Use of homelessness services
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Between 1 July 2011 and 30 June 2021
-
13%
13% of humanitarian entrants were SHS clients.
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Almost 3 in 5
humanitarian entrant SHS clients were female (58%).
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57%
57% of of humanitarian entrant clients were assisted by SHS agencies on more than one occasion.
Between 1 July 2011 and 30 June 2021, a total of 104,163 specialist homelessness services (SHS) periods of support were provided to 29,518 humanitarian entrant clients. The data presented in this chapter were collected as part of the Specialist Homelessness Services Collection.
A specialist homelessness service (SHS) is an organisation that receives government funding under the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement (NHHA). A SHS provides accommodation or accommodation-related services and/or assistance and support services to people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. Under the NHHA, these agencies are required to participate in the Specialist Homelessness Services Collection (SHSC). Nationally 1,698 agencies delivered specialist homelessness services to almost 278,300 clients during 2020–21, in all states and territories (AIHW 2022).
All SHSC agencies report standardised data about the clients they support each month to the AIHW, as specified by the SHS National Minimum Dataset (NMDS). Data are collected about the characteristics and circumstances of clients when they first present to an agency. Additional data on the assistance received by clients and their circumstances are collected at the end of the month in which the client receives services, and again when contact with the client has ceased.
A SHS support period is the period of time a client receive services from a SHS agency. A client may have multiple support periods if they receive SHS services on multiple occasions.
More information on the Specialist Homelessness Services Collection is available on the AIHW website. The AIHW produces several reports using SHS data.
Migrants use of Specialist Homelessness Services
One in eight (13%) of the total humanitarian entrant population were SHS clients at any point between 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2021 (Table 6). The proportion of male humanitarian entrants who were SHS clients was 11%, compared with 15% of female humanitarian entrants. This is consistent with the whole SHS population where more females receive support than males (AIHW 2024).
A higher proportion of the humanitarian population were SHS clients than other permanent migrants overall, and for males and females (Table 6).
Cohort | Sex | SHS clients (number) | Total population (number) | Proportion of population who were SHS clients |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Humanitarian entrants | Persons | 29,518 | 234,957 | 12.6 |
Humanitarian entrants | Male | 12,293 | 117,264 | 10.5 |
Humanitarian entrants | Female | 17,225 | 117,693 | 14.6 |
Other permanent migrants | Persons | 65,950 | 3,291,149 | 2.0 |
Other permanent migrants | Male | 17,497 | 1,556,343 | 1.1 |
Other permanent migrants | Female | 48,453 | 1,734,806 | 2.8 |
Source: Refugee health linked data set
Notes:
- The number of SHS clients is the count of unique clients who accessed a SHS client at any point between 1 July 2011 and 30 June 2021.
- The total population is the total count of people who were in the respective cohort at any point from 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2021.
SHS use in humanitarian entrants by financial year
Over the reporting period, 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2021, the number of humanitarian entrant SHS clients receiving support increased from 2011–12 to a peak in 2019–20 (Figure 10). The number of clients decreased in the 2020–21 and 2021–22 financial years and may have been impacted by several state and territory policy changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. See Specialist Homelessness Services: monthly data report for details on the impact of these policies on SHS support.
Humanitarian entrant SHS clients presenting to homelessness services for the first-time decreased from 3,753 in 2011–12 to 1,849 in 2020–21 (Figure 10). The decrease in first time clients in 2020–21 may reflect the decrease in visas granted as part of the offshore humanitarian program during the COVID-19 pandemic (Department on Home Affairs, 2021).
Figure 10: Specialist homelessness services clients, humanitarian entrants, by financial year, 2011–12 to 2021–22
Line chart of humanitarian entrant specialist homelessness services clients in each financial year.
| Financial year | First time clients | Total clients who accessed support |
|---|---|---|
| 2011-12 | 3,753 | 4,034 |
| 2012-13 | 3,432 | 4,845 |
| 2013-14 | 3,059 | 4,997 |
| 2014-15 | 2,684 | 4,913 |
| 2015-16 | 2,699 | 5,021 |
| 2016-17 | 2,755 | 5,318 |
| 2017-18 | 2,659 | 5,440 |
| 2018-19 | 2,754 | 5,761 |
| 2019-20 | 2,958 | 6,002 |
| 2020-21 | 1,849 | 4,639 |
| 2021–22 | 2,522 |
Source:
Refugee health linked data set
Notes:
- First time clients is the count of unique clients who accessed a SHS for the first time beginning in that financial year.
- Total clients is the count of unique clients who had a support period which began in that financial year.
- The data presented does not include people who first used specialist homelessness services in 2021–22 but includes support periods in 2021–22 for people who had previously been SHS clients since 31 Jul 2011.
Number of support periods per client
From 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2022, there were 104,163 support periods provided to 29,518 clients who were humanitarian entrants. More than half (57%) of humanitarian entrant clients were repeat clients, and 43% received support on one occasion (Table 7).
Female humanitarian entrants were more likely to be repeat clients than male humanitarian entrants (61% of females compared with 52% of males).
Number of support periods for client | Proportion of humanitarian entrant SHS clients | Proportion of other permanent migrant SHS clients |
|---|---|---|
1 support period | 42.6 | 45.9 |
2 support periods | 19.8 | 19.7 |
3 support periods | 10.7 | 10.7 |
4 support periods | 6.5 | 6.5 |
5 or more support periods | 20.4 | 17.2 |
Source: Refugee health linked data set
Notes:
- Denominator is the total SHS clients who received support at any period between 2011–12 to 2021–22
- The number of support periods does not necessarily reflect the level of support as length of support periods may vary greatly meaning some clients may have many brief support periods and some may have a smaller number but that last a longer period.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2022) Specialist homelessness services annual report 2020–21, AIHW, Australian Government, accessed 05 June 2024.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2024) Specialist homelessness services annual report 2022–23, AIHW, Australian Government, accessed 13 May 2024.
Department of Home Affairs (2021) Australia’s Offshore Humanitarian Program 2020–21, Department of Home Affairs, Australian Government, accessed 05 June 2024.