Specialist homelessness services clients
Specialist homelessness services (SHS) agencies are organisations that receive government funding to deliver assistance to clients, aimed at responding to or preventing homelessness (AIHW 2020b).
In 2019–20, just under half (46% or 30,534) of the clients recorded as Indigenous were experiencing homelessness when they first presented to SHS agencies, and just over half (54% or 36,180) were at risk of homelessness at the time (AIHW 2020b).
In 2019–20, females accounted for 57% (17,341) of Indigenous clients who were homeless when they first sought support from an SHS agency. Males accounted for 43% (13,193) of Indigenous clients who were homeless at first presentation.
Among Indigenous females, the main reasons given for seeking assistance were:
- domestic and family violence (3,936 females or 23%)
- housing crisis (3,800 females or 22%)
- inadequate or inappropriate dwelling conditions (3,106 females or 18%) (Figure HH 14).
Among Indigenous males, the main reasons given for seeking assistance were:
- housing crisis (2,951 males or 23%)
- inadequate or inappropriate dwelling conditions (2,622 males or 20%)
- domestic and family violence (1,455 males or 11%) (Figure HH 14).