2026 Vinnies CEO Sleepout
Working Canberrans forced into homelessness as leaders step up at Vinnies CEO Sleepout
In one of Australia’s most affluent cities, a growing number of people facing homelessness are not unemployed -they are working.
St Vincent de Paul Society Canberra/Goulburn (Vinnies) is inviting media to attend this year’s Vinnies CEO Sleepout, as new data highlights the scale of Canberra’s housing and cost-of-living crisis.
At the same time, cost-of-living pressures are pushing more people into crisis, with ACTCOSS warning the situation has become “truly terrifying” as rising costs force households to choose between essentials like food, health care and housing, according to the ACTCOSS Cost of Living Report.
Locally, Vinnies Canberra/Goulburn is seeing demand for support rising rapidly. In just 12 months - from April 2025 to April 2026 - our Emergency Relief Helpline received more than 19,000 calls for help with people seeking help for food, transport and fuel, clothing, and basic household essentials, increasing now to over 100 calls a day. The strongest demand remains for food and food vouchers, highlighting ongoing cost-of-living pressures across our community, and many are seeking help for the first time.
“People often assume homelessness happens to someone else, but what we’re seeing right now are people with jobs, people doing everything right, who simply can’t afford to keep a roof over their heads,” said Lucy Hohnen, CEO St Vincent de Paul Society Canberra/ Goulburn.
As winter sets in, the situation is becoming more urgent. Food and emergency relief providers across Canberra report demand increasing by up to 75% in the past year, with some supporting up to 100 families a day according to ACTCOSS and local sector reporting (2026).
The Vinnies CEO Sleepout brings together leaders from business, government, and the community to spend a night sleeping outdoors, raising funds and awareness for people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.
“This event is about more than spending one cold night outside,” Lucy Hohnen, continued.
“It’s about shining a light on a growing crisis in our community and recognising just how quickly someone can find themselves needing help.”