On 11 February 2020, the Minister for Families and Social Services, Anne Ruston, and the Minister for Community Housing, Homelessness and Community Services, Luke Howarth, jointly asked the Committee to examine homelessness in Australia.

At the time this report was prepared, the Committee had received 196 submissions and a number of supplementary submissions. Many of these submissions responded to the Committee’s request for information about the impact of COVID-19.

Details of submissions received, public hearings and witnesses can be found in the appendices to this report.

In this interim report, the Committee intends to present the evidence received on COVID-19 and homelessness in Australia. Recommendations will be left to the final report. The Committee notes that public health restrictions and economic disruption due to COVID-19 have remained ongoing and evolving at the time this report was prepared. As such, the impacts and effects of these events are undoubtedly yet to be fully realised.