Australian Homelessness Monitor 2024 is the fourth in a series of national studies led by City Futures Research Centre to provide an overview analysis which highlights homelessness as a critical social problem, drawing links to labour market and housing market trends, and to social security and affordable housing policy developments. AHM reports have been published two-yearly since 2018.

The AHM model emulates the UK Homelessness Monitor project, as funded by CRISIS UK and led by Heriot-Watt University. Along with Heriot Watt’s Prof Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Prof Hal Pawson was a co-founder of UKHM in 2010. UKHM reports have proven highly successful in drawing UK policymaker and media attention to the damaging homelessness consequences of ‘welfare reform’ and parallel policy developments in housing and other related realms.

AHM 2024 is once again led by City Futures in collaboration with Prof Cameron Parsell at the University of Queensland. Also contributing to the research are Dr Andrew Clarke (UNSW School of Social Sciences, and CFRC Fellow), and Chris Hartley (Research Fellow).

Consistent with the established model, AHM 2024 covers homelessness in all its forms, but this time with a specific focus on actual and potential the homelessness role of local government authorities.

Research methods include:

Secondary data analysis drawing on a range of sources including AIHW Specialist Homelessness Services statistics, and rental housing market data.

Primary research – key stakeholder interviews (government, NGO, and local government players) to identify recent homelessness policy and practice developments, and to explore perceived factors influencing recent changes in the scale and nature of homelessness in Australia.

Primary research – an online survey of specialist homelessness service agencies to probe similar issues to those outlined above.

For further information about the project, please contact Prof Hal Pawson.