Homelessness services turning away Aussies as housing crisis deepens

Australia’s housing crisis has been spotlit in a confronting new report that reveals almost two-thirds of homelessness services are turning away people they would have once helped, with some providers turning away as many people as they take in. The Breaking the Firestorm report prepared for the Albanese government found 91 per cent of homelessness providers say demand has risen over the past two years, and only 3.9 per cent of people who needed long-term housing were able to secure it. Homelessness Australia prepared the research to inform the Treasury’s Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO), drawing on fresh data from the UNSW City Futures Research Centre’s Australian Homelessness Monitor 2026 and Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) figures. The UNSW survey of providers found 86 per cent say finding long-term housing for clients is harder than it was two years ago, with 70 per cent saying it is “much harder”. Fewer than one per cent say it has become easier. One peak body representative told the researchers staff have “nothing to offer” beyond tents and advice on where to camp safely, and that women leaving family violence are being asked, “Do you have a lock...