Limited information on housing instability and homelessness among tertiary students

Universal data gaps on the extent of housing instability and homelessness experienced by students.

Seven universities responded to the 2025 round of OIA requests. All provide some form of housing support, but only one systematically collects data on it. Most responses described case-by-case approaches to housing insecurity rather than proactive approaches. In several cases housing support was provided through the student union rather than the University directly.   

Data gaps were universal. No university reported a clear number of students experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. Most reported the data isn’t collected in a usable form. The limited data makes it difficult to track whether housing related hardship is increasing or decreasing within the student population or which responses might be most effective.   

There is some evidence that stress and wellbeing impacts are growing for students— AUT reported a 30% rise in stress presentations to Student Counselling and Mental Health Service from 2020 to 2025 indicating worsening student wellbeing. AUT provided $1.2M to students for housing or emergency housing support between 2020 to 2025 (around one-sixth of the hardship funding allocated to AUT students) (AUT, 2026). 

Strengthening data collection would support a better understanding of how housing instability affects students and will help inform more targeted responses across the system. 

Data source: OIA declines and responses from 7 tertiary organisations.