Homelessness is no longer just an inner-city problem, with new research showing the crisis has spread into suburban, regional and coastal communities across Australia that historically haven’t been impacted.
Two-thirds of councils now see homelessness as a major issue in their area — up from around 10 per cent in the 2010s, a study published in the UNSW Sydney journal the Australian Journal of Social Issues found.
Lead researcher Dr Andrew Clarke said the findings showed homelessness had become a nationwide challenge.
“Homelessness is no longer an issue faced by a handful of inner-city councils, it’s become a widespread challenge across Australia,” he said.
“The post-pandemic housing crisis has pushed homelessness into communities that haven’t historically dealt with it.”
The research combined a national council survey with interviews from councils in three different regions to examine how local governments are dealing with the growing crisis.
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Across the country, it’s becoming more common for Australians to resort to sleeping in tents. Source: NCA Newswire
Residents raise concerns over homelessness
While councils are not officially responsible for homelessness services, many are increasingly being called on to respond.
“Local governments aren’t funded or mandated to deliver homelessness services, but when people see someone in distress, they often call their council,” Dr Clarke said.
The study found 77 per cent of councils said complaints or concerns from residents, businesses and community groups were the main reason they stepped in.
“As homelessness has become more visible in public spaces, councils — responsible for parks, libraries and streets — are effectively on the frontline of the crisis.”
Researchers found councils were mainly helping by connecting people with support services, coordinating local responses and providing access to council-owned spaces for charities and outreach groups.
“Councils are often the ‘eyes and ears’ on the ground, encountering people more frequently than services themselves, meaning they can help connect them to support,” Dr Clarke said.
“They’re also trusted brokers, because they’re not competing for funding; they can bring services together in a way others can’t.”
Councils changing tactics in ‘cultural shift’
The study found many councils were also moving away from enforcement approaches, such as forcing people to move on, in favour of more supportive responses.
“There’s been a real cultural shift, councils want to prioritise care and coordination rather than compliance,” Dr Clarke said.
But researchers warned councils were limited in what they could achieve without more housing.
“Local responses can only go so far when there isn’t enough housing available,” Dr Clarke said.
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“You can have the best services on the ground, but if there’s nowhere for people to go, the system hits a wall.”
He said some councils were being pushed back towards enforcement measures because they had few other options.
“Moving people on doesn’t solve homelessness, it just shifts it,” Dr Clarke said.
“It can actually make things worse by disrupting support, harming health and entrenching people’s marginalisation.”
The report calls for more social and affordable housing, better funding for councils and stronger coordination between all levels of government.
“The takeaway is clear: councils are part of the solution, but they can’t do it without the resources and housing supply needed to back them up.”
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