“It was really, really hard, because I went through so many years of just being a number.”
These are the words of 53-year-old Sydney-based Big Issue vendor and lived-experience classroom speaker Rachel – words to keep front and centre during National Homelessness Week and as Australia prepares for the 2026 Census.
The Census gives us an important national snapshot. But numbers alone cannot tell us what people have endured, which opportunities they have been denied or what they need to build a better future.
To understand that we must listen to the people behind the statistics.
That’s why the latest edition of The Big Issue asks a simple but important question: what does being counted mean for people whose experiences are too often overlooked?
More Than a Number
Rachel experienced homelessness on and off for almost four decades, from the age of 16 until recently. Her last encounter with the Census brought difficult questions to the surface.
“They ask you about your education and all that stuff, and then you think: what if I’d had that opportunity?”
Rachel is one of several people employed by The Big Issue featured in this special edition, which places lived experience at the centre of the conversation. Their responses reveal scepticism, frustration and hope, and remind us that behind every statistic is a person with their own story, strengths and potential.
They also reinforce a simple principle: meaningful solutions must begin by listening to the people most affected.
For 30 years, The Big Issue has created opportunities for people experiencing homelessness, disadvantage and marginalisation to earn an income, rebuild confidence and connect with their community.
That work includes vendors selling The Big Issue, women employed through the Women’s Workforce, guest speakers sharing their experiences through the Lived Experience Classroom, and participants building connection and wellbeing through the Community Street Soccer Program.
Across these programs and enterprises, more than 8,000 people have been supported to create change in their lives.
Support The Big Issue
This National Homelessness Week, you can help The Big Issue continue creating work, income and connection for people experiencing homelessness and poverty.
Donate: Help support programs that create employment, income and greater stability.
Buy a magazine: Purchase the latest edition from a Big Issue vendor and help them earn an immediate income.
Subscribe: Have The Big Issue delivered to your door while supporting employment through the Women’s Workforce.
Fundraise: Bring your workplace, school or community together to raise funds and awareness.
Seeing people is only the beginning. The next step is listening and acting on what people like Rachel are telling us they need to feel seen, heard and supported to create change in their own lives.
Illustration by Asher McShane