This report finds that housing availability and affordability is the greatest unmet need for clients of welfare services, followed by community-based care and treatment for mental illness and emergency relief. Summary of key findings Housing still the highest priority for clients and policy makers • 66% of housing and homeless services report struggling to meet...

One simple way to measure this that’s widely used by Governments and expert bodies such as the OECD is the number of people living below a poverty line. This report uses two poverty lines, 50% of median household income (half of the ‘middle’ income for all households) and 60% of median income. The lower of...

People living on low incomes are experiencing significant pressures as a result of substantial increases in the cost of electricity, without a concomitant increase in income. Low income people are most likely to live in poorly-insulated and inefficient rental accommodation, and spend a higher proportion of their income on energy, water and fuel than others...

Our landmark survey of gender diversity in the leadership of the community sector is both a good news and a bad news story. In a sector where women comprise up to 85% of the workforce, women make up 51.4% of the board directors among organisations who responded to the survey. This compares favourably against the...

The Australian Community Sector Survey (ACSS) is the only annual national survey collecting data about the non-government, non-profit community services and welfare sector. This sector is a major provider of the community services that most of us rely on at some point in our lives, but which are particularly important to people on low incomes...