Australia's Unmet Housing Needs: A National Snapshot.pdf

There are over 640,000 Australian households with unmet housing needs, projected to increase to over 940,000 by 2041. Half a million low-income households were not in appropriate housing on census night, with one in fifteen households experiencing homelessness, overcrowding, or spending over 30% of their income on rent. By 2041, a further 300,000 households will not be living in appropriate housing.

Needs are unmet across all parts of the country, with the highest numbers of affected households in the major capitals. Sydney and Brisbane have the highest rates of unmet need among the capitals, while regional Queensland also has a high rate. Perth and Adelaide, and their surrounding regions, have lower rates, as does the ACT.

Regional Northern Territory is an outlier, with a low population and significant people identified as experiencing homelessness. The distribution of unmet need broadly aligns with the population, with the proportion of all households with unmet need between 5% and 8% across most parts of Australia.

Families represent half of the unmet needs, with an over-representation given families account for around 40% of all households. For families, the need for larger dwellings can translate to higher housing costs. Regional areas have high proportions of lone person households with unmet need, suggesting more housing diversity is needed outside the capital cities.

Those with unmet needs are vulnerable, with around two thirds of unmet need quantified in this analysis from those in the lowest household income quintile. The weekly income thresholds for the lowest 20% of households by income are approximately $425 for lone persons, $875 for couples/groups, and $1,475 for families with children.