homelessness / no fixed abode

see also:

• social issues
• poverty
• addiction medicine (alcohol and other substance use)

• home ownership is increasingly out of reach for most people
  • divorce is likely to mean loss of home ownership, especially if the couple had failed to pay off the loan and the mortgage is still a high proportion of home value
  • soaring home insurance premiums and home maintenance costs along with cost of living rises are significant financial factors which may force some home owners to sell
• the unemployed, those with casual work and even those who work for themselves will find it near impossible to rent in the private sector and will need to rely upon an over-stressed public housing sector with long waiting lists, couch surfing with friends, or resort to living on the streets or in camp grounds
  • this is particularly an issue for women experiencing domestic violence or who are recently left their partners and are waiting for a protracted settlement of a divorce
• homelessness is also a major problem for those with substance use disorders, psychiatric or aggressive behaviour disorders
  • they may have an intervention order placed against them from returning to their home
  • their past substance use or aggressive behaviours may have resulted in them being banned from usual crisis or supported accommodation

• home renovation loans for home owners - see https://www.housing.vic.gov.au/home-renovation-loan-owners
• fully self-contained movable units which can be set up in backyards to allow proximity to family or friends - see https://www.housing.vic.gov.au/movable-units
• Aged Care packages
  • those who have been approved for an aged care package will have a provider with case manager allocated and depending upon the level of the package can be provided with various services to assist with daily living
  • there can be a long wait time for approval for these packages and they do require a prior Aged Care Assessment by a geriatrician
  • there are eligibility requirements before an Aged care Assessment can be approved - see https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/am-i-eligible
    • usually need to be 65yrs of age or older but may be eligible if 50 yrs of age and older and special circumstances such as homelessness or low income
• Supported Independent Living (SIL)
  • similar to the aged care packages, SIL is available for those on disability pensions to assist with daily living

• in 2026, two-thirds of pensioners who rent in the private market are living in poverty
• the rental market is very competitive
  • many landlords will only rent to those with evidence of good past rental references and proof of ongoing employment
• private rental is expensive
  • for pensioners and those relying on other financial benefits, the rent will consume much of their monthly income leaving them below the poverty line
    • in 2025, for those on a pension, 70-75% of single retirees who rent are living below the poverty line, while almost half of retired couples live below the poverty line if they rent¹⁾
• rental supply is falling - rental investments are now comparatively less attractive in Victoria
  • there has also been a dramatic reduction in rental accommodation in Victoria after the Andrews Government substantially increased investment costs such as Land Tax and new compliance laws (eg. annual safety checks, mould issues, tenant rights, etc) which have substantial costs while decreasing the powers of landlords (eg. contract lengths, banning of pets no longer allowed, etc) at a time when interest rates are high and landlord insurance is soaring to unaffordable levels. This has resulted in investors selling up rental properties (with some benefit to new home owners) and investing interstate instead. The massive Land Tax increases for those with unoccupied investment properties does not seem to have sufficiently offset the above.
  • in many cities, tourist accommodation via AirBnB and similar has dramatically reduced supply of rental properties however, this has not had a substantive impact in Melbourne
    • in 2024, Barcelona effectively banned private tourist short term rentals other than in hotels or similar
• rental demand continues to climb
  • home ownership out of reach for most
  • high divorce / separation rates
  • ongoing immigration
• rental assistance
  • Rental aid from Fed Govt is capped at max just over $100/week
  • loans for private renters - see https://www.housing.vic.gov.au/no-interest-and-low-interest-loans
• caravan park long term rental accommodation
  • may be an option for some people
• share housing
  • private rentals paid by a number of people who are often strangers to each other
  • sometimes the landlord also lives there and if they are on a pension, they may let out other rooms without a formal lease to avoid the Govt knowing they are receiving income as this would reduce their pension²⁾
  • unfortunately many people, especially older women, do not feel safe in shared housing and would rather live in a vehicle³⁾
  • “rooming houses” generally need to be registered with the local council, the rooming house operator is required to be licensed and the accommodation is subject to regulations for minimum standards⁴⁾
    • residents of a rooming house have an individual agreement with their rooming house operator/manager
• temporary private accommodation
  • hostels
    • these are commonly used by traveling backpackers as a cost effective travel accommodation
    • may have more than one person sleeping in a shared dormitory or they may have individual rooms with shared toilets/showers/etc
  • “couch surfing”
    • the concept was originally a free service mainly for backpackers provided by hosts but this has changed, especially since Covid pandemic and the number of hosts has dramatically fallen and now there is usually a fee to access the social media platform as many of these were sold to venture capital such as ⁵⁾ but there are still a few free platforms⁶⁾⁷⁾⁸⁾
    • mainly only available in capital cities
    • usually free very short term (eg. a few nights) accommodation in a host's house or apartment who advertise (generally on social media or specific sites) they allow this
      • whilst the accommodation is “free”, it is generally expected you bring a gift (eg. from your homeland), help with cooking, buy host a coffee or meal and chip in for any travel expenses incurred by the host if they drive you around
    • couch surfers are among the most hidden groups of people experiencing homelessness
    • couch surfers are more likely to be female, younger (15–24 years), not in the labour force and live alone ⁹⁾
    • it can be a precursor to chronic homelessness
    • some are still “backpackers” who are traveling cheaply but many are financially challenged young people who may have temporary relationship issues, mental health issues

