Anti-Poverty Week 2026: Poverty can push people into homelessness. We can change that.

This Anti-Poverty Week, from 11 to 17 October, Australians are coming together to raise awareness of poverty and its impact on people and communities across the country.

For me, it’s also an opportunity to talk about something we see every day at Mission Australia: the close connection between poverty, housing stress and homelessness.

Every day, we work alongside people doing everything they can to keep their lives on track. Parents skipping meals so their children can eat. Young people worried about whether they'll ever afford a home. People choosing between paying rent, buying groceries or filling a prescription.

And we see how quickly financial pressure can become housing pressure.

Poverty is not a personal failing

People can find themselves struggling to make ends meet after losing a job, becoming unwell, separating from a partner, experiencing family and domestic violence or simply being unable to keep up with rising housing and living costs.

Often, by the time someone reaches a homelessness service, they have already done everything they can to stay afloat.

Despite Australia's prosperity, poverty remains a reality for far too many people. Recent estimates indicate around 3.7 million Australians, or 14.2% of the population, are living below the poverty line, including around one in seven adults and one in six children. While figures like these help us understand the scale of the challenge, Australia still does not have an official national measure of poverty.

Behind those numbers are people who are struggling to afford food, housing, healthcare and other essentials, often while doing everything they can to get by.

As part of our 2025 Youth Survey, Mission Australia heard from hundreds of young people who had experienced homelessness or housing instability. Their experiences informed our An Unequal Foundation report.

They told us about family breakdown, unsafe home environments and the growing cost of housing and everyday essentials. Some were going without basic necessities. Others were working not to get ahead, but simply to afford a place to live and pay their bills.

What stayed with me was their determination. Despite significant challenges, many remained focused on school, work and building a better future. Their experiences remind us that homelessness can happen when pressures build and support isn't available early enough.

We know a safe home changes what’s possible

After more than 165 years of responding to human need, we've learned a great deal about what helps people find and keep a safe home. Most importantly, we've learned that homelessness is not inevitable.

A safe, secure home provides stability and dignity. It creates the foundation for good health, education, employment and opportunity.

But a home is only part of the answer. People also need the right support at the right time, particularly when financial or personal pressures begin to build.

Through our tenancy support services, supported accommodation and Youth Foyer, we see the difference early, practical support can make. A safe place to live, combined with the right support, can help people remain housed, stay connected to education or employment and build greater stability.

We also know that preventing homelessness often starts much earlier. Through programs such as Reconnect, Australia's national youth homelessness prevention and early intervention program, we work with young people and families when challenges first emerge, helping resolve issues before they escalate into a housing crisis.

What we've learned through our work is that when people can access the right support at the right time, homelessness can often be prevented. Too often, our response begins when someone has already reached crisis point.

Prevention starts before someone becomes homeless

If we’re serious about ending Australia’s homelessness crisis, we need to look at what happens before someone reaches a homelessness service.

That means ensuring people can afford life's essentials, increasing social and affordable housing, strengthening Commonwealth Rent Assistance and investing in homelessness prevention before people reach crisis point.

These aren't just policy settings. They can determine whether someone is able to keep their home when life doesn't go to plan.

Our experience tells us that prevention works. That’s why Mission Australia will continue to advocate for these changes.

No one should have to skip meals to pay the rent. No one should have to choose between medication and groceries. And no one should lose their home simply because they experienced a setback they couldn't absorb on their own.

We can change the trajectory

Without an official national measure, it's harder to track progress over time, understand who is most affected and ensure our efforts to reduce poverty are making a difference.

That’s why this Anti-Poverty Week, Mission Australia and our partners in sector are calling on the Federal Government to establish standard measures of poverty and targets to reduce it. We also support campaigns such as Raise the Rate and Everybody's Home, which are calling for a liveable rate of income support and safe, affordable housing for all.

If we want to end poverty in Australia, we need to listen to the experiences of people doing it tough, build the evidence about what works and invest in proven solutions, such as raising the rate of income support, investing in social housing and intervening early to prevent people reaching crisis in the first place.  

At Mission Australia, we see every day what's possible when people have the support they need. A safe home and the right support can create the stability people need to look ahead rather than simply getting through the day. 

Everyone should have a safe, secure home, be able to afford life's essentials and have the chance to look ahead with hope and possibility. That's why tackling poverty matters and why preventing homelessness must start long before someone loses their home.

Creating that change takes all of us.

To everyone who supports Mission Australia's work, thank you. Whether through working on the frontline, advocacy, partnership, volunteering, fundraising or helping raise awareness of these issues, your contribution helps create opportunities for people