Families, those experiencing health difficulties, woman who are sole parents and First Nations People continue to make up large numbers of people experiencing homelessness in Brisbane.
More than 4,600 people including 1,230 families and 2,125 children in Brisbane are the human face of the Australia-wide housing and homelessness crisis. Annual figures for last financial year released today at the Brisbane Zero forum as part of Homelessness Week highlight the multiple needs and complex solutions needed to solve the crisis
“More than two thousand children faced the challenge of homelessness in Brisbane last financial year with three quarters of them not having a permanent home on June 30,” says Sally-Anne Clark, Brisbane Zero Steering Committee Co-Chair, Vice President Homelessness Qld, and Regional Manager, Salvation Army Australia.
“Families regularly don’t have a safe place to sleep or raise their family and have limited access to services and support. Sole parenting women made up 88 per cent of families experiencing homelessness.
“The Brisbane Zero collaboration found that 87 per cent of people experiencing homelessness as an individual went through at least one health or substance use issue and 30 per cent do not seek medical help when sick.
“With more than half of individuals having an ongoing health issue and two thirds with a diagnosed mental health condition, a permanent solution requires permanent supportive housing where health and wellbeing issues are met,” says Sally-Anne.
First Nations people are over-represented experiencing homelessness in Brisbane with a quarter of families identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
“Street homelessness is the most visible form of homelessness but it is not the biggest form of homelessness for First Nations people” says Natalie Garth, Brisbane Zero Steering Committee Co-Chair and Business & Data Management Lead at Murri Watch.
“Temporary accommodation is not the solution for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders or anybody. Of the 306 families who Brisbane Zero organisations secured a permanent home for, 19 per cent of them are First Nations people. This still leaves hundreds of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, children and parents experiencing the insecurity that goes with not having stable housing,” says Natalie.
The Brisbane Zero collaboration of 16 organisations supported people sleeping rough on the streets, in parks, tents, or cars, and cycling through motels and emergency accommodation.
Brisbane Zero is part of the Advance to Zero national initiative of the Australian Alliance to End Homelessness (AAEH), that support local collaborative efforts to end homelessness – one community at a time.
It aims to end and prevent homelessness for individuals, youth and families with children, starting with those who are or have been sleeping rough sleeping rough.
Through collaboration, data-driven insights and advocacy around tailored housing solutions Brisbane Zero works towards preventing, reducing, and solving homelessness in our community.
Brisbane Zero Families Homelessness Annual Snapshot to June 30, 2025
brisbane_zero_collaborative_data_snapshot_fy24-25_families_web.pdf
Brisbane Zero Individuals Homelessness Annual Snapshot to June 30, 2025
brisbane_zero_collaborative_data_snapshot_fy24-25-individuals_web.pdf
