Julie Jasprizza-Laus, who serves as the area manager for Mission Australia’s community service and housing initiatives in Western Sydney, recently shared with SBS News the daunting challenges faced by support workers. She emphasized the immense emotional burden involved in deciding who receives assistance, describing it as an “extremely difficult task.”

“Our staff engage with individuals enduring incredibly tough circumstances,” Jasprizza-Laus noted. “They often confront a barrage of questions from those seeking help, questions that unfortunately don’t always have clear answers.”

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), a significant portion of those seeking aid from Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS) are women and children, comprising 73% of the clientele. Furthermore, individuals who have experienced domestic and family violence represent the largest group of clients, making up 40% of those reaching out for support.

Jasprizza-Laus highlighted the overwhelming demand for assistance, characterizing it as being at an “epidemic level.” She stressed the urgent need for more housing to support those at risk across Australia.

In a snapshot of the scale of the issue, agencies across the nation provide support to 77,500 clients each day. Of these, 11,900 are young individuals seeking help on their own. This immense undertaking is carried out by 1,800 agencies dedicated to addressing the needs of the most vulnerable.

There are 77,500 clients supported by agencies in Australia every day. Source: SBS News

Each day, 77,500 SHS clients are supported by 1,800 agencies, with 11,900 of those being young people presenting alone.

“The lack of affordable, stable housing is such a barrier for us to find exit pathways for people who are homeless,” Jasprizza-Laus said.

Housing affordability stress on the rise

Over the past 10 years, since the 2014-2015 report, housing affordability stress has been the fastest-growing primary concern affecting people.

She said when SHS are unable to accommodate at-risk people, they often feel they have to stay in violent homes or take their luck to the streets.

A total of 540 cases are closed each day by specialist homelessness services (SHS), with 64 per cent leading to stable housing outcomes, according to the 2024-2025 SHS annual report. Source: SBS News

According to the AIHW, 16,100 people reported sleeping rough in the last month, while a further 10,000 spent the previous night in crisis accommodation.