The YWCA Australia comissioned City Futures Research Centre to conduct a data audit concerning homelessness and housing security with a focus on gender. An examination of open data in Australia was undertaken, and insights from the findings were provided.
YWCA Australia and UNSW City Futures Research Centre have released a research report Gender, Housing Insecurity and Homelessness in Australia: Data Insights that sheds light on the complex landscape of homelessness in Australia, particularly the unique challenges faced by women, First Nations women, and young people.
Key findings include:
- While homelessness rates and numbers for men have decreased, women experienced an increase in both estimated numbers and rates of homelessness at the 2021 Census.
- First Nations populations witnessed a 6 per cent rise in experiences of homelessness, and First Nations women constituted nearly 23 per cent of all people experiencing homelessness in 2021.
- Women single parents experiencing homelessness outnumbered their male counterparts in every state.
- Young people are significantly impacted by the housing and rental affordability crisis, comprising almost half of the population experiencing homelessness in 2021.
- Around 49 per cent of the total number of people experiencing homelessness are young people and 57 per cent of people in inadequate housing are young people.
- Tasmania experienced substantial increases in rates of homelessness, while New South Wales, Northern Territory, and Queensland showed overall declines.
- Women experienced increased rates of homelessness in Tasmania, Victoria, and South Australia by around 16 per cent.
- In the Northern Territory, homelessness rates are 10 per cent higher for women than men.
- Women make up the majority of all users of specialist homelessness services (SHS) at 60 per cent.
- Family and domestic violence remains the leading factor (35 per cent) driving women to seek SHS assistance.
- Housing, including access and affordability, was the predominant reason for people with a disability accessing SHS.
Read the report here: