Where "Struggle Street" Comes From
No documented first use of the phrase has been pinned down. It became widely known through the SBS series "Struggle Street," which premiered in May 2015 and followed residents of Mount Druitt in western Sydney (later seasons covered other areas). The series prompted debate, including from Mount Druitt's mayor, about how it portrayed the community.
Sources: Struggle Street (Wikipedia) · Struggle Street: Mount Druitt community up in arms (ABC News) · SBS series Struggle Street sparks debate in Mt Druitt (SBS News)
“With two kids and a mortgage, we're on struggle street until the next pay rise.”
“The café's been on struggle street since the road works started out the front.”
"Since the rent went up we've been on struggle street."
How Aussies Actually Use It
Almost always used with "on" — "on struggle street" — rather than as a standalone noun.
Struggle street is what people say when money is tight, and it's usually said with a wry, understated tone rather than self-pity. 'We're on struggle street at the moment' tells a friend that bills are biting without asking for sympathy. It can be used about a household, a small business, or, more jokily, about any hard patch, such as a footy team losing every week.
Because of the television series, some people hear it with a heavier social meaning, and it's worth being careful when using it about a real community or someone's genuine hardship, since it can sound dismissive. Among friends, self-directed use is the safe way. It is stronger and more specific than 'a bit short', and it's closer in spirit to being 'skint' or 'broke', but more of a phrase than a single word. A learner tip: the preposition matters, so say 'on' struggle street, not 'in'.
See also: Hip Pocket Nerve (the sting of rising living costs), Cactus (broken or ruined, a related sense of things going badly), Moolah (money, the thing that's short).
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