The Salvation Army is one of the largest providers of homelessness services across the country. We provide services to adults, and families with accompanying children. Our services include accommodation, case management, assertive outreach support, financial assistance, together with connection and referral to other specialist services. Our philosophy is that every person is afforded dignity, respect and quality of service and that no one should be without a safe, affordable and secure home.

Homelessness can affect anyone - it doesn't discriminate. People find themselves in unstable home situations that can range from uncomfortable to distressing and dangerous. Services, such as ours, try to help people experiencing homelessness find a permanent and safe place to live, a positive community connection, and services to help the underlying reasons for the person's homelessness.
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What is homelessness

We believe that having safe, secure and affordable housing is a human right. Without a home, a person's ability to access and maintain employment, education, training, family and social networks, health and wellbeing can be very difficult, and often impossible, further exacerbating the situation.

While many consider homelessness to be people rough sleeping, on any one night, those sleeping rough in Australia form just 7% (ABS Census 2016) of the total number of people experiencing homelessness.

Source: ABS Media release on homelessness 2016

Homelessness can take many forms, and most people experiencing homelessness go unseen, living in temporary accommodation, cars, motels, couch surfing with friends or in severely overcrowded housing.

For this reason, the Australian Bureau of Statistics have defined homelessness as when someone is living in one of the following:

• a dwelling that is inadequate; or
• Has no tenure, or if their initial tenure is short and extendable; or
• does not allow them to have control of or, access to space for social relations.

This definition provides an accurate way of recording levels of homelessness in Australia to inform the way in which services and support are provided.

Causes of homelessness

There are many misconceptions about what causes homelessness. Homelessness is fundamentally caused by structural issues such as poverty, low income, and a lack of safe, affordable housing.

Common misconceptions are that homelessness is caused by individual factors, such as poor mental health, lack of employment or involvement with the justice system. These are not causes of homelessness, but can, (together with other factors such as, past experiences of trauma, relationship and family breakdown, alcohol and other drug use) place people at higher risk of experiencing homelessness.

Impact of homelessness

Homelessness has a profound effect on people’s lives. It can cause poor health, disengagement with school and community, and result in loss of confidence and self-esteem.

The impact of homelessness is far reaching and long lasting. It can contribute to a lack of connection to family, friends and community, mental and physical health, decrease personal safety, and privacy. Homelessness can negatively impact access and participation in education and work, and hinder freedom of movement and expression.

It also affects not just the individual, but their family members, friends and the wider community.

Vulnerable groups

Homelessness can happen to anyone. Nevertheless, statistics and research have shown that some sections of our community are more vulnerable, for example Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, women over 55, children and young people, LGBTIQA+ communities, culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, people with disabilities, and veterans.

The Salvation Army recognises this in the services we provide and works together with non-government and government agencies to provide targeted support and services to lessen this increased risk.

The Salvation Army recognises that the experience of homelessness in itself is traumatic, and that once someone has had one experience of homelessness, they are at increased risk. We therefore work to ensure that any experience of homelessness is short and quickly resolved.

The Salvation Army also works to support and assist people into long term sustainable housing.

To learn more about youth homelessness, visit: 
Youth homelessness in Australia

The Salvation Army has a long history responding and working with homelessness and providing services for those in need of homelessness support. For more detailed information about our homelessness services and support available, find the Salvos near you or find a services available in your state or territory below.

The Salvation Army Homelessness Stream is committed to providing services that are inclusive and welcoming to all people – regardless of age, culture, ability, language spoken, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and intersex status.  

Our homelessness services are informed by a Model of Care which is based on current best practice evidence and supported by an intersectional human rights framework. The following elements of the Model of Care underpin The Salvation Army’s homelessness support services: 

Demonstrating our commitment to inclusion in our homelessness support services 

We recognise the challenges and barriers experienced by people who are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, LGBTIQA+, culturally and linguistically diverse, living with a disability and/or from a migrant or refugee background. We are committed to making sure our Salvation Army homelessness support services are safe and welcoming spaces. We offer equity of access to support as a core condition of service delivery. Some of the ways we demonstrate this commitment are through: 

• Ensuring all people participate in, and have control over, decision making matters which affect their lives 
• Providing staff with workplace cultural support and professional development, including opportunities to critically reflect on their own beliefs, values and understanding of culture(s) and the perspectives of others, and are committed to learning to avoid barriers and cultural biases in service delivery
• Providing access to appropriate and trained interpreters
• Getting to know clients to ensure we have a genuine understanding about what is important to them and our services are culturally safe for them 
• Actively engaging the expertise of relevant cultural and support organisations, advocates, community leaders, elders and individuals to develop our understanding of the unique issues facing our communities and peoples 

Homelessness support services that welcome First Nations peoples

• Facilitating pathways and opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to connect with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff members and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations relevant to their needs 
• Committing to advancing The Salvation Army Reconciliation Action Plan and acknowledging the Traditional Owners of country in meetings, events and gatherings
• Connecting with elders in communities to develop local partnerships 
• Embracing and participating in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander days of significance; recognising history, culture and achievements 

Homelessness support services that welcome people from the LGBTIQA+ community

• Maintaining confidentiality and not disclosing a person’s gender identity, sexual orientation, or intersex status without consent
• Respecting people’s genders by correctly using names and pronouns
• Developing and maintaining relationships with LGBTIQA+ specialist services
• Facilitating LGBTIQA+ training for our staff to ensure our services are inclusive 
• Ensuring local services have procedures and practice guidance to implement LGBTIQA+ inclusive services 

Rainbow Tick Accredited

You can feel even more safe at 16 of our Victorian homelessness locations that are Rainbow Tick Accredited. ​

Homelessness support services that welcome people living with a disability

• Delivering services and programs that are designed in such a way that any person living with a disability can participate in all programs, events and activities 
• Ensuring our physical and social environments are accessible and safe  
• Ensuring people with disability have the same opportunities as other people to access buildings and other facilities  
• Ensuring people with disability receive information from our services in a format that will enable them to access the information readily 
• Ensuring people with disability have the same opportunities as other people to provide meaningful feedback to our services, including comments, compliments and complaints, and have the same opportunities as other people to participate in all public consultation by The Salvation Army

• Australian Council of Social Services
• Australian Alliance to End Homelessness
• Council to Homeless Persons
• Homelessness Australia
• Shelter WA
• Shelter TAS
• Q Shelter