Homelessness Week 2025
Homelessness Week 2025
About Homelessness Week
Homelessness Week is an annual campaign organised by Homelessness Australia with the aim to build community support and government commitment to end homelessness.
Homelessness Week is an opportunity to raise awareness about the causes and impacts of homelessness, to educate communities on how they can make a difference, and to highlight the solutions needed to make a change.
Homelessness in Australia is getting worse every day. We can’t keep waiting for change to happen. That’s why the Homelessness Week 2025 theme is: Homelessness Action Now.
Facts about homelessness
On any given night, 122,494 people in Australia are experiencing homelessness (ABS Census 2021).
The housing crisis is driving increased homelessness. The housing system is failing people on low incomes — and homelessness is the result.
Demand for homelessness help outstrips capacity. Homelessness services are stretched beyond their limits and unable to keep up with growing demand. Thousands of people who need urgent help are being turned away every year.
Rough sleeping is increasing and persistent homelessness is rising. Rough sleeping — the most visible form of homelessness — continues to grow, with a 33% increase over the past two years. Persistent homelessness — defined as being without a home for more than seven months over a 24-month period — has increased by 25% over the past five years.
Homelessness is costing lives. People experiencing homelessness are dying younger, and in increasing numbers.
Homelessness has a profound effect on a person’s physical and mental health, their education and employment opportunities, and their ability to fully participate in society. Not having a stable, safe and secure home makes it harder for individuals to find and maintain a job, to stay healthy and maintain relationships, which leads to people becoming socially isolated.
Action needs to be taken now.
You can find out more on the Homelessness Australia website.
Get involved this Homelessness Week
Homelessness Week is an important opportunity to put the issue of homelessness on the agendas of Federal and State governments.
Building more social and affordable housing would ease pressure in the rental market and give people a real chance at stability. Lifting income support ensures people can afford rent and cover basic living costs.
But housing alone isn’t enough. Gaps in support systems — like mental health care, disability support, and family violence services — also leave people without the help they need to stay housed or recover from crisis. Too many people return to homelessness because their needs aren’t met after being housed. With the right help, people can stay housed and rebuild their lives.
No-One Turned Away campaign
Homelessness Australia’s No-One Turned Away campaign aims to build pressure on Government to invest in homelessness services.
The campaign is calling on Federal and State governments to help people facing homelessness by:
- Providing the support people need to avoid or quickly escape homelessness.
- Providing rapid access to safe affordable homes.
- Increasing income support so people can afford their rent.
You can find out more, read the research and solutions, and join the campaign on the No-One Turned Away website.
Join the conversation
Help amplify the messages of Homelessness Week and share your stories, thoughts and concerns about homelessness on social media using the hashtag #HW2025.
And tag your federal or state members of parliament in your posts.
Support your local homelessness services
You can also get involved with your local homelessness support services, like the EMC.
Find out how you can support our mission to address issues faced by people who are experiencing homelessness, at risk of experiencing homelessness, or experiencing social isolation.
Please contact us to find out more and get involved.
Statistics sourced from the Homelessness Australia website.