Types of homelessness in Australia

Many people envision homelessness as someone living on the street. But there are many different types of homelessness which aren’t as visible.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) defines a person as homeless if they lack access to safe, stable, and adequate housing. 

For some, this may mean sleeping rough. For others, homelessness looks like a family crammed into an overcrowded room because they can’t afford rent. It looks like a teenager bouncing from one friend’s couch to another, never knowing where they’ll sleep next. It looks like a mother and her baby living in a motel, desperate for a permanent home but stuck in limbo. These are the new faces of homelessness. 

These hidden forms are just as real, just as urgent, and just as devastating as sleeping rough. But to truly support people facing such challenges, we need to understand the signs and causes of each experience.

In this article, we explore the different types of homelessness in Australia based on living conditions and duration—plus how Home In Place is working to provide safe and secure housing for those in need.

Rough sleeping

Rough sleeping is the most visible and extreme form of homelessness. It includes people without any shelter, relying on improvised dwellings such as tents, cars, or abandoned buildings. 

With no protection from the elements and little access to basic amenities like toilets and showers, rough sleepers often face severe health risks, including exposure to harsh weather, malnutrition, and increased vulnerability to violence.

Many rough sleepers have experienced long-term homelessness, often as a result of complex social and economic factors. Mental illness, domestic violence, job loss, and a lack of affordable housing all contribute to people finding themselves in this dire situation. 

While emergency relief services and crisis accommodation exist, breaking the cycle of rough sleeping requires long-term solutions such as supportive housing and wraparound care services.

Supported accommodation

Supported accommodation provides a temporary safety net for people experiencing homelessness. 

These facilities include crisis shelters, transitional housing, and other emergency accommodation operated by charities, government agencies and community organisations like Home In Place. 

They offer not just a roof but also essential support services—such as mental health care, addiction treatment, and employment assistance—to help individuals regain stability.

While these programs aim to be a stepping stone towards permanent housing, supported accommodation services are often overwhelmed by demand, with limited spaces available. The ongoing shortage of affordable long-term housing means that some individuals remain in crisis accommodation for extended periods.

Couch surfing

Couch surfing is one of the least visible yet most common forms of homelessness. 

Unlike rough sleeping, it often goes unreported because it doesn’t fit the traditional image of homelessness. Instead of sleeping on the streets, individuals in this situation rely on friends, family, or acquaintances for temporary shelter, moving frequently with no permanent home of their own.

While it may seem like a safer alternative to sleeping rough, couch surfing is far from stable. Many individuals find themselves bouncing between different households, never knowing how long they can stay in one place. This constant instability disrupts their ability to maintain employment, pursue education, and build a secure future.

Couch surfing is especially common among young adults fleeing family conflict, domestic violence, or financial hardship. Without a reliable support system or the means to secure housing, they are highly vulnerable to exploitation and further displacement. 

For many, couch surfing is not just a temporary inconvenience; it can become a cycle that traps individuals in long-term housing insecurity. 

Without access to stable and affordable housing options, what starts as a short-term solution can quickly turn into a prolonged struggle with homelessness.

And because they are not accessing shelters or government services, they often go uncounted in homelessness statistics—making it even harder for policymakers to address their needs.

Boarding houses

Boarding houses offer a form of temporary housing where individuals can rent a single room and share common facilities like kitchens and bathrooms. 

People living in boarding houses often face similar challenges to those in crisis accommodation. They may be on low incomes, have mental health issues, or struggle with substance dependence. 

While this might seem like an affordable housing option, many boarding houses operate in substandard conditions, with overcrowding, lack of privacy, and limited rights for tenants. Additionally, residents often have no formal lease agreements, leaving them vulnerable to eviction at short notice.

While some boarding houses are regulated and provide a reasonable standard of living, many fall into the category of marginal housing, which offers little stability or dignity for those in need.

Other temporary lodgings

When people cannot access permanent housing or shelters, they may be forced into other temporary lodgings like motels, caravan parks, or short-term hostels. 

These options are often the last resort, used by families and individuals experiencing financial hardship or sudden displacement. While they provide a temporary solution, they are usually expensive, overcrowded, and lacking in essential facilities.

Many people living in temporary lodgings are caught in a cycle of housing insecurity. They may be unable to save for a rental bond or meet tenancy requirements due to irregular employment or past evictions. 

Without proper intervention, these individuals stay in a state of limbo, unable to transition into stable, long-term housing.

Severely crowded dwellings

Severely crowded housing is the most common form of homelessness in Australia, accounting for nearly 44% of all cases in 2016. It refers to situations where a household requires at least four additional bedrooms to accommodate the people living there. 

These conditions are particularly common among low-income families, migrant communities, and Indigenous Australians who face significant housing affordability issues.

In many cases, overcrowding is a direct result of the housing crisis, where people cannot afford to live independently and are forced into shared arrangements that strain their well-being and relationships.

While overcrowding may not seem as dire as sleeping rough, it has serious consequences. Lack of space, privacy, and adequate facilities can lead to stress, poor health outcomes, and difficulties for children in education. 

 

Episodic homelessness

Episodic homelessness refers to individuals who have experienced homelessness at least three times in the past year. Unlike those in chronic homelessness, these people may not be continuously unhoused but cycle in and out of unstable living situations. 

Many facing episodic homelessness are minors and young adults struggling with mental illness, substance use disorders, or other health conditions that make maintaining stable housing difficult.

Without timely intervention, episodic homelessness can escalate into chronic homelessness, making it even harder for individuals to find secure housing. 

Moreover, many people in this category work minimum-wage or seasonal jobs that do not provide financial stability, pushing them back into homelessness when employment ends. 

Addressing episodic homelessness requires targeted support, including affordable housing, healthcare, and employment programs to break the cycle before it becomes permanent.

Transitional homelessness

The most common type of homelessness, transitional homelessness, occurs when individuals or families lose their housing due to a sudden life event or crisis. This could be a job loss, illness, domestic violence, relationship breakdown, or economic hardship. 

Those affected often lack financial resources or a support network to fall back on, forcing them to seek temporary housing solutions such as shelters, motels, or sleeping in their cars.

Young people are disproportionately affected by transitional homelessness, often moving between friends’ homes or sleeping in insecure locations. Many still hold jobs but cannot afford stable housing due to high living costs. 

Because their situation is temporary, transitional homelessness can sometimes go unnoticed—making it difficult for those affected to access the support they need. 

Without intervention, short-term homelessness can stretch into months or even years, increasing the risk of long-term instability.

Chronic homelessness

Chronic homelessness refers to individuals who have been continuously homeless for over a year or have had at least four periods of homelessness in the past three years. 

People experiencing chronic homelessness often live in cars, parks, abandoned buildings, or on the streets, lacking access to stable and safe shelter. 

Their situation is rarely the result of a single misfortune; rather, it is a complex web of systemic barriers, social disadvantage, and personal struggles that intensify over time. 

This type of homelessness is often the most entrenched and challenging to escape, as it is typically linked to deep-rooted issues like severe mental illness, physical disabilities, addiction, and long-term trauma.

Many face significant health challenges that make it nearly impossible to maintain employment or access stable housing, trapping them in a cycle of homelessness that can last for years.

Breaking this cycle demands more than just temporary shelter—it requires comprehensive solutions, including permanent supportive housing, healthcare, and long-term rehabilitation services. 

Addressing the root causes of chronic homelessness is key to providing those affected with the stability, dignity, and security they need to rebuild their lives.