• there is likely to be a long waiting list for general public housing however there are priority circumstances
• short and long-term rental housing that is owned and run by the government or not-for-profit agencies
• eligibility in Victoria - see https://www.housing.vic.gov.au/social-housing-eligibility:
  • proof of identity
  • Australian citizen or permanent resident
  • Victorian resident
  • income eligibility test
    • max income is around $1100/wk for a single, $1750 for a couple, and $2360 for a family with two kids
  • asset eligibility test
    • max. assets are around $37,000 but may be up to $124,000 for those who need major disability modifications

• under the NDIS, supported accommodation is separated into two different parts (each with different providers):¹⁰⁾
  • specialised housing such as shared supported accommodation or community residential units, known as Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
    • this needs to be included in a person's NDIS plan
    • person needs to pay rent and utility costs - the rent is a percentage of Commonwealth Disability Support Pension and Rent Assistance payments
  • supported services, knows as Supported Independent Living (SIL) which is available to those with SDA or in private accommodation
• most of the accommodation available is for shared accommodation with communal bathrooms, kitchens, laundry, etc which some people do not find they are comfortable with
• most of those with a disability package will have a case manager via their provider to oversee requirements, etc and they may have a carer to assist with daily living needs

• properties are owned and operated by individuals and organisations who have Australian Government approval to provide residential care.

• this may not be available to those who have caused major behavioural issues in past crisis accommodation
  • this is a major problem for those with mental health issues and substance use issues
• ED care coordinators are well placed to assist in finding crisis accommodation
• see https://www.housing.vic.gov.au/crisis-emergency-accommodation

• this is mainly only an option for those with cars as most camp grounds are located well away from urban centres and public transport
• most free camp grounds have limits of duration - usually 4-28 days, and some require applying for a permit for stays longer than 48hrs
• this is a popular option especially for single women with cars - if they feel uncomfortable in a camp ground they are mobile enough to move to another camp ground
• there may sometimes be conflicts with recreational campers but this is mainly the case when “permanents” do not keep their site clean, have behavioural issues or steal from other campers

• generally not permitted in most urban centres or tourist areas such as coastal regions
• nevertheless, some homeless persons will sleep in cars in shopping centre carparks or fast food chain carparks and seek swimming pool centres for hot showers

• Melbourne City Council, like many councils have laws relating to what is permitted - in general, tents and “camping” is NOT permitted but blankets are permitted ¹¹⁾
  • “belongings must be kept to a minimum such as two bags, sleeping bag, blanket or pillow”
  • “belongings NOT to be kept in a public space are mattresses, furniture, tents or any other structure that could be deemed as camping”
• whilst the concrete thermal mass of cities makes nights warmer than in regional areas, nights are generally much colder than WHO recommended minimum living temperatures of 18degC and thus those who sleep rough are at risk of medical complications as well as security / violence related issues

• the Australian pension, even with Rent Assistance, is not an adequate income for those who must pay rent in Australia - it was designed when home ownership by pensioners was very high, this is no longer the case, especially when many have lost their houses following divorce
  • between 1981 and 2021, home ownership rates amongst the poorest 40% of 45–54-year-olds fell from 68% to 54%
• in Australia, as at 2026, for a single age pensioner, Rent Assistance is currently set at a maximum of $219.40 a fortnight (this is not payable if you rent in other countries), while median weekly rent is above $500 per week in most States.
  • two-thirds of pensioners who rent in the private market in Australia are living in poverty
• a potential solution is to move to other countries so that pension can easily cover rent,taxis and food, etc
• eg. Thailand retirement visa for those over 50yrs age where rent may be a third of Australian rents but the downside is health insurance is very expensive¹²⁾