Homelessness in Australia: Overview

Click on the terms to access a simple definition from Lexico, the online Oxford Dictionary.

Couch-surfing, Homeless, Parity, Poverty, Poverty line, Shelter

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What is poverty?

Poverty is a relative concept used to describe the people in a society that cannot participate in the activities that most people take for granted. The Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) uses the following definitions:

• "Deprivation: Looking at the essential items people are missing out on.
• Poverty lines: A level of income, below which people are regarded as living in poverty.
• Relative poverty: This is when poverty is measured against something that can change. It means that poverty is measured against a standard that is unacceptably low in a given point in time.
• Absolute poverty: This is when a household or person does not have enough income for even a basic acceptable standard of living, or to meet basic living needs. The threshold for absolute poverty varies between developed and developing countries.
• Extreme poverty: When people are living on an income below the international poverty line set by the World Bank of $1.90 a day.
• Poverty gap: The average difference between the poverty line and the disposable income of households living below that poverty line." (ACOSS, n.d.)

What is inequality?

• Inequality means the unequal distribution within society of income, wealth and goods. The Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) measures inequality in two ways: income inequality and wealth inequality. (ACOSS, n.d.)

For more details see the ACOSS Frequently Asked Questions.

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