Part G: Released on January 22, 2024
These data tables relate to the entire sector. Data specific to individual service areas can be found in the data table under the relevant service area.
Note: Data tables are referenced by tables xA.1, xA.2, etc., where x refers to sector or overview. For example, table GA.1 references data table 1 in this sector overview.
Main purpose of services within the sector
The primary objective of housing and homelessness sector services is to ensure that all Australians have access to affordable, safe and sustainable housing. It is an important determinant of well-being associated with improved health, education, employment, and even economic and social participation. (CSERC 2015).
Services included in the sector
There are three main areas of government involvement in the housing and homelessness sector.
- public housing services
Subsidized rental housing provided by nonprofit organizations, nongovernmental organizations, or government agencies to assist people who cannot access suitable accommodation through the private market. - Homeless specialist services
Direct assistance, including accommodation and other services, to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. - financial support (Private Housing) – Private rental assistance and housing purchase assistance as targeted payments to support access to private housing and reduce demand for social housing and homeless services (not covered by the Housing and Homelessness section) .
Further information on achieving equity, effectiveness and efficiency in service delivery and outcomes in the public housing and homeless specialist services sector is contained in service-specific sections.
Government spending in this area
Total Australian, state and territory government recurrent spending on social housing and homeless specialist services will be approximately $6.3 billion in 2022-23 (Tables 18A.1 and 19A.1), an increase of 1.8% compared to 2021-22. Did. For fiscal year 2021-22 (the latest fiscal year for which data is available across all sections), this represents approximately 1.7% of the total government spending covered in this report. The Australian Government's share of this spending was $3.8 billion in 2022-2023 (Table GA.1). Public housing services accounted for $4.9 billion (Table 18A.1), and homeless-specific services accounted for $1.4 billion (Table 19A.1).
Australian Government spending on Commonwealth Rent Assistance (CRA) The largest government-private rental assistance program was $4.7 billion in 2022-23, down from a five-year high of $5.7 billion in 2020-21 (Table GA.5).
Industry trends
The routes into and through the housing and homelessness services sector vary widely (Figure G.1). Factors contributing to housing instability and homelessness include market factors that influence housing affordability and household factors such as adverse personal, social, and economic circumstances (Stone et al. 2015 ).
Figure G.1 The role of housing and homelessness services in the housing pathway
Low-income people are particularly vulnerable to housing instability as market factors lead to higher private housing prices. “Rental stress” (spending more than 30% of total household income on rent) is a measure of housing affordability for this cohort. In 2019-2020, 52.5% of low-income households renting in the private sector paid more than 30% of their gross household income on housing costs (Table GA.3)..
Among low-income households that were CRA recipients at the end of June 2023, 70.6% would have experienced rental stress without the CRA (Table GA.13). Even with CRA, 42.9% still experience rental stress (Figure G.2). Further information regarding CRAs is provided in Tables GA.5 to GA.14.
If financial assistance cannot address housing instability, public housing or specialized homeless services may be needed. Paths through these closely intertwined service areas vary widely and often intersect with other service areas depending on:
- The combination and complexity of market and household factors that drive the need for services.
- Current housing or homelessness status
- Services provided
- Households' ability to use services effectively.
Inability to temporarily access or maintain stable housing in the private sector may be addressed with the assistance of short- or medium-term services. For others, continued housing stability may depend on long-term social housing occupancy. A smaller proportion of service users experience variable but persistent vulnerability to housing instability and homelessness. This is usually associated with a complex combination of adverse social and economic circumstances that affect households' ability to remain engaged with service providers and utilize services effectively. For the most vulnerable, limited progress towards more unstable housing arrangements and homelessness may require different types of services and may not be sustainable. . Further progress may be possible by working again with your service provider later.
Factors that increase the risk of homelessness and the need for social housing include physical and mental health problems, disabilities, alcohol and other drug abuse, unemployment, relationship breakdown, and family and domestic violence. . For example, reasons for seeking help from specialist homelessness services in 2022-2023 included mental health, medical issues or problematic substance use for 24.1% of clients. Interpersonal and relationship problems were the reason for 49.0% of clients, of which 73.3% identified domestic and family violence (AIHW 2023).
Housing instability and homelessness can increase vulnerability to adverse social and economic circumstances, for example through poorer outcomes in education, employment and health, and increased risk of involvement with the justice system. (Bevitt et al. 2014).
References
AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) 2023, Homeless Specialist Services Annual Report 2022-23, https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/homelessness-services/specialist-homelessness-services-annual-report/contents/about (accessed 12 December 2023).
Bevitt, A., Chigavazira, A., Herault, N., Johnson, G., Moschion, J., Scutella, R., Tseng, Y., Wooden, M. and Kalb, G. 2014. Journeys Home Research Report No. 6, Melbourne: University of Melbourne.
Federal Senate Economic Reference Committee (CSERC) 2015, Out of reach? Australia's housing affordability challenges; Canberra.
Stone W., Sharam A., Wiesel I., Ralston L., Markkanen S., James A. 2015. Accessing and maintaining private tenancies: major life events, housing shocks and insurance; Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute Limited Final Report no. 259, Melbourne.
- CRA is a recipient of eligible Social Security payments, Family Tax Benefits Part A (paid in excess of the base rate), or eligible Veterans Administration Allowances for a set minimum amount of private or multifamily rental costs. Available to those who exceed.Find footnote 1 above
- Data for all low-income rental households (public and private) can be found in Table GA.2 and shows that the proportion of all low-income rental households paying more than 30% of their income in rent is 42.0%. I am.Find footnote 2 above
