A new collaborative report by UNSW’s City Futures Research Centre, University of Queensland and Homelessness Australia, shows a 22% increase in rough sleeping nationwide over the past three years.

Australian Homelessness Monitor 2024 highlights in New South Wales, rough sleeping has surged by 51%, with regional areas being the hardest hit.

The deepening housing crisis is the major driver of the trend, with more people citing housing affordability stress as the main reason for seeking homelessness services. While the federal government has offered some support for people accessing these services, experts say more is needed especially to meet demand amid the holiday season.