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It brings together numerous existing data sets, in addition to in-depth interviews with a wide range of policymakers, service provider representatives and advocacy organisations; as well as an online survey of service providers.

Key findings Australia’s homelessness problem is getting worse:

• Homelessness in Australia is outpacing population growth.
• Rough sleeping levels are increasing.
• Severe overcrowding is the largest group.
• Older Australians increasingly experience homelessness.
• Indigenous Australians are overrepresented.
• There’s increased demand for homelessness specialist services.
• The main reasons for seeking assistance are changing.

Read about the more detailed findings, the complex causes of homelessness and more in the overview document and full report below.

The State of Homelessness in Australia’s Cities: A Health and Social Cost Too High represents the first analysis of the consolidated Registry Week data across Australia. The consolidated Registry Week data provides the largest and richest collection of information on people experiencing homelessness in Australian capital and regional cities outside the Census and the national administrative data for homelessness services, the Specialist Homelessness Services Collection.

The report aims to:

1. Provide a profile of the backgrounds of people experiencing homelessness in Australia.
2. Examine the length of time those interviewed have spent homeless and have been without stable accommodation.
3. Assess the medical conditions and healthcare needs of those experiencing homelessness, their current use of healthcare, and the accompanying costs to the healthcare system.
4. Understand the history of interaction with the justice system of those experiencing homelessness, and their current exposure to harm and risk.
5. Examine the financial circumstances of those experiencing homelessness and their social needs.
6. Detail in the words of those interviewed what they feel they need in order to be safe and well.
7. Provide recommendations for future strategies and studies that aim to inform best practice approaches to ending homelessness in Australia.

Authors

Assoc/Prof Lisa Wood, Centre for Social Impact UWA, School of Population and Global Health UWA

Ms Shannen Vallesi, Centre for Social Impact UWA, School of Population and Global Health UWA

Dr Darja Kragt, Centre for Social Impact UWA

Prof Paul Flatau, Centre for Social Impact UWA

Mr Nicholas Wood, School of Population and Global Health UWA

Ms Angela Gazey, School of Population and Global Health UWA

Assoc/Prof Leanne Lester, Health Promotion Evaluation Unit, School of Sports Science UWA

The Housing First: a foundation for recovery toolkit has been developed by the Brisbane South PHN (BSPHN) Partners in Recovery Consortium – a group of 10 non-government organisations partnered with BSPHN to support people with severe and persistent mental health issues.

As a group of agencies, we are committed to changing our practices and the systems we work within to bring Housing First to people with severe mental illness. 

The culmination of our recent work is this action plan and associated fact sheets on Housing First and Integrated Healthcare models. We have worked together to understand Brisbane’s housing, homelessness and mental health challenges, and map out how Housing First can be implemented for people with mental illness in our community. As organisations who are supporting people with recovery, we understand the crucial importance of getting clinical treatment services to people wherever they are. This report provides models, evidence and recommendations for how that can be achieved – primarily through embedding multidisciplinary teams in community services and integrating those services with permanent housing. 

There are eight detailed factsheets that accompany the 500 Lives 500 Homes Campaign Overview. Please visit the 500 Lives 500 Homes website to view the factsheets.

Through this project, many people who were homeless in the Hawkesbury, Blue Mountains and Penrith Local Government Areas (NBM district) were identified, housed and a new way of working within the district was created. It embraced government, non government and corporate sector working together.

AHURI Final Report No.265

Authors: Lisa Wood, Paul Flatau, Kaylene Zaretzky, Sarah Foster, Shannen Vallesi, Darja Miscenko.
Copyright: Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute Limited 2016

This research found that supporting formerly homeless people and those at risk of homelessness into public housing in Western Australia reduced their use of health services as well as the frequency with which they did so. The reduction in health service use, which was particularly evident for hospital stays and psychiatric care, could save WA $4,846 per person per year for a total of $16.4 million per year. This increases to $84,135 per person per year for clients of the NPAH Mental Health program.

The Urban Institute’s evaluation of the 100,000 Homes Campaign (the Campaign) found that the Campaign had a major impact on national efforts to end homelessness, despite its modest staffing and budget. Community Solutions successfully recruited nearly every major city to join the Campaign and exceeded its goal of placing 100,000 chronically or vulnerable homeless Americans into permanent housing.