A Better Place
Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
A Better Place
Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
New directions to reduce homelessness in Victoria
ii A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
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Published by the Victorian Government Department of Human Services,
Melbourne, Australia, September 2010
Copyright State of Victoria 2010
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in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968.
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iii
Contents
Premier’s message
v
Minister’s message
vii
1. Being homeless in Victoria
1
2. A new approach to reducing homelessness
13
3. Life stage: Families with children and independent young people
21
4. Life stage: Adults experiencing short or long-term homelessness
32
5. Life stage: Older people experiencing homelessness
38
6. Delivering change: A 10-year plan
44
Conclusion48
Endnotes49
iv A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
v
Premier’s message
Imagine life without a place to call your own.
How would you find shelter from the chill of winter and the
heat of summer? How would you attain an education or
hold down a job? How would you care for your children
or yourself? How would you cope—physically and
psychologically—if you had no place to go?
This may sound like an unlikely scenario, but for more than
20 000 Victorian men, women and children it is reality.
The undeniable fact is that—despite Victoria having one of the
lowest rates of homelessness in Australia after a decade of
nation-leading reform and investment—far too many of us are
without a place to call home.
That is why the Victorian Government is launching the landmark A Better Place: Victorian
Homelessness 2020 Strategy.
The Strategy is a landmark because it builds on the foundations of A Fairer Victoria and signals
a major shift in the way Victoria thinks about and responds to homelessness. In short, we want
to not just manage, but prevent and reduce, homelessness.
Preventing and reducing homelessness will not be easy, but we must act now.
There are strong economic arguments for reducing the incidence of homelessness, because
it reduces the costs borne by a wide range of mainstream and specialist services. Ultimately,
though, the best argument for preventing and reducing homelessness is humanitarian.
Homelessness can and does happen to people just like us: mothers and fathers, brothers
and sisters, aunts and uncles. The causes of homelessness include everything from domestic
violence and abuse to illness and unemployment.
Those members of our community who find themselves without a home deserve a chance to
get back on their feet. The challenge our community faces is to ensure these disadvantaged
Victorians receive the support they need to grasp that chance.
It won’t be easy. It will take time. But, if we can prevent and reduce homelessness, we will
have made Victoria a better place.
The Hon John Brumby MP
Premier of Victoria
vi A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
vii
Minister’s message
A few years ago I read an article in the New Yorker about a
homeless man called Murray Barr.
The many police officers, welfare workers and nurses who
dealt with Murray—an alcoholic ex-Marine with a toothless
smile—told the story of his life and lonely death.
The point of the story—besides humanising homelessness—
was that it had cost the public health system $1 million to
leave Murray on the street and that it would have been better
for everyone if he had received the support he needed before
it was too late.
Melbourne has many Murray Barrs. On any given night, more
than 20 000 Victorians find themselves without a home.
Some sleep on the streets. Some sleep in rooming houses. Some sleep in refuges.
Some are old enough to be our grandparents. Many are young enough to be our children.
Causes of homelessness are many and can range from family breakdown and family violence,
to unemployment or drug and alcohol addiction, to mental or physical illness. Anyone can
become homeless.
Likewise, there is no one solution.
However, this much is clear. If, as a community, we want to prevent and reduce homelessness,
we must find new approaches that are more about the needs of the individual and less about
fitting people into a system in which one size is supposed to fit all.
The next decade must be about implementing innovative solutions and evaluating them, then
reforming the system—that’s what A Better Place: Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
is all about.
The Strategy is a landmark opportunity for those of us who care about the plight of those more
than 20 000 men, women and children to find new ways to make a lasting difference to their
lives. It is about being prepared to—through a process of trial and evaluation, collaboration and
cooperation—come up with new approaches to prevent and reduce homelessness.
I hope that, after reading the Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy, you will agree that
homelessness is not a fringe issue, but a mainstream issue we all need to own.
Richard Wynne MP
Minister for Housing
viii A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
1
1. Being homeless in Victoria
There is no consistent and accepted definition
of homelessness across relevant human
service, education and employment services
in Victoria. The most widely accepted
definition is by Chamberlain and McKenzie
(1992), who define homelessness as:
• primary homelessness—people without
conventional accommodation (such as living
on the streets, in deserted buildings and in
parks),
Data from the Counting the Homeless 2006
Census showed almost two thirds (63 per
cent) of the homeless population in 2006
were aged 34 years and under, with almost
half (45 per cent) aged 24 years and under.3
Figure 1: Victorian homeless population,
by age, 2006
6%
Regardless of the debate about the definition,
homelessness is a significant and growing
problem in Victoria. According to the 2006
Census, 20 511 Victorians were recorded
as homeless—a 15 per cent increase in the
decade from 1996.2
Homelessness is not confined to specific
groups of people, ages, gender, or family
and household types. It affects people at all
stages of life—from families with children to
young people to single adults to couples to
older people.
Some people experience homelessness
for only short periods following a crisis.
Supported with services and by family, friends
and social networks, they quickly move back
into stable housing. Others who become
homeless in similar circumstances can slide
towards longer term homelessness if they do
not find housing and the right kind of support
in a short amount of time.
Although the homeless population is younger
than the general population, the reality is that
anyone can become homeless at any stage in
their life.
65 or older
45–64 years
25–44 years
12–24 years
17%
• secondary homelessness—people moving
among various forms of temporary shelter
(friends, emergency accommodation,
refuges, hostels and boarding houses), and
• tertiary accommodation—people living in
single rooms in private boarding houses
without their own bathroom, kitchen or
security of tenure.1
14%
Under 12
31%
32%
Source: Chamberlain, C & Mackenzie, D 2009, Counting
the homeless 2006: Victoria, AIHW, Canberra.
While the number and rate of school aged
young people experiencing homelessness
fell significantly between 2001 and 2006, this
group was still the largest in the recorded
2006 homeless population.
At the same time, the number of older people
in the homeless population is also increasing.
The same data showed 2 666 people aged
55 years or older were recorded as homeless
in Victoria in 20064—13 per cent of the
homeless population. This number rose by
16 per cent between 2001 and 2006.5
Between the 2001 and 2006 Censuses, the
number of homeless families also increased
by 17 per cent.6
Men form a slightly larger proportion of the
homeless population (55 per cent) than
women (45 per cent).7
2 A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
Indigenous people are overrepresented
in all sections of the homeless population
in Victoria. In the Counting the Homeless
2006 Census, 777 Indigenous people were
recorded as homeless in Victoria. Indigenous
Victorians make up 3.8 per cent of the
homeless population, but only 0.6 per cent
of the general Victorian population.8
Reducing homelessness is not a simple
task. It is a multifaceted problem requiring
a multifaceted solution.
Building on solid foundations—
the story so far
It is important to reflect on what has been
achieved over the past decade.
The goal of A Better Place: Victorian
Homelessness 2020 Strategy is to build
on those solid foundations. The Strategy
seeks to deliver an approach that is more
strategic, targeted and coordinated—
formalising existing relationships among
housing, homelessness, health, education
and employment, child protection and justice
services to create pathways for people to
find their place in the community.
Victoria has a strong record in helping
people who experience homelessness
Addressing disadvantage, reducing inequality
and achieving social inclusion are key
imperatives of the Victorian Government’s
landmark social policy framework,
A Fairer Victoria.
The Victorian Government invested up to
$6.4 billion over six years through A Fairer
Victoria to ensure more Victorians have the
opportunity, capability and support to lead
active, fulfilling lives. The Government’s
investment and reforms have focused on
assisting people who are vulnerable or
experiencing long-term disadvantage.
3
This effort has involved major investments in
early childhood development, family violence,
mental health, disability services, housing and
community development.
Tailoring services to meet the needs of
different individuals and groups, rather than
a one-size-fits-all approach, has been critical
to the success of A Fairer Victoria. After all,
many disadvantaged people experience
interconnected problems and government
services need to be integrated and sustained
to help them find the solutions they need to
improve their particular circumstances.
Victoria faces considerable population
challenges over the next decade—particularly
in metropolitan Melbourne. The growth in
population will increase the demand for
housing, services and infrastructure. Through
Melbourne 2030 and Melbourne @ 5 Million
the Victorian Government has introduced
initiatives to manage growth in Melbourne and
regional centres, with planning mechanisms
and related policy frameworks designed to
ensure services are delivered to every
citizen, including disadvantaged and
vulnerable Victorians.
In addition, the Victorian Integrated Housing
Strategy combines: efforts to increase the
supply of housing; new planning initiatives;
improvements to the protections; rights and
conditions of tenants; greater support for
better housing design; and actions for more
energy efficient and sustainable housing.
Homelessness policy
Since 1999, the Victorian Government has
also invested more than $1 billion in programs
to assist people experiencing homelessness,
such as:
• the Supported Accommodation Assistance
Program, operated through 150 funded
organisations across Victoria;
• the transitional housing program, with
3 600 houses managed by 20 funded
organisations across Victoria;
• flexible funding assistance to people
in crisis, which has helped 120 000
households in the past two years with
Housing Establishment Fund Grants;
• youth homelessness initiatives; and
• whole-of-government reform of the family
violence system.
4 A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
Over the past two years, the Victorian Government has committed $340 million to help
approximately 350 000 people with support, flexible funding and accommodation. The
initiatives have included: the Opening Doors coordination project; new Indigenous family
violence facilities; assistance for women and children experiencing family violence to remain in
their homes; the flagship Common Ground supportive housing project in inner Melbourne; and
the provision of more stable accommodation in outer metropolitan areas and regional Victoria
for homeless families and individuals under the A Place to Call Home initiative9.
The Victorian Government is also working closely with the Commonwealth Government to
reduce the number of people experiencing homelessness in Victoria and across Australia.
The Commonwealth Government has supported this effort through funding from: the
National Affordable Housing Agreement and National Partnerships on Social Housing and
Homelessness; and the National Partnership Agreement on Nation Building and Jobs Plan.
The Victorian Government has significantly reformed its homelessness policy and programs
over the past decade, driven by the Victorian Homelessness Strategy 2002.
The specific needs of homeless young people were recognised in Creating Connections
2006, which links homelessness services for young people to employment, education
and training opportunities.
5
Victoria is also leading the way with its
integrated, whole-of-government response to
family violence, underpinned by the following
reform strategies:
• A right to safety and justice: strategic
framework to guide continuing family
violence reform in Victoria 2010–2020,
• A right to respect: Victoria’s plan to prevent
violence against women 2010–2020, and
• Strong culture, strong peoples, strong
families: Towards a safer future for
Indigenous families and communities
10 year plan.
Homelessness is being recognised in
key policy areas across the Victorian
Government—for example:
Education
The Victorian Department of Education and
Early Childhood (DEECD) is developing a
Homelessness Education Commitment (HEC)
to improve the educational experiences and
outcomes of children and young people who
are experiencing homelessness or at risk
of homelessness.
The HEC requires school and community
agencies to work in partnership to improve
educational outcomes. It builds on the
DEECD guidelines for Victorian schools,
Supporting children, young people and
their families affected by homelessness,
released in 2009.
Mental health
In 2009, the Victorian Government launched
Because mental health matters: Victorian
Mental Health Reform Strategy 2009–2019,
which sets directions and reforms for current
and future policy and service delivery. It also
recognises the relationship between mental
health and homelessness by:
• providing tailored, flexible services to
highly vulnerable young people who have
experienced significant abuse and trauma,
especially those involved with youth justice,
the Children’s Court, child protection and
youth homelessness services; and
• giving people with enduring psychiatric
disability who are homeless or at risk of
homelessness greater access to individually
tailored packages of psychosocial outreach
support linked to secure and affordable
long-term housing options.
6 A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
7
Justice
Disability
There is a connection between homelessness
and contact with the criminal justice system.
Research shows that the number of times an
offender moves house is one of the highest
predictors of their likelihood to reoffend.10
A number of people who experience
homelessness also have contact with police,
courts and the corrections system. These
contacts are opportunities to refer people
experiencing homelessness to agencies that
can provide help and support.
The Victorian Government established the
Disability Housing Trust in 2006 to promote,
sponsor and develop new and innovative
housing options that provide people with
disabilities opportunities to live in a range
of accommodation types that will best
suit their requirements, and to encourage
new investment in housing for people
with disabilities.
The Department of Justice has been working
to provide targeted interventions for people
experiencing homelessness, including the
Homelessness Infringement Program, the
Corrections Victoria Housing Project, Court
Integrated Services Programs, the Better
Pathways Bail Program, Victims of Crime
Services and family violence system reforms.
Fines and penalties for minor offences
(such as transport infringements) can have
a significant impact on people experiencing
homelessness, because they do not have
the income to pay. The Department of
Justice recently reviewed the operation
of the Infringement Act 2006 (Vic.),
resulting in changes to the system and the
acknowledgement of homelessness as a
special circumstance.
Victoria Police members are often the first to
come into contact with people experiencing
recurring homelessness. Victoria Police has
nominated mental health as one of its priority
issues since 2006 and this commitment is
reflected in the Victoria Police ‘Peace of Mind’
Mental Health Strategy. Victoria Police, in
partnership with the Victorian Government,
has developed and introduced mechanisms
to strengthen and formalise referral processes
to support services for people experiencing
mental health issues, including those
impacted by homelessness.
In addition to this, the Victorian Government
has committed to the development of a
Housing and Support Strategy for People with
a Disability which will promote choice and
wellbeing for people with a disability, including
those who are also at risk of homelessness.
8 A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
Victoria meeting the housing challenge and delivering more affordable housing
Decreasing housing affordability and the limited supply of private rental housing are placing a
significant number of Victorians under housing stress or at risk of homelessness.
Since 1999, the Victorian Government has built or purchased more than 17 000 social housing
units across the state.
Through Aboriginal Housing Victoria (AHV), affordable housing options are being developed for
indigenous people and Indigenous support services will be enhanced. AHV is responsible for
the tenancy management of approximately 1 250 properties. Under the Nation Building and
Jobs Plan, AHV is being funded for 200 additional homes.
Many tenants in rooming houses are highly vulnerable and disadvantaged. In October 2009 the
Victorian Government announced a new investment of $77 million to improve rooming house
standards and provide greater support and protection to rooming house residents. Helping
families to move out of rooming houses and into social housing or stable private rental housing
is an important part of this initiative.
In addition, the Victorian and Commonwealth Governments have committed to jointly
fund incentives for 7 500 new affordable homes through the National Rental Affordability
Scheme (NRAS).
Under the National Affordable Housing Agreement (NAHA), Victoria is working in partnership
with the Commonwealth to invest $1.4 billion over five years to 2012-2013 for coordinated
action on homelessness, social and Indigenous housing, private rental and home ownership
in Victoria.
9
The Nation Building and Jobs Plan has
committed $5.7 billion nationally to boost
and upgrade social housing, of which
$1.27 billion will be invested in Victoria.
This very substantial increase in funding will
see major improvements in social housing.
Affordable housing is integral to reducing and
preventing homelessness and is a key part of
the Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy.
Victoria will continue to increase the supply
of housing through not-for-profit housing
providers and drive investment in affordable
rental housing.
Moving to a prevention and early
intervention model
Homelessness is caused by a wide range of
social and economic issues such as: poverty,
unemployment, violence, drug and alcohol
abuse, mental health issues, poor education,
and a lack of connection to family, friends
and the broader community. To prevent and
reduce homelessness those broader social
and economic issues must be addressed.
To address those broader social and
economic issues, there needs to be a shift
in focus. The Victorian Homelessness 2020
Strategy is therefore aimed at reducing
homelessness and addressing its root causes.
Research and evidence in Australia and from
around the world demonstrates that people
experiencing long-term homelessness who
do not have their housing, health and other
support issues addressed contribute to
significant public financial costs. The repeated
use of casualty wards of hospitals, entry and
exit from prison, ongoing crisis interventions
by mental health and drug and alcohol
specialists puts a strain on the public purse.
When housing, health and support needs are
met, the benefits for the individual along with
the savings are considerable.
Evidence also shows positive returns from:
• investing in early childhood development
(with benefits to both individuals and the
community), and
• preventing poor mental and physical health
(which reduces direct health care costs and
increases economic productivity).11
Prevention and early intervention can also
decrease costs and create benefits, including:
• reducing the risk of child protection
involvement and out-of-home care (which
are linked to poorer educational, housing
and life-time productivity outcomes),
• reducing the deterioration of mental and
physical health, including substance abuse
and experience of violence, and
• reducing the use of high-cost emergency
services such as hospitals.
10 A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
Outcome-based policy
and service delivery
The Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
will shift the focus of homelessness policy
and service delivery to achieving tangible
and lasting outcomes—including substantial
reductions in homelessness.
Victoria and the Commonwealth have already
committed to achieving national targets
by 2013 through the National Partnership
Agreement on Homelessness (NPAH). This
first critical step towards an outcome-based
approach will see Victoria contribute to the
following national targets:
• A 7 per cent decrease in the number
of Australians who are homeless,
• A 25 per cent reduction in the number
of Australians sleeping rough,
• A reduction by a third in Indigenous
homelessness across Australia,
• A 25 per cent reduction in the number
of Australians released from care and
custodial settings into homelessness,
• A 25 per cent reduction in the number
of Australians leaving social housing and
private rental to homelessness, and
• A 25 per cent reduction in three repeat
periods of homelessness at an emergency
service in 12 months.
Meeting these challenging targets will require
coordination and collaboration across all
parts of the system—not just specialised
homelessness services, but mainstream
service agencies such as schools, hospitals
and correction facilities.
11
Existing innovative projects
A large number of innovative projects are
already helping specific groups of clients:
• The Safe at Home initiative helps women
and children experiencing family violence
to remain in the family home, and stay
connected to their school and community.
This program involves coordinated action
by the courts, police and community
agencies to ensure the home is safe
and free from harassment.
• The Prison Exit Program is a joint initiative
of Corrections Victoria and the Department
of Human Services, which places women
and men exiting prison into transitional
housing with the support they need to
find long-term housing and to re-establish
themselves in the community—reducing
rates of recidivism.
• Youth Foyer is an iconic accommodation
and support program for young people
providing secure accommodation and
case management, including mentoring
and support to build life skills (such
as budgeting and cooking), recreation
programs, training and employment.
Ladder, a joint venture between the
AFL Players’ Association and the AFL
Foundation, is an example of Youth Foyer.
• A similar youth project is the new
Melbourne Citymission Youth Precinct
based in Fitzroy, which will provide short
and long-term accommodation as well as
support and employment pathways for
young people experiencing homelessness
and disadvantage.
• The Sacred Heart Mission’s Journey to
Social Inclusion project is assisting people
who have been chronically homeless
through intensive intervention, skills
development and support to reconnect to
the community.
