Specialist homelessness services annual report 2024–25

Housing affordability is an ongoing challenge for Australians (AIHW 2025; NHSAC 2025). Underpinned by a range of housing market pressures including supply, cost of housing, and Australia’s population growth and structure, housing affordability is a barrier to achieving stable housing for renters and homeowners in Australia (AIHW 2025; NHSAC 2025). For more information see Housing affordability.

Housing affordability stress occurs when an ‘unreasonable proportion of household income is required to pay housing costs’ (AHURI 2019). Households spending a disproportionate amount of income on housing may be unable to maintain these costs, increasing their risk of homelessness (NHSAC 2025). Understanding whether housing affordability stress affects specialist homelessness services (SHS) clients may reveal how housing market pressures shape the demand for SHS support in Australia. 

The characteristics and service outcomes of SHS clients who experienced housing affordability stress are explored in this feature topic. Data on clients experiencing housing affordability stress between the study period of 2014–15 to 2024–25 are presented by age and sex, geographical area, presenting unit type, homelessness status at the start of support, intersecting vulnerabilities and SHS client group. 

These data are derived from the Specialist Homelessness Services Collection (SHSC) data cubes 2011–12 to 2024–25. From 2022–23, to minimise the risk of identifying individuals, a technique known as perturbation was applied to randomly adjust cells with small numbers. For this reason, discrepancies may occur between the sum of component items and totals, and data may not exactly match other published data. 

Clients experiencing housing affordability stress

Main reason for seeking assistance

In 2024–25, around 1 in 11 (9.1% or 26,200) clients reported housing affordability stress as their main reason for seeking SHS assistance, double the number of clients (12,500 or 4.9%) in 2014–15 (Figure 1).

Among SHS clients, housing affordability stress increased from the sixth most common main reason (4.8% or 12,500 clients) for seeking SHS assistance in 2014–15 to the fifth most common main reason (9.1% or 26,200 clients) in 2024–25.

Any reason for seeking assistance

In 2024–25, around 1 in 3 (36% or 104,400) clients reported housing affordability stress as a reason for seeking assistance, an increase from 23% (57,700 clients) in 2014–15 (Figure 1).

Between 2014–15 to 2024–25, housing affordability stress was the fastest growing reason clients sought SHS assistance; increasing from the fifth most common reason for seeking assistance in 2014–15 to the fourth most common reason in 2024–25.

Clients experiencing housing affordability stress who reported housing affordability as the main reason for seeking assistance

States and territories

In 2024–25, among the states and territories (Figure 2):

• Victoria had the highest number of affordability-stressed clients (9,000), accounting for one-third (34%) of affordability-stressed clients nation-wide; followed by Queensland (6,900) and New South Wales (6,600).
• The Australian Capital Territory (15%) and Queensland (13%) had the highest proportion of SHS clients primarily facing affordability issues and Northern Territory (3.9%) had the lowest.

From 2014–15 to 2024–25, the number and proportion of affordability-stressed clients increased across almost all states and territories (Figure 2). Australian Capital Territory had the greatest increase in the proportion of affordability-stressed SHS clients; increasing two-fold from 6.3% in 2014–15 to 15% in 2024–25.

Age and sex

In 2024–25, a greater number of female SHS clients (15,100) were affordability-stressed clients than males (11,100), in part reflecting the greater number of females who access SHS services in Australia.

In 2024–25, a greater proportion of males across almost all age groups (except for clients aged 65+ (14%)) experienced housing affordability stress compared with females (Figure 3). In part, this may be because female clients tend to report other factors, such as family and domestic violence (34%) as the main reason for seeking assistance compared with male clients (16%), while housing affordability stress may be an additional reason. 

In 2024–25, around 1 in 7 (14%) clients aged 65 and over were affordability-stressed clients. Older clients aged 65 and over were more likely than other age groups to experience housing affordability stress (Figure 3):

• around 1 in 8 (12%) clients aged 18–24
• around 1 in 11 (8.9%) clients aged 25–34
• around 1 in 12 (8.6%) clients aged 35–44
• around 1 in 10 (9.7%) clients aged 45–54
• around 1 in 9 (11%) clients aged 55–64.

Between 2014–15 and 2024–25, the proportion of affordability-stressed clients increased across all age groups (Figure 3):

• Older clients aged 65 and over were consistently more likely to experience housing affordability stress compared with other age groups.
• Younger clients aged 18–24 had the greatest increase in housing affordability stress among age groups, increasing two-fold from 5.8% in 2014–15 to 12% in 2024–25.

The number of affordability-stressed children aged 0–17 may reflect the main reason their accompanying parent sought SHS support.

Presenting unit

When an SHS client presents to an SHS agency for support, the client and the people who present with the client are recorded, also known as a presenting unit type.

Of the 26,200 affordability-stressed clients in 2024–25 (Figure 4):

• around 2 in 3 (66% or 17,200) presented alone
• almost 1 in 4 (23% or 6,000) presented as a single parent/guardian with one or more children.

