About this topic
Everyone has the right to an adequate standard of living—this includes acceptable housing and the continuous improvement of living conditions (Hohmann 2020). Having a home provides safety, stability and security. Being homeless or living in unstable or crowded housing can be detrimental to a person’s wellbeing and development. It can also exacerbate mental health conditions (Brackertz et al. 2018).
Connection to Country and body
Connection to Country and connection to body are 2 of the 7 domains of social and emotional wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (Indigenous Australians).
Social and emotional wellbeing is a holistic way of looking at relationships between individuals, family, kin and community in the context of land, culture, spirituality and ancestry. Cultural groups and individuals each have their own interpretation of social and emotional wellbeing (Gee et al. 2014).
Disconnection from Country can affect the connection to body, mind and emotions. Physical and mental health outcomes can be improved from being on and caring for Country (Burgess et al. 2009; PM&C 2017).
Having adequate housing and having a place to call home supports connection to body (PM&C 2017).
Housing
Housing circumstances—such as tenure, affordability, the amount of living space and location—are key determinants of physical and mental health. The relationship between housing and health is complex. It can be difficult to determine which is the cause and which is the symptom (AIHW & NIAA 2020).
A safe home with working facilities is a key factor supporting the wellbeing of Indigenous Australians. Living in a house with inadequate sanitation, food preparation and water facilities can lead to health problems, including poor mental health (Osborne et al. 2013). Overcrowding can result in limited access to facilities, lack of privacy and impaired sleep quality and quantity. This also affects mental health (Buergelt et al. 2017).
Homelessness
What is homelessness?
There is no single definition of homelessness. The Australian Bureau of Statistics considers a person to be experiencing homelessness when their current living arrangement is any of the following:
- It is in a dwelling that is inadequate.
- It has no tenure or the tenure is short and not extendable.
- It does not allow them to have control of, and access to, space for social relations (ABS 2012).
What causes homelessness?
Homelessness can be the result or cause of many social, economic and health‑related factors. Limited access to affordable and available housing can contribute to homelessness (Johnson et al. 2015; Wood et al. 2015). Additionally, mental health conditions, family and domestic violence, trauma and substance misuse can make a person more at risk of becoming homeless (Fitzpatrick et al. 2013).
In addition to limited access to housing, homelessness can also be defined as losing one’s sense of control over, or legitimacy in, the place where one lives.
For Indigenous Australians, homelessness can be spiritual and is a result of being disconnected from one’s homeland, separated from family or kinship networks, or not being familiar with one’s cultural heritage (Brackertz et al. 2018; Memmott et al. 2004).
Under the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement, governments across Australia work together and fund a range of services to improve housing affordability and homelessness outcomes for low–moderate income households (CFFR 2019). Improving housing outcomes for Indigenous Australians is a specific goal under this national agreement.
Key statistics
Some information is from survey data. Estimates are calculated using a sample selected from a population rather than all members of that population. See the downloadable excel workbook for notes related to this data and for alternative text.
Specialist homelessness agencies provide services to assist those experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness. Services range from general support and assistance to immediate crisis accommodation. From 2011–12 to 2021–22, the proportion of Indigenous clients of specialist homelessness services who reported a current mental health issue increased from 14% (6,223 clients) to 25% (18,135 clients) (AIHW 2022).
In 2021–22, mental health-related services or assistance (including psychological, psychiatric and mental health services) were some of the most common services required. However, these needs are increasingly unmet. From 2011–12 to 2021–22, the proportion of Indigenous clients of specialist homelessness services who required, but were not referred to, or provided with, mental health-related services or assistance increased from 21% to 38% (AIHW 2019; AIHW 2022).
In 2014–15, based on the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey responses, the proportion of Indigenous Australians who had ever experienced homelessness was:
- 45% of those with a mental health condition (59,000 people)
- 24% of those with other long-term health conditions (38,000 people)
- 34% of those with mental health or long-term health conditions (97,200 people)
- 20% of those with no mental health or long-term health conditions (31,600 people) (ABS 2016).
The proportion of Indigenous Australians who had experienced not having a permanent place to live was:
- 55% of those with a mental health condition (71,600 people)
- 39% of those with other long-term health conditions (62,200 people)
- 47% of those with mental health or long-term health conditions (133,900 people)
- 32% of those with no mental health or long-term health conditions (49,200 people) (ABS 2016).
Homelands and Country
Physical and mental health outcomes can be improved by being on and caring for Country (Burgess et al. 2009). In 2018–19:
- most Indigenous Australians aged 18 and over recognised their homelands or traditional Country as an area of land with ancestral and cultural links (74% or an estimated 357,800)
- more than a quarter (27% or 130,500) of Indigenous adults reported they lived on their homelands or traditional Country
- almost half (45% or 218,000) lived elsewhere but were allowed to visit
- few (0.4% or 1,900) were unable to visit their homelands or traditional Country (AIHW & NIAA 2020).
Overcrowding
Housing is defined as overcrowded if one or more additional bedrooms would be required to adequately house its inhabitants, given the number, age, sex and relationships of household members (AIHW 2014).
In 2018–19, almost one-fifth (18% or 145,336 people) of Indigenous Australians were living in overcrowded housing compared to 5% (1,102,899 people) of non-Indigenous Australians. One-fifth (20% or 69,454) of Indigenous households did not meet an acceptable standard of living—this is defined as households with 4 working facilities (for washing people, washing clothes/bedding, storing/preparing food, and sewerage) and not more than 2 major structural problems (AIHW & NIAA 2020).