• Wintringham is a recognised leader in
providing dedicated housing and support
services for older people experiencing
homelessness—combining housing, aged
care, health and community care services
for older homeless people.
Ultimately, more needs to be done to build
on the successes of existing programs
across both the homelessness service and
mainstream service systems.
This requires forging stronger connections
between homelessness services and
mainstream services such as schools
and hospitals.
12 A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
Landmark policy and reform
The first stage will be the implementation of six 4-year flagship projects, which will explore
different ways that government, the community sector, business and philanthropy can
work together.
The projects will recognise that people become homeless for many different reasons and their
needs change with age and circumstance.
More than 1 000 people or around 5 per cent of the Victorian homeless population will be
engaged in the flagship projects. The projects will aim to deliver lasting outcomes for these
people by addressing their distinct needs and helping them move out of homelessness to
independent living and full social and economic participation. All projects will be fully evaluated
and directly inform further policy and service delivery reforms.
New initiatives are funded in partnership with the Commonwealth Government through the
NPAH, as well as through new and existing funding from the Victorian Government.
These innovative projects will be in addition to the 2010–11 funding of $177 million for
ongoing homelessness and family violence support and housing initiatives, assisting approximately
175 000 people.
It is important to note that while the shift to prevention and early intervention is a significant
change in policy and service delivery, the Victorian homelessness service system will still require
the capacity to respond to crises. It is not always possible to stop crises from occurring. However,
moving to prevention and early intervention will mean that less people will require a crisis response
over the long term.
This is why the Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy is a landmark policy reform.
13
2. A new approach to reducing homelessness
To break the cycle of homelessness over the
next decade, the Victorian Homelessness
2020 Strategy aims to:
• prevent people becoming homeless
in the first place,
• minimise the harm caused by
homelessness, and
• assist people to move out of
homelessness permanently.
To do so, the Victorian Homelessness 2020
Strategy proposes, as its central tenet, a greater
role for mainstream services—such as schools,
job networks, health services and Centrelink.
The Victorian Government’s new approach
comprises four areas of reform:
1. Focusing more on early intervention
and prevention for people experiencing
homelessness, to prevent homelessness
where possible or significantly reduce its
duration.
2. Taking a life stage approach to
delivering services for people experiencing
homelessness, which recognises people
at different stages of life often become
homeless for different reasons, face different
circumstances and have different needs.
3. Taking a systemic, whole-of-government
approach to addressing the causes and
effects of homelessness for people at
different life stages. This means connecting
housing and homelessness support with
education and employment services,
health services and income support. It also
means identifying which part of the system
is best placed to coordinate services for
people in different life stages.
4. Developing a workforce primed to
intervene early, target services for people
at different life stages, work across service
sectors to address the multiple needs
of people experiencing homelessness
and focus on achieving the best possible
outcomes for their clients.
Setting a consistent definition
of homelessness
As stated earlier, there is no consistent
and accepted definition of homelessness
across relevant human service, education
and employment services in Victoria. This is
problematic for a number of reasons:
• it is hard to clearly identify the target group,
• it makes cooperation between service
providers and stakeholders difficult,
• it is harder to collect meaningful data about
clients, and
• it is difficult to measure the effectiveness
of interventions for people experiencing
homelessness.
Establishing a shared and consistent definition
of homelessness is essential.
The Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
proposes that the widely accepted
Chamberlain and McKenzie definition of
primary homelessness (people without
conventional accommodation), secondary
homelessness (people moving among various
forms of temporary shelter) and tertiary
accommodation (people living in single rooms
in private boarding houses without their own
bathroom, kitchen or security of tenure)12
be adopted across all government agencies
and not-for-profit organisations funded to
provide services to people experiencing
homelessness.
‘‘
I was very ashamed of the situation I was in.
I came from a place where I had my own house
and my own job and now I had to ask. I didn’t
have the courage nor did I think it was my right
to ask for a house or money.
”
David, former homelessness services client, from
consultation with Council to Homeless Persons
14 A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
15
Combining a life stage
approach with early intervention
and prevention to reduce
homelessness
Defining the life stages
The centrepiece of the Victorian
Homelessness 2020 Strategy is a life stage
approach, recognising that at different
stages of their life, people often face different
circumstances, and have different needs.
A young stay-at-home mum with two primary
school aged children who has nowhere to live
following the breakdown of her relationship
has different needs compared to an older
single man who is long-term unemployed and
has chronic ill health as a result of sleeping
rough or in boarding houses for years. A
19-year-old man who has had a fight with his
parents, dropped out of TAFE and is sleeping
on the couch at a friend’s place has different
needs again.
1. Families with children and independent
young people aged 15–24 years who are
experiencing homelessness.
By focussing on the needs of people at
different life stages, we can re-establish the
skills, resources and connections they need
to avoid becoming homeless again.
This shift in direction will need to be tested.
A package of flagship projects to demonstrate
the life stage approach is being funded.
‘‘
In relation to a one-sizefits-all approach to housing,
throw away the book and use
common sense … everybody
is different.
”
Barry, 50, from consultations with PILCH
Based on research and analysis, the Victorian
Homelessness 2020 Strategy is structured
broadly around three life stages:
2. Adults aged 24–55 years who do not care
for children and who are experiencing
either short or long-term homelessness.
3. Adults aged over 55 years who are
experiencing homelessness.
The life stage categories are not absolute.
Our aim is to ensure that under the life stage
approach, all people at risk of or experiencing
homelessness will receive appropriate service
responses to meet their needs.
Testing the life stage approach
Each project will engage the sector and
relevant government departments as
well as business and philanthropy. An
outcomes measurement framework will
also be developed to track the progress of
each flagship project. This measurement
framework, along with a formal evaluation of
each project, will inform future service models
and funding.
Simultaneously, while this period of testing,
measuring and evaluating new approaches is
underway, all existing service arrangements
will continue providing vital services for
Victorians most in need. The homelessness
service system will continue to support anyone
experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
16 A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
Putting the life stage approach into practice
Addressing the interrelated issues that make people vulnerable to homelessness with early,
targeted, coordinated support will be critical to the success of a life stage approach in
reducing homelessness. This includes providing:
• affordable housing and support to maintain tenancies,
• adequate income support,
• help for children and young people to remain engaged in school, complete Year 12 and
move into appropriate vocational or further education,
• help for parents and young people to find and keep jobs or access training to gain skills, and
• a continuity of primary and mental health care.
Central to this approach is providing people with the services they need when and where
they need them. Achieving this will require stronger links and better coordination between:
mainstream health, education, employment and income support services; specialist
homelessness support services; and housing services.
The Victorian Government will ensure people are provided with assistance to navigate a
complex service system and find the support they need to participate more fully in social
and economic life.
17
‘‘
I was only allowed six
weeks support. That was really
not enough time to pull my
whole life back together. When
the six weeks was up I was
on my own again and slipping
backwards.
”
Rosie, middle aged person suffering depression, from
consultations with Council to Homeless Persons
A range of agencies provide services to
people experiencing homelessness. They
include Commonwealth, State and local
government agencies, and not-for-profit and
for-profit agencies. Some focus specifically
on people experiencing homelessness,
while others also deliver services to the
broader community.
The Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
recognises that reducing homelessness is
the joint responsibility of this broad range of
agencies. It also recognises that the missing
element is often the coordination of services
to achieve lasting outcomes for people.
There are many successful examples of
one agency providing service coordination
across a range of partners. Too often,
however, these arrangements rely on personal
relationships between individuals and are not
comprehensive or consistent across Victoria.
The Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
seeks to formalise a key role for the agency or
agencies best placed to coordinate services.
The causes of homelessness and the needs
of people vary. As a consequence, the
agency best placed to coordinate the
services will vary according to the needs
of each individual.
In some circumstances, the best placed
agency (for example, a school) need only
identify that a client is at risk of homelessness
and put that person in touch with a
homelessness support organisation. In other
cases (for example, a community health centre),
the best placed agency will need to develop an
integrated plan to address the immediate and
longer term needs of the person.
Assigning one agency with the responsibilty
for commissioning the required services
represents a major shift in current service
system arrangements, and will require both
mainstream and homelessness support
organisations to recognise the best placed
agency and work to an agreed plan.
This plan will ensure that the best placed
agency is able to reach those in need
of support.
Getting the respect that comes
from having a home and work
A home is fundamental to ending
homelessness. Where possible, work
is the extra ingredient that will sustain
accommodation and build someone’s ability
to participate more fully in the community.
‘‘
Employment, it just helps cause it gets you
out of your head, and gives you purpose.
”
Terry, unemployed, from consultations with PILCH
Through the Victorian Homelessness 2020
Strategy, the Victorian Government recognises
that improving access to jobs for people
experiencing homelessness is important. Data
from homelessness services shows that only
a small proportion of clients leave services
with some kind of employment. It is important
to acknowledge that homelessness services
have not generally been funded to provide
employment services for their clients and
therefore rely on referrals and links to Job
Services Australia (JSA) providers and other
labour market programs. To achieve future
reductions in homelessness, homelessness
support services and employment services
will need to work in concert.
18 A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
Through closer collaboration with the Commonwealth, the Victorian Government will contribute
to employment service reviews and advocate for greater targeting and consistency in the
provision of employment services for people experiencing homelessness.
‘‘
[Working for the Big Issue] does wonders for your self-esteem.
You wake up, have a coffee and a cigarette and think ‘hey life’s
not that bad’. I got sick of begging all day and going to court ...
