Material basics

  • Indicators

    • Homelessness

    • Social housing (QLD only)

    • Specialist Homelessness Services – Count of clients

    • Specialist Homelessness Services – Main reason for seeking assistance

    • Specialist Homelessness Services – Presenting unit type

    Policy context

    Homelessness and housing instability have both immediate and longer-term effects on children and young people’s health and wellbeing. Research indicates childhood experiences of homelessness may affect physical health, educational attainment and social functioning.¹ It is also linked to homelessness in adulthood.²

    Homelessness for children and young people occurs through the following pathways³:

    • being part of a homeless family (usually due to poverty or intergenerational homelessness)

    • leaving the family home with one parent (typically with the mother to escape violence or abuse)

    • leaving the family home independently (often to escape violence or abuse in the home)

    • exiting care or the youth justice system.

    The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) manages the Specialist Homelessness Services Collection (SHSC) which collects data about people who are receiving support from specialist homelessness services funded by the Australian Government and State and Territory governments. This collection reports on people who are currently homeless and those at risk of homelessness and receiving homelessness support.⁴

    References

    1. Noble-Carr D 2007, The Experiences and Effects of Family Homelessness for Children: A Literature Review, Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University. Cited in: Commissioner for Children and Young People WA, Indicators of Wellbeing, Material basics [cited 2023 September 18]. Available at: https://www.ccyp.wa.gov.au/our-work/indicators-of-wellbeing/age-group-12-to-17-years/material-basics/

    2. Flatau P et al 2013, Lifetime and intergenerational experiences of homelessness in Australia, AHURI Final Report No 200, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, p. 2-3. Cited in: Commissioner for Children and Young People WA, Indicators of Wellbeing, Material basics [cited 2023 September 18]. Available at: https://www.ccyp.wa.gov.au/our-work/indicators-of-wellbeing/age-group-12-to-17-years/material-basics/

    3. Kaleveld L et al 2018, Homelessness in Western Australia: A review of the research and statistical evidence, Government of Western Australia, Department of Communities, p. 30. Cited in: Commissioner for Children and Young People WA, Indicators of Wellbeing, Material basics [cited 2023 September 18]. Available at: https://www.ccyp.wa.gov.au/our-work/indicators-of-wellbeing/age-group-12-to-17-years/material-basics/

    4. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), Specialist Homelessness Services Collection (SHSC). Available at: https://www.aihw.gov.au/about-our-data/our-data-collections/specialist-homelessness-services-collection

  • Indicator

    • Living in a household earning less than $1,000 per week

    Policy context

    Housing instability and homelessness have both immediate and longer-term effects on children and young people’s health and wellbeing.

    Research indicates childhood experiences of homelessness may affect physical health, educational attainment and social functioning.¹ It is also linked to homelessness in adulthood.²

    Ensuring children and young people have a stable home by improving housing affordability is critical to reducing rates of deprivation and poverty and therefore improving the long-term outcomes for many children and young people across Australia.³

    Homelessness for children and young people occurs through the following pathways:⁴

    • being part of a homeless family (usually due to poverty or intergenerational homelessness)

    • leaving the family home with one parent (typically with the mother to escape violence or abuse)

    • leaving the family home independently (often to escape violence or abuse in the home)

    • exiting care or the youth justice system.

    The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) manages the Specialist Homelessness Services Collection (SHSC) which collects data about people who are receiving support from specialist homelessness services funded by the Australian Government and State and Territory governments. This collection reports on people who are currently homeless and those at risk of homelessness and receiving homelessness support.⁵

    References

    1. Noble-Carr D 2007, The Experiences and Effects of Family Homelessness for Children: A Literature Review, Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University. Cited in: Commissioner for Children and Young People WA, Indicators of Wellbeing, Material basics [cited 2023 September 18]. Available at: https://www.ccyp.wa.gov.au/our-work/indicators-of-wellbeing/age-group-12-to-17-years/material-basics/

    2. Flatau P et al 2013, Lifetime and intergenerational experiences of homelessness in Australia, AHURI Final Report No 200, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, p. 2-3. Cited in: Commissioner for Children and Young People WA, Indicators of Wellbeing, Material basics [cited 2023 September 18]. Available at: https://www.ccyp.wa.gov.au/our-work/indicators-of-wellbeing/age-group-12-to-17-years/material-basics/

    3. Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC) 2018, The Price is Right? An Examination of the Cost of Living in Western Australia, Focus on Western Australia Report Series, No.10, December 2017, BCEC, p. 66. Cited in: Commissioner for Children and Young People WA, Indicators of Wellbeing, Material basics [cited 2023 September 18]. Available at: https://www.ccyp.wa.gov.au/our-work/indicators-of-wellbeing/age-group-12-to-17-years/material-basics/

