The best place to go when homeless involves contacting immediate crisis services, like Ask Izzy, The Salvation Army, or 1800RESPECT, for shelter, food, and support, or visiting a Housing Service Centre, but for immediate, safe, and specific needs, look for local drop-in centers, community hubs, and specialized services like those from the Red Cross or headspace, while staying safe in public spaces (parks, airports) if shelters are full, prioritizing hydration and rest.
Link2home is the NSW statewide homelessness information and referral telephone service. It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year. Link2home can provide information, assessments and referrals to homelessness support and accommodation services in NSW everyday from 9am to 10pm.
If you have no accommodation, immediately contact local homelessness services, social services, or crisis hotlines (like Link2home in NSW, Australia, or equivalent local emergency services) for emergency shelters or hostels, search online resources like AskIzzy for local support, and reach out to charities such as The Salvation Army or Mission Australia for immediate assistance and longer-term housing options. Don't delay seeking help, as services can connect you to urgent shelter, food, and support.
If you're homeless and need help with money, you may be eligible for a payment from Centrelink. Find out more about income support payments and advance payment.
Homeless Housing Help
A $1000 Centrelink payment likely refers to the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP), a one-off lump sum of $1,000 for eligible adults (and $400 per child) who are adversely affected by a declared major disaster, like severe weather events in NSW during 2025, providing short-term support for essential needs like damaged homes or assets, claimable through myGov or Services Australia.
Surviving homelessness means taking extra care to ensure your basic needs—water, food, rest, and basic hygiene—are met. This is the foundation you'll build on later. Ask around about local food banks, community fridges, or church meal programs in your area.
Through out the 56 days, the Council has a duty to work with you to take reasonable steps to secure accommodation. After the 56 days the Council may be satisfied that they have done everything it can to help you find accommodation.
Homelessness is highest in the northern most part and central Australia and in small pockets of our major cities • The rate of homelessness in the Northern Territory is almost 15 times the national average.
Find shelters and temporary housing near you
Ask a homeless continuing care program provider for help. They can help you find temporary or permanent housing. Contact your local public housing agency (PHA) for help moving from homelessness to more permanent housing.
If you have nowhere to live, immediately seek help from local homelessness services, charities like The Salvation Army or Mission Australia, or government housing hotlines (like Link2Home in NSW: 1800 152 152, or Victoria's 1800 825 955) for crisis accommodation, food, and support, using online directories like Ask Izzy to find local resources for immediate shelter, meals, showers, and long-term housing assistance. Prioritize safety, hygiene, and securing a stable point of contact, while avoiding substance use, as these organizations offer pathways to stable housing and other essential aid.
The four main categories of accommodation, particularly within Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA), are Improved Liveability, Fully Accessible, High Physical Support, and Robust, each designed to meet specific needs from sensory/cognitive support to high physical or behavioral requirements.
We help people by providing housing and accommodation options in each state and territory. These include short-term crisis accommodation, transitional housing, medium to longer-term community housing, accessible housing for people living with disability and specialist homelessness services.
Housing and financial support
You may be able to access social housing and specialist homelessness services, as well as government assistance payments and other financial support. Learn more about housing and financial support if you are at risk of experiencing homelessness or financial stress.
By law, all local authorities must find out if they have a responsibility to provide someone with long term housing. If you are still homeless after eight weeks of support from us, we will decide if we have a duty to provide you with longer term housing.
The unhoused population's average life expectancy is 15 to 20 years lower than their housed counterparts. The average age of life expectancy when homeless is 48 years, according to Health Care for the Homeless. Unhoused individuals are also twice as likely to have a heart attack or stroke.
The most common definition identifies three types of homelessness: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary homelessness: people without conventional accommodation. For example: sleeping rough or in improvised dwellings. Secondary homelessness: people who frequently move from one temporary shelter to another.
Use a local charity or support service
Seven Places Homeless People Sleep
Homelessness poses profound mental and emotional strains. Daily stressors, such as ensuring personal safety and finding a place to sleep, coupled with the instability and trauma of being unhoused, can increase an individual's vulnerability to psychological conditions, distress, and substance use disorders.
The Carer Adjustment Payment is a one-off ex-gratia payment providing financial assistance of up to $10,000 to families in exceptional circumstances where a child aged under seven years is diagnosed with a severe disability or severe medical condition and they do not qualify for any Government income support payments.
There are no extra payments for Centrelink customers. If you're not sure if Centrelink information you've seen online is real, search our genuine websites. See the link in the comments for more info 👇 The Guringai Festival had a story about a $750 one off payment for pensioners in December, 2025.
You may be eligible for an Urgent Payment if you are experiencing severe financial hardship due to exceptional or unforeseen circumstances, such as family and domestic violence. You can generally only get an Urgent Payment twice in 12 months but there are some exceptions to this.
Contact the local authority