”
Phil, unemployed, from consultations with PILCH
The Victorian Neighbourhood Renewal program provides a sound evidence base for improving
employment outcomes for people experiencing homelessness. Evaluations of the program
indicate that more than 5 500 new jobs were created across 21 disadvantaged communities
in Victoria. The knowledge gained from this program will be used in the development of
employment initiatives in the Strategy.
19
Income from a job also significantly improves
the ability of people receiving income support
to gain housing in the private rental market.
This makes support to find and keep a job
and access to long-term, stable housing
critical to reducing homelessness.
With that in mind, the Victorian Homelessness
2020 Strategy proposes two further
components to support people who are
homeless or at risk of homelessness.
First, an employment linkages project will
connect participants in the Strategy’s flagship
projects with JSA as well as transitional labour
market programs, including social enterprises.
This will involve working with employers
and union representatives to secure jobs for
people experiencing homelessness.
The development and implementation
of the employment linkages project will
involve agencies working in partnership to
achieve positive employment outcomes for
people who are at risk of, or experiencing,
homelessness.
Second, funding will be made available to
secure stable accommodation (primarily in the
private rental market) through a new private
rental brokerage fund to support participants
in the flagship projects.
Taking action
Through the Victorian
Homelessness 2020 Strategy, the
Victorian Government will:
•
adopt the Chamberlain and McKenzie
definition as the consistent definition of
homelessness across government and the
service sector,
•
trial a range of flagship projects in different
settings and across life stages and develop
and implement an outcomes measurement
framework,
•
implement an employment linkages project
that will provide people experiencing
homelessness with work opportunities,
and support people to access and complete
vocational training, and
•
implement a private rental brokerage fund
to provide financial support to homeless
families and individuals participating in the
demonstration projects to maintain private
rental housing.
20 A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
21
3.Life stage: Families with children
and independent young people
Evidence shows a growth
in family homelessness
Between the 2001 and 2006 Censuses,
the number of homeless families increased
by 17 per cent.13
In 2008-09, 23 100 Victorian children
(with their families) received support from
homelessness, family violence and housing
services14—the highest number on record.
More than 70 per cent of those children were
of preschool and primary school age, with
42 per cent aged 4 years and under.15
Families become homeless
for different reasons
Some families become vulnerable to
homelessness because they are struggling to
make ends meet. The pressures of paying a
mortgage and the increasing costs of living
can lead to relationship breakdowns and
further financial difficulties.
For other families, the loss of private rental
accommodation and the difficulty of finding
another affordable property to rent can lead
to homelessness.
Family violence is also a major reason that
women and children become homeless.
Half of the women with children attending
homelessness services in 2008-09 stated
that family violence was the reason they were
seeking help.16
Family violence remains an
unacceptable presence in our
community
Preventing family violence is a significant part
of preventing homelessness.
Violence perpetrated by a partner—including
physical, emotional and sexual violence—is
the leading contributor to death, disability and
ill health in Victorian women aged 15–44.17
It has a profound and devastating impact on
women, children, young people, families and
communities. It erodes the sense of safety
and security normally associated with having
a home and is a significant contributor to
homelessness among families.
The facts are stark.
The number of family violence incidents in
Victoria in 2007-08, as recorded by police,
court services and homelessness services,
ranged between 20 150 and 36 114.18
The number of recorded incidents increased
significantly over the past decade. Between
2000 and 2009, the number of client support
periods where family violence was the main
reason for seeking assistance increased by
74 per cent—up from 9 301 to 16 145.19
Figure 2 illustrates the increase in demand on
homelessness services over the past decade
from clients experiencing significant family
violence issues.
‘‘
The rental people blacklisted me, so no real estate agent
wants anything to do with me. My ex smashed up two houses
and I was living there at the time. The lease was under my
name. I have no hope of getting a property.
”
Joanne, 33, from consultations with Council to Homeless Persons
22 A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
Figure 2: Clients seeking homelessness services due to family violence
18,000
16,000
14,000
12,000
10,000
8,000
6,000
No. Support Periods
4,000
2,000
9
–0
08
20
8
20
07
–0
7
–0
06
20
6
5
–0
05
20
4
–0
04
20
–0
03
20
3
–0
02
20
2
–0
01
20
1
–0
00
20
19
99
–2
00
0
0
Sources: AIHW (various years), SAAP national data collection annual report, Victoria,
1999-2000 to 2008-09, Canberra.20
There is limited reliable information on the incidence of family violence in culturally and
linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. It is clear that women from a diverse range of
cultural backgrounds and Indigenous women do experience family violence—and some may
experience higher rates of family violence compared to others in the community.21
Family violence service data shows a growing number of women and their children without
permanent residency—such as women on student or spousal visas, without access to
services, income or support—presenting to services. The Immigrant Women’s Domestic
Violence Service estimates that approximately 2 500 women in this precarious situation miss
out on services.
Women’s refuges, family violence services and the homelessness service system have a limited
capacity to meet the needs of these families, particularly when the families have no access to
income support and other Commonwealth Government services.
Addressing family violence is a priority, and the Victorian Government is implementing an
integrated response designed to keep women and children safe, hold perpetrators to account
and reduce family violence. This response involves police, courts, government departments and
agencies, and the services sector (including homelessness services) working closely together.
23
The impact of homelessness
on children can last a lifetime
Much evidence, both in Australia and
internationally, shows that disruption and
disadvantage in early years can have a
negative impact on adult life. Health and
wellbeing issues in adults—such as mental
health, crime, family violence, poor literacy,
and unemployment and welfare dependency—
are often linked to childhood experiences.22
Negative early experiences can set children
on developmental paths that become
progressively more difficult to change.
‘‘
I had a really good worker,
but only for 12 months and
then I had to be exited, I
was doing well, but once
the support stopped I went
downhill and had to get help
again and go through the
process all over again.
”
Anna, single mum, from consultations with PILCH
Becoming homeless and moving from
place to place, even for short periods, is
destabilising for children. It affects their
health and wellbeing, as well as their
engagement in education. When combined
with other risk factors—such as the
trauma of adult relationship breakdown,
unsupportive relationships with parents,
disruption to schooling, being witness to
family violence, and separation from friends
and communities—homelessness can have
enduring effects on children.
However, if families experiencing homelessness
receive timely and coordinated support to
access stable housing, education and other
health and community services, children have
the capacity and resilience to quickly reconnect
with school and the community.
Families with children who
experience homelessness
need a dedicated focus
Experiencing family violence, the loss of a
job, relationship breakdown, drug and alcohol
abuse or the failure of a family-owned small
business can result in families with children
and young people facing homelessness.
Homelessness impacts on every member
of a family, including children. That is why
any homelessness service response
should consider the varying needs of
each family member.
Early intervention is vital to minimise short and
long-term harm. It is important for families to
receive help quickly and easily, to ensure:
• the family can find somewhere to live,
• children can continue to go to school, or
training or further education if they are older,
• parents are supported to find and keep a
job, or gain access to training,
• the family receives the necessary
counselling and life skills training needed to
get relationships back on track,
• the family has access to income and other
financial support, and
• the family can access community and
support networks to rebuild their lives and
avoid becoming homeless again.
24 A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
Families facing homelessness currently
access services from Victoria’s network
of family homelessness support and
accommodation services, as well as from an
extensive network of family violence services.
These services are a common first point
of call for families—and are best placed to
coordinate a response for some families.
While family homelessness support and
accommodation services cannot provide all
the different services needed to get a family
back on its feet, they are often in a strong
position to broker and coordinate services
and resources for families with children.
A combination of family violence, housing,
education, training, justice, income support
and counselling services may be needed to
help move a family out of homelessness.
‘‘
I left half way through
school; couldn’t cope. My
school fees weren’t being paid.
Didn’t have a legal guardian so
couldn’t go to school camps.
A school should be a bit more
lenient with people who are
homeless and keep it discreet
so people who don’t need to
know don’t find out about it
”
Michelle, 20, from consultations with Council to
Homeless Persons
Two flagship 4-year projects will test new
service models responding to the needs of
families. The first flagship project will target
families with children. The second will target
families experiencing family violence. Both
projects will provide ongoing assistance to
work with families to resolve their experience
of homelessness.
25
Family homelessness flagship project
This 4-year project will locate a new multi-disciplinary team of staff with
specific expertise regarding families within an existing homelessness funded
agency. This project will work with around 250 individuals, including children.
The aims of the project are that:
• children attend and stay in primary and secondary education,
• parents undertake vocational education and training and/or access employment services,
• families secure and maintain affordable housing,
• children receive maternal and child health assessments,
• families access community health and mental health services, and
• families access financial counselling and support.
Family violence flagship project
The 4-year family violence flagship project will locate a multi-disciplinary team of staff in a
specialist family violence agency. The project will build on existing integrated service delivery
established through the recent family violence service reforms. This project will work with a
further 250 individuals, including children.
The aims of the project are that:
• families receive legal services and safe accommodation,
• families have access to financial counselling and support enabling them to control their
financial resources,
• families secure and maintain affordable housing,
• families access community health and mental health services,
• children attend and stay in primary and secondary education, and
• parents undertake vocational education and training and/or access employment services.
Clients participating in the two flagship projects will be given access to social housing or
private rental. This will help children attend school, enhance access to local services and
encourage new community relationships to be formed.
26 A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
In addition to these important flagship projects, the Victorian Government is undertaking a
range of complementary initiatives.