In 2024–25, among all SHS clients presenting in a couple without children, around 1 in 7 (14% or 860) were affordability-stressed clients – the highest proportion among the various presenting unit types (Figure 4).

Between 2014–15 and 2024–25, among all presenting unit types, housing affordability stress increased (Figure 4). The number and proportion of clients presenting alone who were affordability-stressed clients more than doubled from 4.5% (7,400 clients) in 2014–15 to 9.4% (17,200 clients) in 2024–25. By contrast, among all SHS clients, the number and proportion of clients presenting alone has remained stable since 2014–15.

Homelessness status

When a client receives a service, clients are considered at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness at the start of a support period.

In 2024–25, of the 25,700 affordability-stressed clients whose housing status was known at the start of support, a higher number and proportion of clients were experiencing homelessness (53% or 13,500 clients) compared with at risk of homelessness (47% or 12,100 clients) at the start of support (Figure 5).

In 2024–25, compared with all SHS clients whose housing status was known at the start of support, affordability-stressed clients were more likely to be homeless at the start of support (53% compared with 49%) (CLIENTS.12).

Between 2014–15 and 2024–25, an increasing proportion of affordability-stressed clients were experiencing homelessness at the start of support, increasing from 32% in 2014–15 to 53% in 2024–25 (Figure 5).

Among all SHS clients, housing affordability stress increased among those experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness at the start of support; increasing from 3.8% of clients who were experiencing homelessness and 6.7% of clients at risk of homelessness in 2014–15 to 10% and 8.7% in 2024–25, respectively.

Intersecting vulnerabilities

Affordability-stressed clients experience a range of vulnerabilities that may increase their likelihood of experiencing homelessness, including:

• family and domestic violence
• a current mental health issue
• problematic drug and/or alcohol use.

In 2024–25, over 2 in 5 (43%) affordability-stressed clients experienced at least one of the above listed vulnerabilities. Around 1 in 8 (12%) affordability-stressed clients experienced at least two of these vulnerabilities and around 1 in 54 (1.9%) affordability-stressed clients experienced all three vulnerabilities.

In 2024–25 (Figure 6):

• Almost 1 in 5 (19% or 4,800) affordability-stressed clients experienced family and domestic violence – an increase from 12% (1,600 clients) in 2014–15.
• Almost 1 in 3 (32% or 8,400) affordability-stressed clients experienced a current mental health issue – an increase from 24% (3,000 clients) in 2014–15.
• Around 1 in 13 (7% or 1,800) affordability-stressed clients experienced problematic drug and/or alcohol use – an increase from 5.9% (730 clients) in 2014–15.

Client groups

In 2024–25:

• Around 1 in 13 (7.7% or 6,400) First Nations clients were affordability-stressed clients – an increase from 4.1% (2,200 clients) in 2014–15.
• Around 1 in 11 (9.5% or 860) clients with disability were affordability-stressed clients – an increase from 1 in 19 (5.2% or 460) in 2014–15. Among clients without disability, this was a similar experience.
• A similar proportion of new (8.7% or 9,200) and returning (9.3% or 16,900) clients were affordability-stressed clients in 2024–25 – an increase from 4.8% and 4.9% in 2014–15, respectively. 

Services needed, provided and referred

In 2024–25, the top 3 services needed among affordability-stressed clients were general services, long-term housing and tenure assistance (Figure 8). Almost all clients needed general assistance (93% or 24,500), over half needed long-term housing (53% or 13,800) and two-fifths needed tenure assistance (40% or 10,500).

Compared with all SHS clients, affordability-stressed clients were more likely to need (Figure 8):

• long-term accommodation (53% compared with 39%)
• medium-term/transitional housing accommodation (40% compared with 30%)
• and tenure assistance (40% compared with 30%).

Between 2014–15 and 2024–25, among affordability-stressed clients, the need for general assistance, long-term housing, medium-term housing and short-term accommodation increased, while tenure assistance decreased (Figure 8).

The increase in need for short-term accommodation among affordability-stressed clients rose from 24% in 2014–15 to 38% in 2024–25; whilst the need for short-term accommodation among all SHS clients increased to a lesser extent from 37% in 2014–15 to 40% in 2024–25.

In 2024–25, affordability-stressed clients’ need for accommodation was not always met – that is, services were neither provided nor referred (Figure 7, Figure 8):

• Over 2 in 3 (72%) who needed long-term accommodation were not provided or referred the service, an increase from 58% in 2014–15.
• Around 3 in 5 (61%) who needed medium-term accommodation, were not provided or referred the service; an increase from 42% in 2014–15.
• Over 2 in 5 (45%) who needed short-term accommodation were not provided or referred the service, higher than the proportion of all SHS clients in 2024–25 (31%) and an increase from 39% in 2014–15.
• Almost 1 in 7 (14%) who needed tenure assistance were not provided or referred the service; a similar proportion to 2014–15.