Client geography

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Key findings and insights Regional profile of SHS clients Housing situation

Key findings and insights

  • The nation’s highest SHS client rates were in the Northern Territory – Outback and Western Australia – Outback (North), with around 6,300 and 5,500 clients respectively, equating to 616 and 543 per 10,000 population. 
  • In just over half of SA4 regions (46 of 88 regions), most clients were at risk of homelessness, while in the remaining regions, most were experiencing homelessness. 
  • The highest proportion of clients experiencing homelessness was in Perth - Inner (82%) and the highest proportion of at risk clients was in Sydney - Ryde (North) (73%).

Where people live can shape their risk of, and experience with, homelessness (Parkinson et al. 2019). In Australia, market changes can influence the availability of housing options within an area (Wood et al. 2014). For example, in June 2025, the national rental vacancy rate was at 1.6% close to the record low of 1.5% seen in early 2024.  In regional areas it was 1.7% and in capital cities 1.6% (Cotality 2025), highlighting the limited housing choices available in many locations. 

Insights into the areas where people live during periods of housing instability or homelessness can help inform effective, region-specific policies and interventions (Semborski et al. 2022). 

This section examines clients supported by specialist homelessness services (SHS) across Australia, focusing on the locations where clients resided prior to accessing SHS support. The rate of SHS access varies geographically, influenced by factors such as the availability of services and region-specific housing pressures. It is important to note that the number of SHS clients in a region reflects service engagement rather than the total prevalence of housing instability, offering insight into service response rather than the full extent of need. 

Regional profile of SHS clients

SHS client rates were highest in the Northern Territory – Outback, at 5.8 times the national rate, while the lowest rate was in Sydney – Baulkham Hills and Hawkesbury.

In 2024–25, SHS agencies assisted nearly 289,000 clients across Australia, representing a rate of 106.3 clients per 10,000 population nationally (Supplementary table CLIENTS.1). For around 20,800 clients, the location where they were living in the week prior to support was unknown, and these clients are excluded from the following regional analyses.

When comparing rates of SHS clients in 2024–25, the highest rates within each state and territory were recorded in the following SA4 regions (Figure CLIENTLOC.1):

  • New South Wales: Far West and Orana (280.8 clients per 10,000 population)
  • Victoria: North West (283.2)
  • Queensland: Queensland - Outback (297.0)
  • Western Australia: Western Australia - Outback (North) (542.8)
  • South Australia: South Australia - Outback (201.3)
  • Tasmania: West and North West (121.4)
  • Northern Territory: Northern Territory - Outback (616.0)

While the above regions had the highest rates of clients in their respective states and territories, the largest client numbers nationally were concentrated in Victoria. The five regions with the greatest client rates in 2024–25 were all located in Victoria (Figure CLIENTLOC.1):

  • Melbourne - West (15,000 clients or 157.2 per 10,000 population)
  • Melbourne - South East (10,400 clients, or 110.8 per 10,000 population)
  • Melbourne - Inner (9,700 clients, or 138.1 per 10,000 population)
  • Latrobe - Gippsland (7,800 clients, or 251.2 per 10,000 population)
  • Melbourne – Outer East (6,800 clients or 126.6 per 10,000 population).

Figure CLIENTLOC.1: Clients by age and sex, Statistical Area 4 (SA4), 2024–25

Dashboard shows an interactive map of Australia with Northen Territory Outback having the highest rate of SHS clients per 10,00 ERP.

Dashboard shows an interactive map of Australia with Northen Territory Outback having the highest rate of SHS clients per 10,00 ERP.

Source: Specialist Homelessness Services Collection. Supplementary table CLIENTLOC.1.

Across the 88 SA4 regions, females comprised the majority of SHS clients in all but four SA4 regions, with the highest proportions in Western Australia - Wheat Belt (76%) and Bunbury (76%) (Supplementary table CLIENTLOC.1). The only regions where male clients formed the majority of clients were inner-city areas of state capitals: Perth - Inner (53%) and Melbourne - Inner (52%). 

The age profile of clients varied markedly by region (Supplementary table CLIENTLOC.1):

  • Young children (aged 0–9) were most common in Ipswich (27%) and Darling Downs – Maranoa (25%).
  • Young people (aged 15–24 years) were more common in Sydney - Sutherland (35%) and Sydney - North Sydney and Hornsby (32%).
  • Older clients (aged 55 years and over) were most common in Hobart (18%).

Housing situation

Among clients whose housing status and location were known at the start of their first support period in 2024–25, around 121,000 clients were experiencing homelessness at that time (Supplementary table CLIENTLOC.1). 

The housing situation of clients at the start of their first support period varied across the regions (Figure CLIENTLOC.1): 

  • Among the 88 SA4 regions, the top 15 regions with the highest numbers of clients experiencing homelessness accounted for around one-third (33%) of all clients in this situation. 
  • Clients at risk of homelessness (rather than experiencing homelessness) at the start of support formed the majority in 46 of the 88 SA4 regions.
  • The largest numbers of clients experiencing homelessness were in Melbourne - West (4,700), Melbourne - Inner (4,200) and Melbourne - South East (3,500).
  • The highest proportion of clients experiencing homelessness was in Perth - Inner (82% or 1,900 clients), while the highest proportion of clients at risk of homelessness was in Sydney - Ryde (73% or 290 clients).
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