleeping out
• 6.3% decrease in living in 'severely' crowded dwellings.

The decrease in people living in improvised dwellings, tents, or sleeping out and the increase in people in other temporary lodgings may be partly associated with measures put in place by local and state governments in response to COVID-19.

The increases in people living in boarding houses and people in other temporary lodging are also partly associated with improvements in data quality through greater use of administrative data.

Age

Of the 122,494 people experiencing homelessness in 2021:

• 25,504 (20.8%) were aged from 25 to 34 years
• 17,646 (14.4%) were aged under 12 years
• 17,085 (13.9%) were aged from 35 to 44 years.

The highest rates of homelessness per 10,000 people in 2021 were for those in the age groups 19–24 years (91 people per 10,000) and 25–34 years (70 people per 10,000).

Between 2016 and 2021 rates of homelessness per 10,000 people decreased across most age groups except for people:

• aged under 12 years, which increased to 48 people per 10,000, from 45 in 2016
• aged 12 to 18 years, which increased to 53 people per 10,000, from 51 in 2016.

Youth experiencing homelessness

In 2021 nearly a quarter (23.0%) of all people experiencing homelessness were aged from 12 to 24 years (28,204 people).

The rate of homelessness for this age group decreased from 73 people per 10,000 in 2016 to 71 people per 10,000 in 2021.

Young females had a homelessness rate of 70 people per 10,000 in 2021, up from 68 in 2016.

Young females were more likely than males to be:

• in supported accommodation for the homeless (26.6%, compared with 20.3% of males)
• staying temporarily with other households (9.9%, compared with 8.5% of males).

Young males had a homelessness rate of 71 people per 10,000 in 2021, down from 77 in 2016.

Young males were more likely than females to be:

• living in improvised dwellings, tents, or sleeping out (2.3%, compared with 2.0% of females)
• living in boarding houses (15.0%, compared with 10.4% of females)
• living in 'severely' crowded dwellings (52.0%, compared with 49.1% of females).

Older Australians experiencing homelessness

In 2021 19,378 people aged 55 years and over were experiencing homelessness, representing one in seven (15.8%) people experiencing homelessness at the time of the Census.

The rate of homelessness for older Australians decreased from 29 people per 10,000 in 2016 to 26 people per 10,000 in 2021.

Older females had a homelessness rate of 19 people per 10,000 in 2021, down from 20 in 2016.

Older females were more likely than males to be:

• in supported accommodation for the homeless (16.9%, compared with 10.2% of males)
• staying temporarily with other households (26.7%, compared with 19.6% of males)
• living in 'severely' crowded dwellings (30.5%, compared with 17.7% of males).

Older males had a homelessness rate of 34 people per 10,000 in 2021, down from 39 in 2016. Older males were more likely than females to be:

• living in improvised dwellings, tents, or sleeping out (12.4%, compared with 8.3% of females)
• living in boarding houses (37.1%, compared with 14.6% of females).

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

In 2021, 24,930 Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people were estimated to be experiencing homelessness, up 6.4% from 23,437 in 2016.

This represents one in five (20.4%) people experiencing homelessness in Australia.

Of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experiencing homelessness at the time of the 2021 Census:

• Three in five (60.0%) were living in ‘severely’ crowded dwellings
• Almost one in five (19.1%) were in supported accommodation for the homeless
• Nearly one in ten (9.3%) were living in improvised dwellings, tents, or sleeping out.

The states and territories with the highest rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experiencing homelessness were:

• Northern Territory: 1,865 people per 10,000
• Western Australia: 381 people per 10,000
• South Australia: 327 people per 10,000.

Of the 24,930 Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people experiencing homelessness at the time of the 2021 Census:

• 5,895 (23.6%) were aged under 12 years
• 4,099 (16.4%) were aged from 25 to 34 years
• 3,322 (13.3%) were aged from 12 to 18 years.

State and territories

Of the states and territories:

• Western Australia had the lowest rate of homelessness at 37 people per 10,000 in 2021
• New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, and Tasmania had rates ranging from 42 to 47 people per 10,000 in 2021
• Northern Territory had the highest rate of homelessness at 564 people per 10,000 in 2021.

Rates of homelessness per 10,000 people decreased between 2016 and 2021 in New South Wales, Queensland, Northern Territory, and the Australian Capital Territory.

Rates increased in Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania.

In 2021:

• Western Australia had the highest proportion of people living in improvised dwellings, tents, or sleeping out (23.8%)
• The Australian Capital Territory had the highest proportion of people in supported accommodation for the homeless (48.5%)
• Tasmania had the highest proportion of people staying temporarily with other households (25.0%)
• Victoria had the highest proportion of people living in boarding houses (28.0%)
• Northern Territory had the highest proportion of people living in 'severely' crowded dwellings (75.6%).

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