How Are Australian Local Governments Responding to the Homelessness Crisis? Findings From a National Study

Abstract

Australian local governments are facing intensifying pressures to respond to worsening visible homelessness. This paper presents one of the first national studies on how local governments are responding to these pressures, and the first since the onset of the post-pandemic housing crisis. Drawing on a nationwide survey and three qualitative case studies, we examine the scale of local homelessness pressures, the modes of engagement adopted by councils, and the institutional constraints that shape their capacity to act. The findings show that homelessness is now regarded as a significant issue by most councils, a marked increase from the pre-pandemic period. Councils' responses cluster around three core functions: surveillance and referral, coordination of fragmented service systems, and facilitation of accommodation and service provision. These functions are part of broader efforts to reorient councils from reactive, fragmented, and enforcement-dominated interventions toward more proactive, whole-of-organisation approaches grounded in collaboration and care. However, these transformations remain fragile, constrained by chronic resource limitations, unclear legislative mandates, and, most significantly, severe shortfalls in affordable housing. The paper argues that while councils play an increasingly important role in local homelessness governance, their efforts cannot be sustained without structural reform and renewed investment from other levels of government.