Outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have improved in recent years in a
number of key areas, including life expectancy, child mortality rates and the proportion of young
people completing Year 12 or an equivalent qualification. Despite this, Indigenous Australians
continue to experience greater disadvantage than other Australians. On average, they have lower
levels of education and employment, lower levels of household income and wealth, higher levels of
disability, poorer general health and are more likely to live in locations of greater disadvantage.
Although almost anyone can find themselves experiencing a life event or circumstance that puts
them at risk of homelessness, some people are more vulnerable than others. Of Australia’s 105,200
homeless people in 2011, 25% were Indigenous Australians, 25% were aged 12–14 and a further
17% were under 12. While some homeless people spent the night in short-term or emergency
accommodation, others were sleeping in the open with no shelter.