17/06/2026
WHAT WE SEE, AND WHAT WE DON'T
When people think of homelessness, they often picture someone sleeping in a tent, under a bridge, or in a park.
That's what we see.
What we don't see are the thousands of people sleeping in cars, couch surfing, living in overcrowded homes, moving between motels, or staying somewhere they know isn't safe because they have nowhere else to go.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, more than 122,000 Australians were experiencing homelessness on Census night in 2021. That's roughly 1 in every 200 Australians.
What surprises many people is that only around 6% of people experiencing homelessness are sleeping rough. The overwhelming majority are hidden from public view. They're in cars, spare rooms, temporary accommodation, overcrowded housing, or moving from place to place trying to survive.
Here in Queensland, homelessness has continued to rise, with rates increasing significantly faster than the national average in recent years.
Every outreach we do reminds us of this reality.
For every person you see in a tent, there are many more you don't.
The woman sleeping in her car while still going to work.
The family squeezed into a single motel room.
The older person choosing between rent and food.
The young person moving from couch to couch, hoping not to wear out their welcome.
Homelessness isn't always visible.
That's why it's easy to underestimate.
And that's why practical solutions, affordable housing, social housing, early intervention, and support services matter so much.
Because the people we don't see are just as homeless as the people we do.
Be kind. You never know what someone's housing situation looks like behind closed doors.
