This essay evaluates the new statistical definition of homelessness adopted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) for the purposes of counting the homeless population. The ABS defines a person as homeless if they lack any one of three elements: adequacy of the dwelling; security of tenure in the dwelling; and control of, and access...

Prepared for the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, this report provides background information for the evaluation of Street to Home programs being undertaken in Australian capital cities.

These eight state and territory reports on the homeless are based on information collected from the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2006 Census. The reports include statistics on accommodation types, age, sex, Indigenous identification and geographical distribution.

In Australia, it is widely believed that most homeless people have mental health issues, and that mental illness is a primary cause of homelessness. This paper uses information from a study of 4291 homeless people in Melbourne to investigate these propositions.

On Census night in 2006, the homeless population in Australia was 105,000. Most homeless people were sheltered somewhere on Census night but absolute homelessness, such as sleeping out or in an improvised shelter, accounted for 16% of homelessness in Australia.On Census night in 2006, the homeless population in Australia was 105,000, according to an academic...