The Department of Human Services’ Housing and Community Building Division already
has staff focusing on family violence. To sharpen this focus and improve partnerships with
community sector organisations, the Housing and Community Building Division will establish
a dedicated family violence unit. The unit will provide policy and service delivery information
about family violence and its relation to housing and homelessness.
The Victorian Government’s new private rental brokerage fund will support up to 430 families
experiencing homelessness over the next four years to find and keep housing in the private
rental market. The scheme will provide short-term financial assistance—enabling families to
access private rental housing and parents to access employment and education opportunities.
Independent young people are a significant part of the
homeless population
Young people aged 15–24 who are no longer with their families and are experiencing
homelessness are a significant part of the homeless population.
‘‘
My school knew I was homeless and referred me to youth
refuge—they did a really good job. The refuge then took me to
school every day. They both handled the situation really well. If
it wasn’t for how they handled it I would be both homeless and
fallen out of school
”
Hannah, young person, from consultations with Council to Homeless Persons
The issues affecting young people who become homeless include the breakdown of
relationships with family, disengagement from school, employment and education and training,
inability to access independent housing, life skills problems, and health and wellbeing issues
(including mental health issues and drug and alcohol abuse).
For independent young people experiencing homelessness, a focus on services and support—
including health and wellbeing, education and vocational training, and the promotion of social
and family relationships, along with housing—can help them live independently.
Victoria has recognised the distinct needs of young people
experiencing homelessness
Over a long period, the Victorian homelessness service system has focused on helping
independent young people through dedicated crisis and transitional accommodation services,
family reconciliation services and specialist assistance for those leaving statutory care and
youth justice.
27
The Creating Connections 2006 policy
framework pays specific attention to the
needs and circumstances of young people
experiencing homelessness. Creating
Connections builds on reform resulting from
the 2002 Victorian Homelessness Strategy
and seeks to improve housing and support
services for young people experiencing
homelessness. The framework has introduced
enhanced services, including intensive
case management, life skills and private
rental brokerage.
More recently, the NPAH has recognised the
critical need to link employment, education
and training with homelessness services for
young people to assist them in becoming
independent.23 To help achieve this objective,
funding has already been allocated through
the NPAH for a number of youth initiatives
including: three new Youth Foyer housing
and support models; staffing to assist young
people to access appropriate mental health
services; resources to enable youth refuges
to expand their services; and new family
reconciliation services.
A small but significant proportion of young
people experiencing homelessness have
previously been under the care of the state
protection system. Victorian child protection
data estimates that approximately 450
young people aged 16–18 years exit their
Custody and Guardianship orders each year.
A proportion of these young people identified
as at risk of homelessness are supported by
homelessness assistance services.
Current leaving care services include postcare support to assist young people make the
transition to independent living, mentoring from
supportive adults, flexible brokerage to enhance
regional service capacity, a leaving care
helpline, housing and case managed support
and Indigenous specific housing and support.
‘‘
I’ve got consistent set people I see—my youth
worker, GP and school counsellor. They all have
case management meetings with me when I
need. Being able to see the same person because
then you don’t need to keep repeating your story.
They understand and get to know you ...
”
Lucy, suffers chronic health issues, from consultations with Council to Homeless Persons
28 A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
29
The Strategy aims to reduce
the number of young people
experiencing homelessness
The Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
will build on Creating Connections, the
NPAH and existing initiatives to formalise
and embed through the flagship project
an appropriate service coordination model
to deliver outcomes for young people
experiencing homelessness.
A 4-year flagship project will test a new
service delivery model aimed at achieving
lasting outcomes for young people, aged
15–21 years, who are newly homeless or
at imminent risk of homelessness. These
young people will be living in a range of
circumstances, including staying with family
and friends or short term accommodation.
This will involve forging stronger and more
formal relationships with schools, employment
assistance providers and TAFE colleges.
The flagship project aims to bring together
resources that help young people complete
education and vocational training, access
employment, and develop life skills to
make a transition to independent life in
the community.
Over and above this important flagship project,
the Victorian Government is undertaking a
range of complementary initiatives.
Linking with the Homelessness Education
Commitment, a unique partnership
between DEECD and DHS, the Victorian
Homelessness 2020 Strategy will enable
a more systemic identification of school
students experiencing homelessness through
new working arrangements between schools
and homelessness services, which will help
young people engage with and complete
secondary school education.
Young people
flagship project
As part of this project a team will be employed to
work as part of a regional school network. Through
linkages with a range of support services, including
community service, employment, education and training
providers, the project will coordinate and broker resources to
ensure good outcomes for young people. This project will work
with 100 young people.
The aims of the project are that:
• young people attend and complete secondary school,
• young people are engaged in work or post secondary training,
• young people develop positive family or supportive adult
relationships,
• young people can access and maintain suitable housing, and
• young people have developed effective life skills to sustain
independence.
The employment linkages project will
help young people access transitional
labour market programs provided by
social enterprises—such as placements
in traineeships and apprenticeships—and
find work in key industries. This will include
helping some young people make the
transition from school to post-secondary
vocational education, and training and work.
Combined with support to complete
education and training and find work, services
will work to access affordable housing options
for young people. The private rental brokerage
fund will help young people to sustain private
rental housing.
30 A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
Some young people will require more support, particularly those who have left state care
and become homeless. The Victorian Government’s Department of Human Services will
ensure that all young people leaving care and at risk of homelessness will have an individual
plan that includes a specific emphasis on social, education and employment outcomes.
Dedicated placements for young people leaving care will be made available in Youth Foyer
accommodation. In addition, specific housing and support initiatives for Indigenous young
people leaving care will be provided.
There is a small group of young people experiencing homelessness who are under 16 years
of age and are neither with their parents nor in state care. The Victorian Government is
committed to addressing the needs of this vulnerable group. With the Office of the
Child Safety Commissioner, a policy framework and pilot service model will be developed
to more effectively respond to unaccompanied young people under the age of 16 who are
experiencing homelessness.
31
Taking action
Through the Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy, the Victorian
Government will:
•
initiate a 4-year family homelessness flagship project to test a new
service model that provides and coordinates support services, including
housing, income support, financial counselling, early childhood services,
education, health, mental health and community service resources to prevent
and reduce homelessness;
•
initiate a 4-year family violence flagship project to test a new service model
that provides and coordinates support services, including housing, legal
advice and support, early childhood services, income support, financial
counselling, education, health, mental health and community service
resources to prevent and reduce homelessness;
•
give families and children who are part of the flagship projects access to
social housing or private rental;
•
establish a dedicated family violence unit within the Housing and Community
Building Division of the Department of Human Services;
•
initiate a 4-year youth homelessness flagship project to test a new service
model working with schools that are part of a regional school network;
•
ensure that all young people leaving care and at risk of homelessness will
have an individual plan which includes a specific emphasis on educational
and employment outcomes; and
•
with the Office of the Child Safety Commissioner, develop a policy framework
and pilot service model to provide cohesive and coordinated responses to
unaccompanied young people under 16 years of age who are experiencing
homelessness.
32 A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
4. Life stage: Adults experiencing
short or long-term homelessness
Single adults form a large part of the homeless population in Victoria
In the Counting the Homeless 2006 census, more than 6 000 people (about 30 per cent
of the homeless population) in Victoria were single and aged 25–54 years.24 In 2008-09,
homelessness services assisted about 14 000 single adults aged 25–54 years.25
Adults in this age bracket without children are a large and diverse group. Over the past decade
there has been a substantial increase in the number of single adults, aged 25 years and older,
receiving assistance from homelessness services in Victoria (figure 3).
Figure 3: Victorian single adult homeless clients aged 25 and older, 1999–2009
40,000
35,000
30,000
25,000
20,000
15,000
No. Support Periods
10,000
5,000
9
–0
08
20
8
7
–0
07
20
6
–0
06
20
–0
05
20
5
20
04
–0
4
–0
03
20
3
2
–0
02
20
1
–0
01
20
–0
00
20
19
99
–2
00
0
0
Source: AIHW, 2001–2010, SAAP National Data Collection, Victoria, AIHW, Canberra.
‘‘
I’ve been in emergency housing for a year now, I need out.
1999-00 2000-01
2002-03list…
2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09
I’m single,
on a2001-02
priority
”
Chris, single, from consultations with PILCH
Data from the homeless census indicates there are a greater proportion of men than women in
this population group. However, homeless service data and anecdotal evidence from services
suggests that the number of single adult women has increased significantly in recent years.
In addition, this data suggests that middle-aged men are less likely to receive ongoing support
from services and are more likely to be sleeping rough or in boarding houses, while women are
more likely to be more engaged with services or to be living temporarily with family and friends.
33
‘‘
Adults can experience either
I accessed services when I was living out of a
short or long-term homelessness trash can and wasn’t on social security. They sat
The Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
identifies two broad groups of adults who
have different experiences of homelessness.
For some, homelessness is a short-term
experience arising from events such as the
loss of a job, the breakdown of a relationship
or eviction from housing. The pressures of
limited affordable housing and the tenuous
nature of many lower skilled jobs contribute
to short-term homelessness among adults.
However, for many adults homelessness is a
long-term experience.
Evidence suggests about two thirds of single
adults experiencing homelessness have a
history of repeat homelessness with little
or no employment experience. Many also
have inhibiting and detrimental health issues,
including long-term mental illness, drug and
alcohol abuse, and chronic health conditions.
