Do you love your car so much you’d sleep in it?
For some Australians, necessity, rather than love, has led them to turn their cars into makeshift bedrooms as they battle to find a place to live.
It’s for these people that Mission Australia is trying to raise extra money to enable better support, and is doing so by calling on people to spend Saturday night, August 8, 2026, to sleep in their car.
The Saturday night coincides with Homelessness Week (3-9 August) – and the Sleep In Your Car fundraiser is a community fundraising campaign that began in 2025.
Last year, more than 4,000 people swapped their beds for the backseat, raising over $160,000 for Mission Australia’s homelessness services.
With the 2021 Census showing more than 120,000 people experiencing homelessness in Australia, with many living in severely overcrowded dwellings, refuges, boarding houses, couch surfing, on the streets or in their cars, it’s money that can definitely be put to a good cause.
Mission Australia CEO, Sharon Callister says: “For many Australians, sleeping in a car isn’t a one-off experience, it’s an ongoing and incredibly challenging reality.
“With rents continuing to rise and social housing waitlists growing, our frontline staff often struggle to find safe and secure housing for the people we support, leaving families and individuals trapped in homelessness.
“Every hour, around 3,200 people turn to homelessness services like ours for support, and the demand continues to grow.
“Too many people are being forced to make tough choices between paying for rent, food, fuel or other essentials. These are the decisions that no one should have to make.”
The Sleep In Your Car campaign aims to spark conversation and build understanding, while raising much-needed funds for Mission Australia’s homelessness services. While one night in a car cannot capture the reality of homelessness, it can offer a new perspective and a practical way to support people doing it tough.
Alongside fundraising efforts like Sleep In Your Car, Mission Australia continues to advocate for long-term solutions to end homelessness in Australia and address the country’s housing emergency.
“To meet the need for safe and secure housing, we need to significantly boost social and affordable homes so they make up one in 10 properties across Australia,” Callister says.
“We also need stronger investment in early intervention and tenancy support services that keep people housed before they reach crisis. These programs are proven to work, with 98 per cent of people assisted able to remain in their homes and avoid homelessness.
“I encourage individuals and teams across the country to take part. The funds raised will help us continue delivering tenancy support and homelessness services that provide a critical safety net. Together, we can help ensure more people have somewhere safe to go home to.”
To register, donate or learn more, visit sleepinyourcar.com.au
