This section presents an overview of information provided by Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS) agencies on clients identified as having a current mental health issue who received services from specialist homelessness agencies. For a more comprehensive overview of recent data relating to clients, jurisdictional differences, and housing outcomes, please refer to Homelessness services Clients with a current mental health issue and Specialist homelessness services annual report.
It is important to note that the number of clients supported by Specialist Homelessness Services reflects the agency engagement of people which is not necessarily a reflection of the underlying level of homelessness in Australia (AIHW 2025a). This data pertains to individuals receiving Specialist Homelessness Services; not all those that attempt to access services are able to be provided assistance, and not all those who might need support seek it.
For further information, refer to unmet demand for specialist homelessness services.
Mental health and homelessness services
Safe and secure housing is fundamental to the health and wellbeing of individuals and families. Specialist homelessness services (SHS) agencies provide support for people experiencing, or at risk of homelessness. In 2023–24, SHS agencies provided support to 88,300 clients (32% of all clients) with a current mental health issue, an increase from 44,700 clients (19%) in 2011–12. This represents an average annual increase of 5.8%.
In 2023–24, among SHS clients with a current mental health issue, the most common main reasons for seeking assistance, were:
- housing crisis (20% or 18,000 clients)
- family and domestic violence (19% or 16,800 clients)
- inadequate or inappropriate dwelling conditions (13% or 11,300 clients).
Among SHS clients with a current mental health issue who ended support in 2023–24, around 8,100 (14% of the client group) were rough sleeping (no shelter or improvised/inadequate dwelling) at the start of support. Around 3,400 of these clients remained rough sleeping at the end of support (AIHW 2025b).
For more information and data visualisations go to Specialist homelessness services annual report 2023–24, Clients with a current mental health issue.
Where can I find more information?
