Vinnies Canberra/Goulburn says more support is needed for Canberrans experiencing homelessness based on 2024 Government Services (RoGS) report

More support is needed for Canberrans experiencing homelessness

Yesterday, the Productivity Commission released its 2024 Report on Government Services (RoGS) report, and it is shows that homelessness is still a crucial issue in the ACT. 

Some 2407 people experienced homelessness for at least a month in the previous year, with 1082 people in Canberra experiencing persistent homelessness. The report highlights that 11.5% of clients return to being homelessness after achieving housing, and critically 1 in 4 people (686 out of 2781 clients) did not have their accommodation needs met in the ACT in this period.

The cost-of-living crisis continues to impact lower income families. According to the RoGS, the proportion of lower income families who are accessing community housing and are spending a substantial portion of their income on rent has increased. 

The proportion of households in community housing who spend more than 30% of their income on rent has increased from 4.6% in 2022 to 10.2% in 2023. Additionally, those spending from a quarter to a third of their income on rent, have increased dramatically from 3.4% in 2022 to 13.8% in 2023.  

The report shows that the current average rate of homelessness in Australia is nearly 50 people per 10,000. In the ACT it’s 39 people per 10,000, demonstrating no improvement from the 2016 rate of 40 per 10,000. The need remains stubbornly high in our city.

St Vincent de Paul Society Canberra/Goulburn CEO, Lucy Hohnen said, “What these statistics show are the drivers behind the consistently high demand for support from community organisations like ours. We have seen an exponential increase in the calls for assistance through our emergency helpline in the past year. In December alone we saw a 40% increase in the number of calls to us for help. The majority of these requests are for accommodation support to prevent individuals and families becoming homeless and for food.”

“We are also seeing an increase in people in need of specialist homelessness services and our front-line teams and drop in centres are absolutely stretched,” she said. 

“We commend the ACT Government for its efforts to address some of the issues regarding homelessness including the addition of more public and community housing units to the existing stock in the last year. However, the sheer number of people on the public housing waitlist, (3174 households), and the fact that those with the greatest need can experience a waiting period of up to 26 months demonstrates that much more needs to be improved to address this surge in demand for help,” said Ms Hohnen.

The report noted that, there is an emerging trend in the number of households living in overcrowded public and community housing units. In the ACT, 4.7% households in public housing experience this, which is above the national average of 4.1%, and worryingly 2.8% in community housing experienced overcrowding, an increase from 0.3% in 2022.

“Every day we hear the stories of the people behind these numbers. As a Society, we want to work with Government to address the complex needs of those experiencing the toughest of times in our community,” said Ms Hohnen

“We welcomed the allocation of $177.1 million for Housing ACT operations, repairs, maintenance and the $55.9 million earmarked to deliver 140 new public housing dwellings in the 2023-24 Budget Statement. We are calling on the government to continue to add more homes to the public and community housing stock and to fast track the process of supply and allocation,” she said. 

“For the upcoming Budget we are asking the government to double its funding allocation to frontline homelessness services in the ACT. Whilst households wait for allocation into social housing and as the cost-of-living crisis continues, the demand for specialist homelessness services provided by community organisations such as the St Vincent de Paul Society continues to increase,” she said. 

“Like many organisations in the community sector, we are struggling to find the capacity and resources to match the increased demand we face, so this additional support is urgent until the housing stock and other support is made available in the future,” said Ms Hohnen.

Interviews available with:

• Lucy Hohnen, CEO St Vincent de Paul Society Canberra/Goulburn
• Kym Duggan, Chair Social Justice and Advocacy Committee

For more information contact:

Nikita Nair - nikita.nair@vinnies.org.au 

Or

Phillip Jones – Director Fundraising, Marketing and Communications Phillip.jones@vinnies.org.au