Often, they become part of a ‘homeless
subculture’— socially excluded from the
mainstream.26
The more frequently and longer a person is
homeless, the more likely they are to face
significant and harmful health and wellbeing
issues, and the more difficult they find
extricating themselves from homelessness.27
me down and said look we have some courses
we are going to run about getting your head
around doing kitchen hand work ... we will get
you accommodation, look after you and get you
job placement after the six months. It was a
positive outcome.
”
Gary, formerly homeless, from consultations with PILCH
This group of adults experiencing longer term
homelessness is more highly concentrated in
the inner and middle suburbs of Melbourne,
but they are also present in some outer
metropolitan areas and regional centres.28
A small number of long-term homeless adults
are sleeping rough, but most live in marginal
and poor quality accommodation, including
rooming houses with no separate kitchen and
bathroom areas and no security of tenure.
They are vulnerable to being exploited by
unscrupulous landlords.
In rural and regional areas, some people
experiencing long-term homelessness
live in isolated caravan parks away from
infrastructure and services.
‘‘
Being homeless is very isolating. You see all the other people
on the trams who have a home and you give up on wanting to
be part of life. Being homeless makes it so much harder to do
something than it is for other people.
”
Jodie, single mum, from consultations with PILCH
34 A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
Adults at risk of, or experiencing
homelessness need a dedicated
focus that differentiates
between short and long-term
homelessness
Helping adults facing short-term
homelessness
Losing a job, experiencing a relationship
breakdown or going through another
tumultuous event can result in a person
facing homelessness. In this situation, where
someone is newly homeless, in good health
and with reasonable employment prospects,
it is important that they access help quickly to
get back on their feet and avoid the harm of
ongoing homelessness.
Centrelink is one of the first ports of call
for people who have lost their job or need
financial support.
Newly unemployed people attend Centrelink
to register for income support. This is a
useful point from which to assess a person’s
housing status and, if needed, connects
them with housing and homelessness
support services.
The Department of Human Services will
work with Centrelink to test whether this new
service model reduces homelessness and
achieves better outcomes for people who are
newly homeless or at risk of homelessness.
The flagship project will build on the newly
created partnerships between the Department
of Human Services and Centrelink, such as
the co-location of services at Prahran.
35
Helping adults experiencing
long-term homelessness
Victorians who experience long-term
homelessness often have interrelated
health and wellbeing problems as well
as housing issues.
To move out of homelessness, people who
have been homeless for a long time may need
coordinated support to deal with a range of
issues, such as chronic mental illness, drug
and alcohol dependency, a lack of long-term
housing, and/or lost connections to family,
friends and the wider community.
Some people experiencing long-term
homelessness are sleeping rough and are
disengaged from established services. Others
are living in vulnerable situations in private
rooming houses.
People experiencing homelessness often
access health services—including hospitals,
community health centres, drug and alcohol
services and mental health services.
Many health services run programs that
support people with multiple problems
through case coordination and partnerships
with the community sector. For example,
the Hospitals Admission Risk Program and
the Royal District Nursing Service Homeless
Persons Program specialise in addressing the
health needs of disadvantaged Victorians.
Some community health services have
developed expertise in responding to
the health needs of people experiencing
homelessness.
The Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
aims to build on the strengths of these
programs and extend the partnership
between health agencies and housing
and homelessness support services.
A flagship project will test a new service
model responding to the needs of adults
who experience long-term homelessness.
Adults experiencing
short term homelessness
flagship project
This 4-year project will place a team of staff at
Centrelink. This team will provide and coordinate supports
including income and housing support and linkages to
employment, education and training for adults at risk of, or
experiencing homelessness. This project will provide services to
250 individuals.
The aims of the project are that:
• adults access appropriate income support benefits and services,
• adults access affordable, short term and transitional
accommodation,
• adults access affordable and independent housing, and
• adults access work or vocational training.
Adults experiencing
long-term homelessness
flagship project
This 4-year project will place a team of staff in a
community health service.
This service model will provide and coordinate resources
to meet the needs of long-term homeless adults—including
health and housing needs—in one place in order to provide better
outcomes and ensure a continuity of health care, long-term housing
and increased social inclusion. The project will include outreach
health and housing support for people sleeping rough and living
in rooming houses. This project will provide intensive support to
80 individuals.
The aims of the project are that:
• people improve their physical and mental health well being,
• people access and sustain affordable housing,
• people develop and sustain positive social networks, and
• people are involved in purposeful activities including vocational
training, work, volunteering or self development.
36 A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
37
Over and above these two important
flagship projects, the Victorian
Government is undertaking a range
of complementary initiatives.
Victoria is already implementing specific
initiatives to address the housing and
support needs of people sleeping rough.
Melbourne Street to Home (MS2H) is a new
program funded through the NPAH to provide
coordinated housing and support services
targeted at the most vulnerable people who
are rough sleeping in the Melbourne CBD
and surrounding suburbs. MS2H aims to
work with local agencies and the broader
community in order to achieve the best
possible outcomes for Melbourne’s most
vulnerable rough sleepers.
An additional initiative will build the capacity
of hospital services. To ensure specific
emergency departments are able to
more effectively assess and refer adults
experiencing long-term homelessness, and
improve continuity of health care and linkages
to mainstream services, workers will be
placed in the emergency departments of two
major metropolitan hospitals to link specialist
health services and housing. This project will
have a specific emphasis on rough sleepers
experiencing severe health difficulties.
Taking action
Through the Victorian
Homelessness 2020 Strategy,
the Victorian Government will:
•
establish a 4-year flagship project that
places housing workers with Centrelink
to address the support needs of adults who
are newly homeless or experiencing housing
instability, including housing, employment
and income support;
•
establish a 4-year flagship project that
coordinates support services—including
primary and mental health care, drug
and alcohol services, and social housing—
for adults experiencing long-term
homelessness;
•
implement a new program to provide
coordinated housing and support services
targeted at the most vulnerable people who
are rough sleeping in the Melbourne CBD
and surrounding suburbs; and
•
build the capacity of hospital services
by placing workers in the emergency
departments of two major metropolitan
hospitals to link specialist health services
and housing.
38 A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
5. Life stage: Older people experiencing
homelessness
A growing number of older Victorians are experiencing
homelessness
The Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy defines the later years of homelessness as
beginning from 55 years of age. This definition is based on research and information from
agencies and practitioners showing that the ageing process begins prematurely for some
people experiencing long-term homelessness.29
The Counting the homeless data show that 2 666 people aged 55 years and older were
recorded as homeless in 2006—a 16 per cent increase on the 2001 number (figure 4).30
In 2008-09, homelessness services in Victoria assisted 2 300 people aged 55 years or older—
6.4 per cent of all clients.31
The Home and Community Care (HACC) program provides services to people experiencing
homelessness in Victoria. In 2008-09, approximately 794 HACC clients were living in boarding
houses and private hotels, 530 were living in short term, crisis or transitional accommodation
and 264 were living in a public place or temporary shelter.
The undersupply of affordable and suitable housing (particularly rental housing) and an ageing
population will affect the number of older people experiencing housing difficulties.32 The
number of Australians aged 65 years and over living in lower-income rental households, for
example, is projected to increase by 115 per cent, from 195 000 in 2001 to 419 000 in 2026.33
Figure 4: Homeless population, by older age groups, 2001 and 2006
2,500
2,000
2001
2006
1,500
1,000
500
0
45–54 years
55–64 years
65 or older
Source: Chamberlain, C & Mackenzie, D 2009, Counting the homeless 2006: Victoria, AIHW, Canberra.
39
We need to build on current
services for older Victorians
experiencing homelessness
The Victorian Government has recognised
the needs of older homeless Victorians
by developing low-cost accommodation
support programs, including the Community
Connections Program, the Housing Support
for the Aged Program (HSAP) and The Older
Persons High Rise Support Program.
These programs cater to adults and older
people who have unmet complex needs
and are homeless or living in insecure or
low-cost accommodation. They use a
proactive outreach model to engage with
and assess older people—connecting them
to relevant health, community care and
welfare services to improve their health
and stabilise their housing.
The Victorian Government also works with
the Commonwealth Government to deliver
Assistance with Care and Housing for the
Aged (ACHA), which is the only national
program specifically for older people
experiencing homelessness people.
The program aims to support older people
to secure or maintain housing and care so
they can live in the community of their choice.
The provision of social housing is an integral
component of this response to older people
experiencing homelessness, and older people
will continue to be a priority group in the
allocation of public-rental housing.34
40 A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
Older people experiencing homelessness need a dedicated focus
The Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy will provide a dedicated focus on older people
who are at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness. This focus requires new policy and service
responses that clearly differentiate the range of needs of newly homeless older adults and
those who have experienced homelessness over a long period.
Some older people living in the private rental market with little or no financial security are
particularly vulnerable to homelessness.
‘‘
Each year we are getting older and what is going to happen
when I’m on the street and 60 and can’t carry a back pack
anymore?
”
Rodney, older person, from consultations with PILCH
More than half the clients in the ACHA program had been living in the private rental sector
before becoming homeless.35 These older people require a combination of housing support,
home assistance, income support, financial help and other community support to ensure they
do not become homless.
Others who have experienced a lifetime of homelessness need access to more intensive health
care support and housing or residential accommodation.
A 2004 study of older people experiencing homelessness found almost 85 per cent of clients
reported multiple problems with physical health, mental health and/or disability related to
lifestyle and premature ageing, accidental injury, heavy drinking and smoking.36
These people struggle to access safe accommodation and ongoing health services, and are at
risk of social isolation.
The aged care service system is complex, involving all levels of government and many differing
pathways, depending on where a person is situated, their income and capacity.
