This week is Homelessness Week and the theme this year is “Homelessness Action Now”.Homelessness Week aims to raise awareness, start conversations, aid people experiencing homelessness and prevent those at risk from falling into homelessness.
In Australia, homelessness is getting worse every day. We can’t keep waiting for change to happen.
Homelessness can take many forms; it can look like anything from living in an overcrowded house to sleeping rough, or couch-surfing at a friend’s place. 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, 122,494 people in Australia are experiencing homelessness.
One in seven people experiencing homelessness are children under 12.
23 per cent of people experiencing homelessness (almost one in 4) are children and young people between 12 and 24.
One in five people experiencing homelessness are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.