Homelessness Support

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We encourage any veterans and families who are experiencing homelessness to get in touch with us.

On this page

  1. How we can help
  2. Get support
  3. Community Housing
  4. ESOs that provide homelessness support
  5. Support in your state or territory
  6. What is homelessness
  7. ESO state and territory homelessness services
  8. Scott Palmer Services Centre
  9. Other information

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How we can help

We can:

  • connect you with local homelessness service providers located throughout Australia
  • check you are receiving all relevant DVA support
  • provide you with personalised case management.

Some of the other support we can talk about with you includes:

  • emergency accommodation through Open Arms
  • DVA Crisis Payment
  • domestic and family violence support if you’re in this situation.
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Get support

You can call us on 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372) between 8am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.

If you need urgent help out of hours call Open Arms on 1800 011 046 or visit their website to find out more.

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Community Housing

The Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA) is the peak body representing not for profit community housing organisations across Australia. CHIA has designed the Working with Veterans: Community Housing Toolkit and Standard (Toolkit) to help inform community housing providers how to support veterans and families, and connect them with veteran specific services for those experiencing or at-risk of homelessness.

Visit their website to find out more.

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ESOs that provide homelessness support

The links below contact information on ESOs that provide specialist homelessness services.

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Support in your state or territory

We can refer you to the relevant government homelessness agency in your area, or you can contact them directly.

Australian Capital Territory

New South Wales

Victoria

Queensland

Western Australia

South Australia

Northern Territory

  • Shelter Me provides an online directory of homeless services across the Northern Territory

Tasmania

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What is homelessness

Often when we think of homelessness we picture a person sleeping ‘rough’. For instance, we may imagine someone sleeping on a park bench, in some kind of improvised shelter, or in a car. Homelessness can also be:

  • sleeping on a friend’s couch or in their spare room as you have nowhere else to go
  • taking up in a new relationship to secure somewhere to stay
  • staying in an abusive relationship to remain in your home
  • having trouble paying your rent or mortgage.

You may be in a situation where your housing seems quite secure but circumstances are threatening your housing security. For example:

  • your marriage or long-term relationship has broken down
  • you and/or your partner recently lost employment / income
  • you and/or your partner recently experienced an injury following an accident or developed a serious illness.

If you are in any of these or similar situations you could be at risk of becoming homeless. You should contact us for help.

Veteran Homelessness data

In May 2019 the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute published the Homelessness amongst Australian veterans report.

The 2021 Australian Census of Population and Housing included a new question about service in the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The 2021 Census results estimated that around 1,555 current or former ADF members identified as experiencing homelessness in Australia. Read more on the Census on the Australian Bureau of Statistics website.

In 2022-23, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reported that around 1,500 specialist homelessness services clients identified as current or former members of the ADF in 2022-23. This up-to-date research is being used to help inform the number of contemporary Australian veterans experiencing homelessness. Read more information on the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare website.  
 

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ESO state and territory homelessness services

The following ESOs provide homelessness services to veterans and their families:

New South Wales

Queensland

South Australia

Victoria

Western Australia

  • Legacy WA  
    Tel: (08) 9486 4900  
    Email: reception [at] legacywa.com.au (reception[at]legacywa[dot]com[dot]au)
  • RSLWA  
    Tel: (08) 9287 3799  
    Email: welfare [at] rslwa.org.au (welfare[at]rslwa[dot]org[dot]au)

Tasmania

To list your organisation’s information to this page, please contact us through our General enquiries form.

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Scott Palmer Services Centre

In the October 2022-23 Budget, the Commonwealth committed to provide funding to the Council of Australian Veterans to support the planning, design and construction of the Scott Palmer Services Centre in Darwin, Northern Territory.

The Scott Palmer Services Centre Grant Opportunity is intended to provide up to $3.05 million in grant funding to the Council of Australian Veterans for the provision of facilities and services to Veterans and their Families in the Northern Territory who are experiencing, or at risk of homelessness, with transitional housing, support to find permanent housing solutions and access to relevant services for civilian employment opportunities.

The Scott Palmer Services Centre Grant Opportunity Guidelines provide further details about the program.

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Other information

These other DVA web pages have information you might also find useful at this time.

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