Housing and homelessness

Shelter is a basic human need, and there is a strong correlation between housing, health status, and living standards. Housing assistance is an important element of Australian and state and territory governments' social policy and welfare framework. Within that framework a number of national and state and territory responses exist to assist people with their housing needs, including assistance for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

The Housing Assistance Unit works with the Australian Government, state and territory housing authorities, community housing organisations, Indigenous housing organisations and other housing providers to collect data on the state of housing assistance across Australia.

The AIHW has been committed to collecting, analysing and reporting high quality information on homelessness in Australia for over a decade. The Homelessness Data Collection Unit incorporates the SAAP National Data Collection Agency (SAAP NDCA), which collects and analyses data about the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program and its clients. On 1 January 2009, SAAP was replaced by the National Affordable Housing Agreement (NAHA). The AIHW is playing a significant role in the development of a new homelessness data collection that will run as part of the NAHA.

Use the links on the left to access more specific housing and homelessness information.