However, there are examples of good practice that support people as they age. There are
local councils that actively coordinate local health and housing services and target HACC to
vulnerable low-income older people in their municipalities. A small number of non-government
agencies also leverage Commonwealth Aged Care packages to support people with dignity
in community housing settings. The Victorian Government will explore how these can
be extended.
The Victorian Government is committed to meeting the needs of older people, but the
Commonwealth Government (through the Department of Health and Ageing) has substantial
policy, funding and regulation responsibility for Aged Care.
That is why the Victorian and Commonwealth Governments are working together to better
meet the needs of older people experiencing homelessness. The Victorian Homelessness 2020
Strategy will initiate a planning process between the Victorian Department of Human Services,
the Victorian Department of Health, and the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing
to improve policy and service delivery responses.
41
Through the Nation Building and Social
Housing partnership agreements with the
Commonwealth, Victoria will continue to
allocate a proportion of social housing
units to older people who are experiencing
homelessness. The Victorian Homelessness
2020 Strategy will implement and trial a new
support service model to complement specific
housing units to ensure older people receive
the range of services they need to live healthy,
independent lives.
A 4-year flagship project will test a new
service model responding to the needs of
older people who experience homelessness.
Over and above the important flagship project,
the Victorian Government is undertaking a
range of complementary initiatives.
The Victorian Government’s Keeping in Touch
Program aims to increase support for public
housing tenants aged 75 years and over
who live independently. Under the program a
trained officer phones the tenant once a week
at a designated time to check on their health
and well being. The Strategy will extend
this program to cover tenants living in other
community-managed social housing tenants.
The Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
acknowledges that further research is needed
to ensure the service system is properly
planned and targeted to prevent vulnerable
older people becoming homeless. The
integration of health and community care
services is now an established theme in
social policy research and is considered an
important step to achieving better outcomes
for people, including people experiencing
homelessness.37
Older persons
homelessness flagship
project
This 4-year flagship project will place a team of staff
with an existing organisation that has expertise in housing
and supporting older people experiencing homelessness. The
project will provide and coordinate a range of support services—
including access to affordable housing, specialist health and mental
health services, home assistance services and social and recreational
programs—to meet the needs of older people. This project will
provide services to 160 individuals.
The aims of the project are that:
• older people maintain their housing tenancy;
• older people receive home assistance and home maintenance
services, including meals, transport, assistance with shopping
and cleaning;
• older people receive primary and mental health services to
continue independent living; and
• older people are engaged in regular social and recreational activities.
42 A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
43
Integrated care is considered particularly
relevant to service provision for older people
and vulnerable groups in the population.38
However, there is a need for more research
in this area to build a stronger evidence base
about which interventions are most effective
in addressing the drivers of homelessness for
this group of people.
Through a partnership between the Department
of Human Services and the Department of
Health a research project will be undertaken
to examine effective models of integrated
service delivery for older people experiencing
homelessness and policy recommendations
to improve services responses.
Taking action
Through the Victorian
Homelessness 2020 Strategy,
the Victorian Government will:
•
initiate a 4-year flagship project to
provide and coordinate a range of support
services—including access to affordable
housing, specialist health and mental
health services, home assistance services
and social and recreational programs—to
meet the needs older people experiencing
homelessness;
•
extend the Keeping in Touch program
beyond support for public housing tenants
to include tenants of community managed
social housing; and
•
undertake further research to identify
effective interventions and service models
that minimise the impacts of homelessness
on older Victorians.
44 A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
6. Delivering change: A 10-year plan
Significant reform is needed to prevent
and reduce homelessness in Victoria over
the next decade.
To achieve this, the Victorian Government
will develop a detailed and staged
implementation plan that identifies
accountabilities, roles and responsibilities,
and focuses on delivering real outcomes
for people experiencing homelessness.
The implementation plan will incorporate a
broad range of reforms across government
and the human services sector.
As part of the first phase of the Victorian
Homelessness 2020 Strategy new service
models will be tested through the six 4-year
flagship projects.
Establishing new governance
arrangements
The governance structure established to
support the implementation of the Victorian
Homelessness 2020 Strategy will ensure
homelessness remains a policy focus of the
Victorian Government over the next decade.
To achieve this, a cross-government
committee will guide and inform the
implementation of the Strategy.
Given the significant reform agenda proposed
by this strategy, the Minister for Housing
will establish a Ministerial Advisory Group
to provide advice on broad homelessness
issues and assist with the development of
partnerships across sectors.
Workforce review and planning
The Premier announced on 1 July 2010
that the Victorian Government would fund
higher rates of pay for community workers
if Fair Work Australia makes an Equal
Remuneration Order as sought by the
Australian Services Union.
The recruitment and retention of a skilled,
qualified, competent and committed
workforce is critical to achieving the Victorian
Homelessness 2020 Strategy’s goal of
preventing and reducing homelessness.
A stakeholder committee will be established
to help plan for future workforce needs. The
existing specialist homelessness workforce
will be provided with additional professional
development resources and new training
opportunities to align workforce skills with the
Strategy directions. Staff will be supported
to enhance their knowledge of mainstream
service delivery, including eligibility criteria,
assessment and intake procedures.
45
Improved standards of quality in service
delivery, achieved through the Victorian
homelessness accreditation and the
continuous quality improvement framework,
will help equip homelessness and family
violence support services to meet the goal of
preventing and reducing homelessness.
The flagship projects will inform workforce
planning into the future. These projects
place a stronger emphasis on the role of
mainstream services in the prevention and
early intervention of homelessness.
In adopting the Victorian Government’s new
approach, staff within the broader service
system may require additional tools to assess
the causes and impacts of homelessness.
The Victorian Government is already
developing strategies to increase the
knowledge and capabilities of teachers and
other school staff, which will be embedded
across the education system. For example,
the development of the Homelessness
Education Commitment by the DEECD
will improve teachers’ knowledge of
homelessness and their understanding of
the range of services available to schools.
Taking action
To develop the workforce, the
Victorian Government will:
•
deliver a 10-year strategy through
a detailed and staged implementation
plan,
•
establish new governance and reporting
arrangements associated with the
implementation of the Strategy,
•
establish a stakeholder committee to advise
on workforce planning,
•
commit to continuous quality improvement
and integrated service standards, and
•
develop a package of workforce training
and assessment tools.
46 A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
Research, data collection
and evaluation
Comprehensive and high-quality research and
data collection on homelessness are vital to
developing an evidence-based approach to
reducing homelessness in Victoria. The work
of a small number of researchers in Australia
(many based in Victoria) over the past decade
has expanded our knowledge of homelessness.
In addition, the Australian Bureau of Statistics’
Counting the homeless Census and the SAAP
national data collection have provided data
on the number, age, household profile, living
circumstances and service needs of people
experiencing homelessness.
An expanded and consistent homelessness
research agenda and data collection system
is required.
Areas include:
• the needs and circumstances of specific
target groups,
• how to define and measure long-term
homelessness and multiple and complex
needs, and
• trends in homelessness and how it
can manifest at different stages of the
life course.
The Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
will develop and monitor an outcome
measurement framework. In addition, data
will be collected and analysed to track the
impact of the Strategy on homelessness
and assess policy directions and programs.
The Strategy will initiate research that
informs the implementation of homelessness
policy and service development across
systems, including: primary health; primary,
secondary and post-secondary education;
mental health; employment assistance; and
drug and alcohol support.
47
The Strategy will also establish a Victorian
Homelessness Research and Innovation
Fund in partnership with the Lord Mayor’s
Charitable Foundation. The Fund will enable
a range of collaborative research projects.
Each of the Strategy’s flagship projects will be
fully evaluated to determine the effectiveness
of new service models in reducing
homelessness and delivering outcomes for
people experiencing homelessness and to
inform future service reform and directions.
Taking action
Through the Victorian
Homelessness 2020 Strategy, the
Victorian Government will:
•
expand and improve current Victorian
Government human service and education
data collection systems to provide reliable
data on homelessness, based on a
consistent definition,
•
establish a Victorian Homelessness Research
and Innovation Fund in partnership with the
Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation,
•
evaluate all of the Strategy’s flagship
projects to assess the effectiveness of new
service models in reducing homelessness
and delivering better outcomes, and
•
disseminate research and data on
homelessness in Victoria in partnership
with universities, community agencies,
philanthropists and other stakeholders.
In addition to building the knowledge base,
new methods of disseminating research and
data on homelessness in Victoria will be
undertaken, including:
• a forum for researchers and policy
workers from a range of settings (including
universities, community organisations and
government) to develop research ideas,
methods and interests in particular areas of
homelessness,
• regional research collaborations involving
community agencies, universities and
researchers, and other stakeholders, and
• agency initiated small scale research
that examines service delivery to those
experiencing homelessness.
The key directions of a Victorian
homelessness research and data
collection agenda will be finalised by 2011,
implementing research projects and initiatives
over the life of the Victorian Homelessness
2020 Strategy.
48 A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
Conclusion
The release of A Better Place: Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy marks the beginning
of a new era for Victorians experiencing homelessness.
The Victorian Government is determined to change the way more than 20 000 men, women
and children are supported—shifting away from a one-size-fits-all program approach
to a greater focus on the needs of the individual. After all, the causes of homelessness
vary according to individual circumstances—such as family breakdown, family violence,
unemployment, drug and alcohol addiction, and mental or physical illness.
The Strategy aims to prevent people becoming homeless in the first place, minimise the harm
caused by homelessness, and assist people to move out of homelessness permanently.
