Homelessness on the rise due
to cost–of–living crisis  

The cost-of-living crisis in Western Australia is significantly contributing to the rise in homelessness. Factors such as soaring rents, housing shortages, and increased financial stress are pushing more people into homelessness. 

Queues of 50 or more people waiting to see a rental property are now commonplace. In fact, many leasing agents cap the number of people they show through a property on a first come first serve basis because they cannot cater to the sheer volume of interest. 

The cost-of-living crisis has touched everyone in varying degrees, from being able to pay utility bills, the upkeep of a car, buying food or paying ever increasing rents or mortgages. 

Rents and mortgages are at an all-time high, and availability of rentals is at an all-time low reported at less than 1%. Such a competitive market is leading to rentals being granted to the highest bidder often putting those from marginalised communities or those subject to discrimination at a massive disadvantage. 

According to Uniting WA (from the By Name List, April 2024), every night, up to 1,355 people in Perth and over 9,000 people around WA experience homelessness. 

Intensifying financial, housing, and other pressures affecting communities including domestic violence and lack of mental health support means that services are stretched and only exacerbate an already complex and ever-growing problem for those most vulnerable in our communities. 

The reality is that 66% of people on low incomes have less than $14/day once they have paid their rent or mortgage. That’s a sandwich and coffee for lunch. The daily living pressures of people trying to afford basic living costs, access to suitable shelter and access to services for help feel never ending.  

Foodbank WA enables households to be able to adjust their expenses budgets by dropping food costs substantially. “We encourage people to engage with our service as soon as they start to feel the pinch so that they aren’t forced to make really tough decisions such as, do I pay the electricity, or do I skip a few meals to make sure the kids have enough.”  Said Kate O’Hara, Foodbank WA CEO. 

When people engage with our service, they can make significant savings so freeing up parts of a household budget to direct into rent or mortgage repayments. We want more Western Australians facing budget pressures to think about us earlier so they don’t become cornered when they have no budget left at all.”  Kate continued. 

Foodbank WA supports many charity partners that offer homelessness services. Homelessness can mean different things to different people, from those living on the streets, to those couch surfing, or in temporary accommodation. We provide a wide range of products that do not require access to a kitchen, such as a wide variety of ring-pull items, small snack type items and small drinks such as Up and Go’s.  

Dreambuilders, a not-for-profit organisation which assists people who are experiencing difficult living conditions is one of the amazing charity partners we support. Recently, a three-door fridge that Foodbank had outgrown was donated to Dreambuilders and filled to the brim for Homelessness Week. 

Dreambuilders runs a community meals café, among many other services they provide such as a mobile laundry and showers daily with towels and toiletries available as needed.  

While we may wish that organisations such as Dreambuilders didn’t have to exist, we are so very thankful that they do.