35 per cent were found sleeping on the street, 13 per cent in parks and 48 per cent in other locations such as river banks.
In 2021, there were 2366 experiencing homelessness in Greater Dandenong – equivalent to one in 67 residents. The next highest rates in metro Melbourne were Brimbank (one in 126), Melbourne (one in 128) and Port Phillip (one in 95) council areas.
In Melbourne, high homelessness rates are found in Dandenong about 25km from the city, as well as in Maribyrnong, Brimbank, Moreland, Darebin and Whitehorse councils.
In the City of Melbourne, 79 per cent of people sleeping rough were male and 21 per cent. 33 per cent of people were sleeping on the street, 12 per cent in parks and 48 per cent in other locations in the City of Mebourne.
Of the 122,494 people experiencing homelessness in Australia in 2021: Two in five (39.1%) were living in 'severely' crowded dwellings. One in five (19.8%) were in supported accommodation for the homeless.
Shortage of affordable homes
The leading causes of homelessness and housing stress are complex. They include factors such as poverty and the lack of affordable housing, driven by family violence, rental stress, rising living costs, gender pay gap, poor health, trauma and job insecurity.
(According to Melbourne City Mission, 22,000 Victorians are without a home). When we zoom back further, it is clear homelessness is part of a broader inequity in housing affordability, which has led to historic lows in home ownership among young people.
Over 22,000 Victorians are without a home tonight, 6000 are under 25 years of age. MCM provides a range of services to young people, adults and families currently experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
Their dedicated work will help to provide safety, support, and a brighter future for the Victorians who need it the most. In Victoria on any given night there are approximately 1,100 people sleeping rough, making up around five per cent of the state's homeless population.
Which cities had the largest homeless populations in 2022? Out of the 48 largest cities in the US, Los Angeles and New York had the largest homeless populations. Both identified over 60,000 homeless people in 2022. In 2022, 44 of the 48 cities identified at least 1,000 homeless individuals.
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows homelessness is surging. New figures show nearly 123,000 people were without a home on Census night 2021 - around 6,000 more than at the previous count in 2016.
Denver and Colorado Springs have the largest homeless communities.
In 2016, the Northern Territory had the highest rate of homeless people (about 600 persons per 10,000 population) and Tasmania the lowest (32 per 10,000).
Victoria's last homeless count took place in March of 2020, and more than 1,500 people were found to have experienced homelessness. The survey establishes where people are from, and why they're homeless. The City of Victoria's next homeless count is not expected to take place until the spring of 2023.
Young women like Sydney law student Priyanka are the group of Australians with the fastest growing rate of homelessness. You may have heard that women over the age of 55 are the fastest growing group, but based on the latest data it's actually women under 20.
Boarding Houses: Affordable boarding houses are available to those who do not have their own homes. Unfortunately, these dwellings are usually not safe and secure with many people sharing facilities. Other temporary lodgings: Some homeless people find themselves living in cheap motels and caravan parks.
Children and young people: Children and young people living with a single parent or fleeing family and domestic violence can be particularly vulnerable to homelessness. In 2021-22, three in 10 people who received assistance from specialist homelessness services were under 18 yeras.
Homelessness can be caused by poverty, unemployment or by a shortage of affordable housing, or it can be triggered by family breakdown, mental illness, sexual assault, addiction, financial difficulty, gambling or social isolation. Domestic violence is the single biggest cause of homelessness in Australia.
Contact a housing office
If you are in immediate danger, call 000. If you are homeless or at risk of homelessness, you can get help: From your nearest crisis centre - see the Getting help page of our Services website. By calling 1800 825 955 (free call, 24 hours).
Link2home is the statewide homelessness information and referral telephone service. It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year. For information, assessment or referral to homelessness services and support in NSW, call Link2home.
So if you're homeless and need a legal place to sleep, churches are an excellent option. Disperse camping zones are another good place. If there are no dispersed camping zones near you, try a traditional campsite. Homeless shelters are another great place to sleep.
A majority of people experiencing homelessness long-term in Australia are found in the large cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. It is estimated that on any given night approximately 116,000 people will be homeless and many more are living in insecure housing, "one step away from being homeless".
People experiencing mental illness are overrepresented in the homelessness population as well as being at a higher risk for becoming homeless.
Homelessness can be caused by:
A shortage of affordable housing. Physical and/or mental health issues. Unemployment or job loss. Drug and alcohol abuse and addiction.