Sole parents have the highest poverty rate of any group in Australia and, not surprisingly, are one of the largest groups in receipt of housing assistance. The number of sole parents is also growing at a dramatic rate. Two AHURI projects have been looking at issues raised by these trends. This report incorporates research findings from these projects, both by the AHURI Swinburne-Monash Research Centre. Bob Birrell and Virginia Rapson examine the location and housing needs of sole parents. Terry Burke and Kath Hulse explore the relationships between sole parents, social well being and housing assistance. Important policy questions addressed by the research are whether sole parents are being forced by high housing prices to live in areas of poor job availability and the role of Commonwealth Rent Assistance in supporting the social well being of sole parents.