To achieve these aims of prevention, harm minimisation and reduction, homelessness needs to
be put on the agenda as a mainstream social policy issue.
There needs to be greater collaboration between services—such as schools, health
services, job networks and Centrelink—and greater innovation in program development and
implementation.
This new approach is built on the foundation of a strong record in social reform.
Since 1999, the Victorian Government has invested more than $1 billion in programs to assist
people experiencing homelessness. Since 2004, up to $6.4 billion has been spent addressing
long-term disadvantage through A Fairer Victoria.
However, despite these investments the State’s homeless population is projected to rise above
24 000 by 2020. The Victorian Government wants to reverse that alarming trend.
That is why the Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy commits to a wide range of actions
including a series of 4-year flagship projects that will test innovative new approaches to
homelessness prevention and reduction.
The challenge is to deliver real and lasting outcomes for thousands of Victorian men, women
and children who are homeless.
Meeting that challenge will make Victoria a better place.
49
Endnotes
1.
Chamberlain, C & MacKenzie, D
1992, ‘Understanding contemporary
homelessness: issues of definition and
meaning’, Australian Journal of Social
Issues, vol. 27, no. 4.
Chamberlain, C & Mackenzie, D 2009,
Counting the homeless 2006: Victoria,
Australian Institute of Health & Welfare
(AIHW), Canberra; Chamberlain, C &
Mackenzie, D 2004, Counting the homeless
2001: Victoria, Swinburne University &
RMIT University, Melbourne.
2.
Chamberlain, C & Mackenzie, D 2009,
Counting the homeless 2006: Victoria,
AIHW, Canberra.
3.
4.
Chamberlain, C & Mackenzie, D 2009,
Counting the homeless 2006: Victoria,
AIHW, Canberra.
Chamberlain, C & Mackenzie, D 2009,
Counting the homeless 2006: Victoria,
AIHW, Canberra; Chamberlain, C &
Mackenzie, D 2004, Counting the homeless
2001: Victoria, Australian Bureau of
Statistics (ABS), Canberra.
5.
Chamberlain, C & Mackenzie, D 2009,
Counting the homeless 2006: Victoria,
AIHW, Canberra.
6.
Chamberlain, C & Mackenzie, D 2009,
Counting the homeless 2006: Victoria,
AIHW, Canberra.
7.
Chamberlain, C & Mackenzie, D 2009,
Counting the homeless 2006: Victoria,
AIHW, Canberra
8.
“A Place To Call Home” is a joint initiative
by the Commonwealth, State and Territory
Governments to build 600 new homes
for individuals and families experiencing
homelessness. The Commonwealth
Government is investing $150 million in
this program, with State and Territory
Governments also contributing funds. “A
Place to Call Home” commenced in July
2008, and will operate until 30 June 2013.
9.
Baldry, E, McDonnell, D, Maplestone,
P & Peeters, P 2007, Ex-prisoners
and accommodation: what bearing do
different forms of housing have on social
reintegration for ex-prisoners? AHURI,
Melbourne.
10.
Gronda, H & Vitis, L 2010, Cost–benefit
evidence in support of homelessness
prevention and early intervention, AHURI
Research Synthesis Service, Melbourne.
11.
Chamberlain, C & MacKenzie, D
1992, ‘Understanding contemporary
homelessness: issues of definition and
meaning’, Australian Journal of Social
Issues, vol. 27, no. 4.
12.
Chamberlain, C & Mackenzie, D 2009,
Counting the homeless 2006: Victoria,
AIHW, Canberra.
13.
AIHW 2010, Government-funded specialist
homelessness services: SAAP national data
collection annual report, 2008-09, Victoria,
Commonwealth Government, Canberra.
14.
AIHW 2010, Government-funded specialist
homelessness services: SAAP national data
collection annual report, 2008-09, Victoria,
Commonwealth Government, Canberra;
AIHW 2008, Homeless people in SAAP:
SAAP national data collection annual
report, 2006-07, Victoria, Commonwealth
Government, Canberra.
15.
AIHW 2010, Government-funded specialist
homelessness services: SAAP national data
collection annual report, 2008-09, Victoria,
Commonwealth Government, Canberra.
16.
VicHealth 2004, The health costs of
violence: measuring the burden of disease
caused by intimate partner violence,
Melbourne.
17.
50 A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy
Victorian Department of Justice 2009,
Measuring family violence in Victoria 1998–
2008, vol. 4, Victorian Family Data Base,
Melbourne. SAAP data represent client
support periods flagged for family violence
related issues. All agencies may include
victims who seek assistance on multiple
occasions. In 2005-06, the SAAP definition
of a support period, the definition of a
client and the statistical linkage key were
changed. Data from that point, therefore,
are not comparable to previous years’ data.
Use caution when examining data across
the years. Court services include finalised
intervention orders only. Police data include
reported incidents of family violence
recorded on the family violence incident
reports.
biological and educational dynamics, The
Guildford Press, New York; Hobcraft, J
1998, Intergenerational and life course
transmission of social exclusion: influences
of childhood poverty, family disruption and
contact with the police, CASE, Paper 15,
London.
18.
AIHW (various years), SAAP national data
collection annual report, Victoria, 19992000 to 2008-09, Canberra.
19.
20.
21.
22.
In 2005-06, the SAAP definition of a
support period, the definition of a client and
the statistical linkage key were changed.
Data from that point, therefore, are not
comparable to previous years’ data. Use
caution when examining data across the
years.
See Victorian Department of Justice
2009, Measuring family violence in Victoria
1998–2008, vol. 4, Victorian Family Data
Base, Melbourne. In 2003-04, the Women’s
Domestic Violence Crisis Service of Victoria
identified 70 different cultures to which their
clients belonged.
See Shonkoff, J & Phillips, D 2000, From
neurons to neighbourhoods: the science
of early childhood development, National
Academy Press, Washington DC; Rutter,
M 1989, ‘Pathways from childhood to
adult life’, Journal of Child Psychology
and Psychiatry, vol. 30, no. 1, pp. 23–51;
Tremblay, R 1999, ‘When children’s
social development fails’, in Keating, D
& Hertzman, C (eds), Developmental
health and the wealth of nations: social,
Mallett, S, Rosenthal, D, Keys, D &
Averill, R 2009, Moving out moving on:
young people’s pathways in and through
homelessness, Routledge, Melbourne.
23.
Chamberlain, C & Mackenzie, D 2009,
Counting the homeless 2006: Victoria,
AIHW, Canberra.
24.
AIHW 2010, Government-funded specialist
homelessness services: SAAP national data
collection annual report, 2008-09, Victoria,
Commonwealth Government, Canberra.
25.
Chamberlain, C, Johnson, G & Theobald,
J 2007, Homelessness in Melbourne:
confronting the challenge, RMIT University,
Melbourne.
26.
Chamberlain, C, Johnson, G & Theobald,
J 2007, Homelessness in Melbourne:
confronting the challenge, RMIT University,
Melbourne.
27.
Chamberlain, C & Mackenzie, D 2009,
Counting the homeless 2006: Victoria,
AIHW, Canberra.
28.
Crane, M & Warnes, A 2001, ‘Older
people and homelessness: prevalence and
causes’, Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation,
vol. 16, pp. 1–14; Cohen, C & Sokolovsky,
J 1989, Old men of the bowery: strategies
for survival among the homeless, Guildford
Press, New York; Hecht, L & Coyte, B
2001, ‘Elderly homeless: a comparison of
older and younger adult emergency shelter
seekers in Bakersfield, California’, American
Behavioural Scientist, vol. 45, pp. 66–79;
SAAP CAD 2002, ‘Older Homeless People
Forum background paper—responses to
older people who are at risk and homeless’,
National Forum on Homelessness, Housing
Support Branch, FaCHSIA, Sydney.
29.
51
Chamberlain, C & Mackenzie, D 2009,
Counting the homeless 2006: Victoria,
AIHW, Canberra; Chamberlain, C &
Mackenzie, D 2004, Counting the homeless
2001: Victoria, ABS, Canberra.
35.
AIHW 2010, Government-funded specialist
homelessness services: SAAP national data
collection annual report, 2008-09, Victoria,
Commonwealth Government, Canberra.
36.
30.
31.
National Housing Supply Council, 2nd state
of supply report 2010, FaHCSIA, Canberra
32.
Jones, A, Bell, M, Tilse, C & Earl, G 2007,
Rental housing provision for lower income
older Australians, AHURI, Melbourne.
33.
Victorian Department of Human Services
(Housing and Community Building
Division) 2009, Summary of housing
assistance programs 2007-08, Melbourne;
FaHCSIA 2009, Housing Assistance Act
annual report 2007-08, Commonwealth
Government, Canberra.
34.
Judd, B, Kavanagh, K, Morris, A &
Naidoo, Y 2004, Housing options and
independent living: sustainable outcomes
for older people who are homeless, AHURI,
Melbourne.
Judd, B, Kavanagh, K, Morris, A &
Naidoo, Y 2004, Housing options and
independent living: sustainable outcomes
for older people who are homeless, AHURI,
Melbourne.
See Flatau, P, Conroy, E, Clear, A & Burns,
L 2010, The integration of homelessness,
mental health and drug and alcohol
services in Australia, AHURI, Melbourne
and International Journal of Integrated
Care, http://www.ijic.org/
37.
See Lloyd, J and Wait, S 2006, Integrated
Care: A Guide for Policymakers,
International Longevity Centre,
London, UK
38.
52 A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy