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A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy

A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy … · 4 A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy Over the past two years, the Victorian Government has committed $340

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A Better PlaceVictorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy

A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 StrategyNew directions to reduce homelessness in Victoria

ii A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy

AccessibilityIf you would like to receive this publication in an accessible format, please email [email protected] or contact the National Relay Service 13 36 77. This document is also available in PDF format on the internet at www.homelessness.vic.gov.au

Published by the Victorian Government Department of Human Services, Melbourne, Australia, September 2010

Copyright State of Victoria 2010

This publication is © copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968.

Authorised by the Victorian Government, 50 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne.

Printed on sustainable paper by: Impact Digital Unit 3-4, 306 Albert Street Brunswick VIC 3056

iii

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

Conclusion 48

Endnotes 49

Contents

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

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

Minister’s message

viii A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy

1

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),

•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

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.

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

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

1. Being homeless in Victoria

65 or older

45–64 years25–44 years12–24 years

Under 12

14%

31%

32%

17%

6%

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

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 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.

Disability

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.

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

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 homelessnessAs 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.

2. A new approach to reducing 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

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.

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.

Defining the life stages

Based on research and analysis, the Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy is structured broadly around three life stages:

1. Families with children and independent young people aged 15–24 years who are experiencing homelessness.

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

This shift in direction will need to be tested. A package of flagship projects to demonstrate the life stage approach is being funded.

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.

‘‘In relation to a one-size-fits-all approach to housing, throw away the book and use common sense … everybody is different.”Barry, 50, from consultations with PILCH

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

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.

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.

‘‘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

‘‘Employment, it just helps cause it gets you out of your head, and gives you purpose.”Terry, unemployed, from consultations with PILCH

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.

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.

‘‘[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

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

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.

3. Life stage: Families with children and independent young people

‘‘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

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.

0

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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.

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.

‘‘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

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.

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.

‘‘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

25

Family homelessness flagship projectThis 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 projectThe 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.

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.

‘‘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

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 post-care 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.

Young people flagship projectAs 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.

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.

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

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

Source: AIHW, 2001–2010, SAAP National Data Collection, Victoria, AIHW, Canberra.

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.

4. Life stage: Adults experiencing short or long-term homelessness

‘‘I’ve been in emergency housing for a year now, I need out. I’m single, on a priority list…” Chris, single, from consultations with PILCH

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Adults can experience either short or long-term homelessness

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

‘‘I accessed services when I was living out of a trash can and wasn’t on social security. They sat 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

‘‘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

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.

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 projectThis 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 projectThis 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

Taking actionThrough 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.

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.

38 A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy

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

Source: Chamberlain, C & Mackenzie, D 2009, Counting the homeless 2006: Victoria, AIHW, Canberra.

5. Life stage: Older people experiencing homelessness

45–54 years 55–64 years 65 or older0

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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.

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.

‘‘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

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 projectThis 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 actionThrough 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.

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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 actionTo 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.

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Taking actionThrough 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.

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.

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.

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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.

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Endnotes1. Chamberlain, C & MacKenzie, D

1992, ‘Understanding contemporary homelessness: issues of definition and meaning’, Australian Journal of Social Issues, vol. 27, no. 4.

2. 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.

3. Chamberlain, C & Mackenzie, D 2009, Counting the homeless 2006: Victoria, AIHW, Canberra.

4. Chamberlain, C & Mackenzie, D 2009, Counting the homeless 2006: Victoria, AIHW, Canberra.

5. 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.

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. Chamberlain, C & Mackenzie, D 2009, Counting the homeless 2006: Victoria, AIHW, Canberra

9. “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.

10. 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.

11. Gronda, H & Vitis, L 2010, Cost–benefit evidence in support of homelessness prevention and early intervention, AHURI Research Synthesis Service, Melbourne.

12. Chamberlain, C & MacKenzie, D 1992, ‘Understanding contemporary homelessness: issues of definition and meaning’, Australian Journal of Social Issues, vol. 27, no. 4.

13. Chamberlain, C & Mackenzie, D 2009, Counting the homeless 2006: Victoria, AIHW, Canberra.

14. AIHW 2010, Government-funded specialist homelessness services: SAAP national data collection annual report, 2008-09, Victoria, Commonwealth Government, Canberra.

15. 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.

16. AIHW 2010, Government-funded specialist homelessness services: SAAP national data collection annual report, 2008-09, Victoria, Commonwealth Government, Canberra.

17. VicHealth 2004, The health costs of violence: measuring the burden of disease caused by intimate partner violence, Melbourne.

50 A Better Place Victorian Homelessness 2020 Strategy

18. 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.

19. AIHW (various years), SAAP national data collection annual report, Victoria, 1999-2000 to 2008-09, Canberra.

20. 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.

21. 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.

22. 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,

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.

23. Mallett, S, Rosenthal, D, Keys, D & Averill, R 2009, Moving out moving on: young people’s pathways in and through homelessness, Routledge, Melbourne.

24. Chamberlain, C & Mackenzie, D 2009, Counting the homeless 2006: Victoria, AIHW, Canberra.

25. AIHW 2010, Government-funded specialist homelessness services: SAAP national data collection annual report, 2008-09, Victoria, Commonwealth Government, Canberra.

26. Chamberlain, C, Johnson, G & Theobald, J 2007, Homelessness in Melbourne: confronting the challenge, RMIT University, Melbourne.

27. Chamberlain, C, Johnson, G & Theobald, J 2007, Homelessness in Melbourne: confronting the challenge, RMIT University, Melbourne.

28. Chamberlain, C & Mackenzie, D 2009, Counting the homeless 2006: Victoria, AIHW, Canberra.

29. 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.

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30. Chamberlain, C & Mackenzie, D 2009, Counting the homeless 2006: Victoria, AIHW, Canberra; Chamberlain, C & Mackenzie, D 2004, Counting the homeless 2001: Victoria, ABS, Canberra.

31. AIHW 2010, Government-funded specialist homelessness services: SAAP national data collection annual report, 2008-09, Victoria, Commonwealth Government, Canberra.

32. National Housing Supply Council, 2nd state of supply report 2010, FaHCSIA, Canberra

33. Jones, A, Bell, M, Tilse, C & Earl, G 2007, Rental housing provision for lower income older Australians, AHURI, Melbourne.

34. 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.

35. Judd, B, Kavanagh, K, Morris, A & Naidoo, Y 2004, Housing options and independent living: sustainable outcomes for older people who are homeless, AHURI, Melbourne.

36. Judd, B, Kavanagh, K, Morris, A & Naidoo, Y 2004, Housing options and independent living: sustainable outcomes for older people who are homeless, AHURI, Melbourne.

37. 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/

38. See Lloyd, J and Wait, S 2006, Integrated Care: A Guide for Policymakers, International Longevity Centre, London, UK

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