    4. Kaleveld L et al 2018, Homelessness in Western Australia: A review of the research and statistical evidence, Government of Western Australia, Department of Communities, p. 30. Cited in: Commissioner for Children and Young People WA, Indicators of Wellbeing, Material basics [cited 2023 September 18]. Available at: https://www.ccyp.wa.gov.au/our-work/indicators-of-wellbeing/age-group-12-to-17-years/material-basics/

    5. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), Specialist Homelessness Services Collection (SHSC). Available at: https://www.aihw.gov.au/about-our-data/our-data-collections/specialist-homelessness-services-collection

  • Indicators

    • Index of Economic Resources (IER)

    • Index of Education and Occupation (IEO)

    • Index of Relative Socio-Economic Advantage and Disadvantage (IRSAD)

    • Index of Relative Socio-Economic Disadvantage (IRSD)

    Policy context

    Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) is a product developed by the ABS that ranks areas in Australia according to relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage. The indexes are based on information from the five-yearly Census.¹

    SEIFA is comprised of four distinct indexes, each tailored to summarize specific Census variables and address different aspects of socio-economic advantage and disadvantage. These four indexes are: the Index of Relative Socio-Economic Disadvantage (IRSD), the Index of Relative Socio-Economic Advantage and Disadvantage (IRSAD), the Index of Education and Occupation (IEO), and the Index of Economic Resources (IER).²

    SEIFA serves multiple essential purposes, including the identification of regions in need of funding and services, the exploration of potential business opportunities, and the facilitation of research into the connection between socio-economic disadvantage and a range of health and educational outcomes.³

    References

    1. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Socio-economic Indexes for Areas [cited 2023 September 18]. Available at: https://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/censushome.nsf/home/seifa

    2. Ibid.

    3. Ibid.

  • Indicators:

    • Living in owner-occupied property

    • Living in rented property

    Policy context

    Housing affordability and availability significantly impact families’ and young people’s ability to live securely and safely. Research indicates that housing stress and instability can detrimentally affect children’s and young people’s health and wellbeing in both the short- and long-term.¹ ²

    A household is considered to be experiencing housing stress if it spends more than 30% of its income on housing costs. As of 2024, the national median market rent in Australia reached a record high of $627 per week, with an annual growth rate of 9.1% over the past three years.³

    The risk of poverty is more than twice as high for households renting privately compared to homeowners, with or without a mortgage. The most recent WA Cost of Living report shows that a considerable number of single parents who lived in rented accommodation survive on low incomes and commit approximately 40% of their income towards housing costs. For two parent families it is 30%.⁴

    Addressing housing affordability and availability is crucial for the health and wellbeing of families and young people across Australia.

    References

    1. Wood L 2016, What are the health, social and economic benefits of providing public housing and support to formerly homeless people? AHURI Final Report No.265, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, p. 12. [website] [cited 2025 February 13]. Available at: https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/265

    2. Dockery M et al 2014, What impact does a child’s housing have on their development and wellbeing?, AHURI Research and Policy Bulletin, No 171

    3. Schatz L and Thomas M 2024, Housing, Budget Resources, Parliament of Australia. [website] [cited 2025 February 13]. Available at: https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_departments/Parliamentary_Library/Budget/reviews/2024-25/Housing?utm_source=chatgpt.com

    4. Hantz S & Hull E, Cost of Living 2024, Western Australian Council of Social Service (Report). Available at: https://www.wacoss.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Final_Cost_of_Living_Report_2024.pdf

  • Indicators

    • Unemployed and seeking full-time work

    Policy context

    Youth unemployment is an important wellbeing indicator as the consequences of youth unemployment are far-reaching. Poor employment outcomes, especially early in a young person’s life, negatively impact a person on both a personal and societal level. Joblessness not only results in income loss but also diminishes future job opportunities, mental wellbeing, and social inclusion, both in the short and long term. At the macroeconomic level, unemployment imposes fiscal costs on governments and also reduces tax revenue and output.¹

    With regard to youth unemployment, the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionally impacted young Australians aged 15 to 24. While comprising only 14% of the workforce, they endured a significant 55% share of job losses during the lockdowns of 2021.²

    References

    1. Littleton E and Campbell R 2022, Youth unemployment and the pandemic, The Australian Institute, p. 1 [cited 2023 September 18]. Available at: https://australiainstitute.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/P1143-Youth-unemployment-and-pandemic-Australia-Web.pdf

    2. Ibid.