How do Australian cities compare with global cities when it comes to homelessness?

How the 10 cities fared

Overall, Dublin came first out of the 10 cities, meaning it was comparatively the best on the four measures of homelessness.

San Francisco – which came 10th, ranked comparatively the poorest. While for all other cities, the number of people sleeping rough represents around 5% of overall homelessness (San Francisco has close to 70% of people experiencing homelessness sleeping rough). 

On the overall ranking, Melbourne came in at equal 6th place with three other cities, while Sydney was equal 3rd, and Adelaide 2nd. 

Homelessness has structural causes

Across all 10 OECD cities, the Index establishes that homelessness is fuelled by structural factors – a lack of affordable housing and tight rental markets. 

This highlights that homelessness has common structural causes; that homelessness is not merely the result of personal or individual failures, but that it occurs where affordable housing options decline and poverty increases.  

These are causes that can only be addressed through significant policy and structural reforms. 

The solution is not housing alone

Fundamental to the solutions, of course, is more affordable homes. We can’t end homelessness without more homes. But we also can’t end it with only more homes.

Melbourne – a liveable city for all?

As a community housing and homelessness services provider for the greater Melbourne area, a focus for Launch Housing is naturally on Melbourne as a city.

While 48% of low-income households in Melbourne live in rental stress, compared to other cities, Melbourne performs relatively well on this measure in the Index, although further cost of living pressures are expected to drive this rating lower in the future.

Historic underinvestment in social housing is where it really bites. Melbourne’s affordable housing supply falls drastically behind the OECD average. Melbourne rates 9th, with just 2.3% of total dwellings available as social housing, well below the 7% OECD average. All the 10 cities have a visible rough sleeping crisis, with Melbourne rating midway at 5th. 

Like many other cities that activated a rapid housing response during the COVID pandemic, temporarily ending rough sleeping, Melbourne’s success in sustaining these measures will be tracked in future editions of the Index.

While Melbourne is not the best, and certainly not the worst, the Index highlights that, across individual measures, Melbourne is not far from slipping.

Zero homelessness is possible

Despite the current housing affordability crisis, Launch Housing remains optimistic about ending homelessness.  

The Melbourne Zero campaign to end homelessness is deliberately positive because we know that an entrenched sense of hopelessness leads to inertia. Melbourne Zero is building a movement of everyday Melburnians and brands that see ending homelessness as a possibility.

If we feel that homelessness can’t be solved, we certainly won’t do anything as individuals, businesses, organisations and governments.

Melbourne Zero is based on the idea that, when people and organisations are informed and empowered to become advocates for ending homelessness, as a community we have demonstrated that the social licence to do something about it exists.