19/07/2026
MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT HOMELESSNESS......
Every week our outreach teams support hundreds of people sleeping rough across Brisbane and Moreton Bay. These observations are based on what we see on the ground every week. While every person's circumstances are different, these are some of the biggest misconceptions we hear, and the reality behind them.
• "MOST PEOPLE CHOOSE TO BE HOMELESS."
The overwhelming majority of people we meet do not choose this life. Most have been pushed into homelessness through rising rents, the housing shortage, relationship breakdown, domestic violence, illness, disability, job loss, or simply not being able to find affordable housing.
• "MOST HOMELESS PEOPLE ARE DRUG ADDICTS."
Some people do struggle with addiction, and they deserve support too. But today it accounts for only around 20% of the people we support. The other 80% are working people, pensioners, families, women escaping domestic violence, people with disabilities, serious health conditions, and Australians who have simply been priced out of housing.
• "HOMELESSNESS ONLY AFFECTS OLDER SINGLE MEN."
Not anymore. We now regularly support families, children, elderly Australians, women over 55, young adults, veterans, employed people, and people who never imagined they would end up sleeping rough.
• "YOU NEVER SEE HOMELESS IMMIGRANTS."
We do. We regularly support people from many different countries. Once they arrive here, they face the same housing shortage, rising rents and cost-of-living pressures as everyone else. Homelessness doesn't discriminate by where someone was born.
• "WHY DON'T THEY JUST GET A JOB?"
Many already have one. Others have health issues, disabilities, mental illness, caring responsibilities, or limited employment opportunities. Maintaining work while living in a tent or car, without reliable showers, washing facilities, secure storage or proper sleep, is incredibly difficult.
• "WHY DON'T THEY JUST ACCEPT THE ACCOMMODATION THEY'RE OFFERED?"
Emergency accommodation is often full. When it is available, it can take months to access and is often only a few nights in a motel before people are returned to the streets. Social housing wait lists commonly stretch between five and eight years, sometimes longer. The issue isn't people refusing housing, it's that suitable housing often isn't available.
• "WHY HELP PEOPLE WHO WON'T HELP THEMSELVES?"
Most are trying. They attend appointments, apply for housing, look for work, manage health issues and engage with support services. Unfortunately, overloaded systems often leave people waiting months or years. Many don't stop trying, they simply lose hope after repeatedly being told to keep waiting.
• "THEY SHOULD KEEP THEIR CAMPS TIDY."
Most genuinely try to. The problem is that many locations have no bins, no toilets and no basic facilities. At Portwood Street, when Nourish Street Inc. funded and provided large rubbish bins, the area became significantly cleaner. Give people the ability to keep an area clean, and most will.
• "THEY ARGUE AND CAUSE TROUBLE."
Arguments happen in homes every single day. The difference is that people sleeping rough have no walls or doors to hide behind. What happens in public is simply more visible.
• "THEY WASTE ALL THEIR MONEY."
Most people on income support receive around $400 per week. They still pay for phones, medication, transport, clothing and other essentials. Many also face extra costs, including takeaway meals because they have nowhere to cook or refrigerate food, laundromats, replacing stolen belongings, storage lockers, and the occasional motel room just to shower, sleep safely and regroup.
• "THEY'RE HOMELESS BECAUSE THEY'RE LAZY."
Homelessness is usually the result of multiple factors, not laziness. Housing affordability, housing availability, illness, trauma, domestic violence, family breakdown and financial hardship all play major roles.
• "GIVING PEOPLE FOOD AND TENTS JUST ENABLES HOMELESSNESS."
A meal doesn't make someone homeless. A tent doesn't create homelessness. They simply help someone survive while they wait for housing that often doesn't exist. Compassion isn't the cause of homelessness.
• "IF THEY REALLY WANTED HOUSING, THEY'D FIND IT."
Australia is experiencing one of the worst housing affordability and availability crises in decades. In many areas there are dozens, sometimes hundreds, of applicants competing for every affordable rental. Wanting a home and being able to secure one are two very different things.
• "IT'S NOT MY PROBLEM."
Homelessness affects entire communities. It places pressure on hospitals, ambulance services, police, mental health services, businesses and local councils. Addressing homelessness isn't just about helping those sleeping rough, it's about building healthier, safer communities for everyone.
• "THEY'RE ALL THE SAME."
Nothing could be further from the truth. Every person has their own story. Some are escaping violence. Some have terminal illnesses. Some are working full-time. Some are veterans. Some are elderly. Some are living with disability or mental illness. Others simply couldn't keep up with rising rents. Homelessness has many causes, which means there is no single solution.
THE REALITY...
The face of homelessness has changed.
It's no longer just the stereotype many people imagine. Today it's families, workers, grandparents, young people, veterans, people living with disability, and ordinary Australians who simply couldn't keep up with the cost of living and the housing crisis.
Before we judge someone sleeping rough, perhaps we should ask ourselves one simple question:
"WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS PERSON?"
Because when we replace assumptions with understanding, we stand a far better chance of finding solutions that actually work.
Beau. Nourish Street Inc
