According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, a person is homeless if they are living in non-conventional accommodation (such as living on the street), or short-term or emergency accommodation (such as living temporarily with friends and relatives) or boarding house residents living in accommodation that falls below minimum community standards are considered to be experiencing tertiary homelessness.

There are three categories of homelessness:

Homelessness can be the result of many social, economic and health-related factors. The Intersectoral Homelessness Health Strategy 2020-2025 identifies:

• Poverty and financial disadvantage
• Undersupply of affordable and appropriate housing
• Domestic violence and relationship issues
• Mental illness and substance use issues
• Other factors such as inadequate transfer of care, transition from custody, lack of support, discrimination

How does homelessness affect health?

Safe, secure housing is an important determinant of physical and mental health.

The risk of becoming homeless affects not just housing arrangements but whether someone can get enough food, feel safe (including safety of children) and maintain relationships with friends and family. The physical and mental health effects often persist long after people are rehoused (Robinson & Adams, 2008).

The World Health Organization links housing and health as follows:

• the physical structure, including factors such as mould growth, quality, design, and noise exposure
• the meaning of "home" as a protective, safe and intimate refuge where one develops a sense of identity and attachment
• the immediate housing environment, including the quality of urban design – for example public services, playgrounds, green space, parks, places to socialise
• the community – the quality of the neighbourhood and its relation to social cohesion, sense of trust and collective efficacy

Homelessness in Sydney Local Health District

People who experience rough sleeping in Sydney Local Health District 

The 2023 street count for Sydney Local Health District Council areas counted 109 people seen sleeping on the streets. The table below provides a breakdown by Council area:

There are two areas where there are consistently larger groups of people sleeping rough in the City of Sydney Council area (Central Station and Wentworth Park).

There are lower numbers of people rough sleeping in Sydney Local Health District in comparison with Inner City areas of Woolloomooloo, Darlinghurst and the city centre.

Boarding houses

A high population of people live in boarding houses in Sydney Local Health District. 

 

Approximately 44 per cent of all registered Boarding Houses in NSW are in Sydney Local Health District (463 General Boarding Houses).

Boarding Houses are for profit businesses and a type of private accommodation where a tenant rents the use of a single room, but other facilities such as kitchens, bathrooms and toilets are generally shared. They differ from shared house arrangements in that residents are not generally known to each other, and each individual occupant has their own agreement with the operator. 

General Boarding Houses vary in quality and target population. 

Traditional Boarding Houses

Attract people who are more disadvantaged and vulnerable.

• This is the most common Boarding House in the District with just under 250 registered with Fair Trading and a further unknown number unregistered (estimated to be over 20)
• Rent is generally within the range of $180- $270 a week
• A few traditional large Boarding Houses may include meals in which case the rent is likely to be over $300
• Residents are more likely to be long term and over 12 months tenancy

New Generation Boarding Houses

• There are approximately 90 New Generation Boarding Houses in the District
• These are higher quality accommodation models and approximately half have kitchenettes and bathrooms (like a studio apartment) and the other half have ensuite bathrooms and shared kitchens
• They typically have 5-12 bedrooms
• Rent is generally more than $300 a week
• Residents are more likely to be working

Student Boarding Houses

• There are approximately 40 student style registered Boarding Houses, targeted to local and international students
• These can be specifically named student accommodation (like Unilodge) or Boarding Houses which are established to accommodate students only
• Leases are generally limited between 3 months and 1 year and therefore not appealing to someone looking for long term tenancy

Registered Boarding Houses with shared facilities by Council

People living in severely overcrowded dwellings

Severely overcrowded dwellings are defined as accommodation which needs four or more extra bedrooms to house the people living there. 

People living in ‘severely’ overcrowded dwellings form the most common experience of homelessness across the District. This is most notable in the Canterbury, Strathfield, Ashfield and Burwood areas.

There is higher representation from people from a culturally and linguistically diverse background, young people; and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It is a group that is not well understood regarding numbers, health needs and access to health services. 

Women and homelessness

Increasing numbers of women face housing insecurity and homelessness due to domestic violence, economic difficulties, mental health challenges and inadequate support systems.