Homelessness 2020
The Lift We Need on the Long
Road Home?
Michelle Burrell
Council to Homeless Persons
Aim of the strategy
‘Reducing homelessness and addressing its
root causes’ by:
• Preventing people becoming homeless in
the first place
• Minimising the harm caused by
homelessness
• Assisting people to move out of
homelessness permanently.
4 policy principles
• Early intervention and prevention
• Life stage approach
• Taking a systemic, whole of government
approach – principle of ‘best fit’ and
shared definition of homelessness
• Workforce development
‘Life stages’
• Families with children and independent
young people
• Single adults ( recent vs chronic)
• Older people (over 55)
Resources – the flagship
projects
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6 projects ( 4 years)
1,000 people
Link to life stages
Govt and non govt partnership
Plus employment linkage
Plus private rental brokerage
Total resource base = $42 million
The projects
Family Homelessness Flagship Project
 which will locate a multidisciplinary team of
staff with specific expertise within an
existing homelessness agency to assist
250 individuals including children
The projects
Family Violence Flagship Project
 to locate a multidisciplinary team of staff in
a specialist family violence agency to work
with 250 individuals including children
The projects
Young People Flagship Project
 to work with 100 young people to assist
them to attend school, engage in work,
maintain housing, attain life skills and have
positive relationships with family or
supportive adults
The projects
Adults experiencing short term
homelessness Flagship Project
 to assist 250 individuals by placing a team
of staff at Centrelink to assist people who
have recently become homeless
The flagship projects
Adults experiencing long term
homelessness
 aimed at people with chronic health needs
and will be located in a Community Health
Service to assist 80 individuals with
intensive support
The projects
Older Persons Flagship Project
• to provide more intensive support to 160
older people to assist them to maintain
their housing tenancy.
Other features
• Additional resources for private rental
brokerage for those clients taking part in
flagship Projects
• An Employment Linkages Project for
clients in flagship projects.
Research and evaluation
• ‘outcomes monitoring framework’ for
flagships
• Homelessness and Research Innovation
Fund in partnership with the Lord Mayor’s
Charitable Foundation.
• ‘research and data collection agenda’ to
be finalised by 2011
The ‘data and research agenda’
• A research and policy forum for academics,
researchers, government and sector
• Regional research collaborations
• Agency initiated small scale research
• Expanded and improved Human Services and
Education data collection systems based on a
consistent definition of homelessness
• Dissemination of research and data on
homelessness via stakeholder partnerships.
Workforce
• 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
• establish a Victorian IT network to assist
professional development
Governance
• Ministerial Advisory Committee chaired by
David Eldridge
• Inter-Departmental Committee
• Action plan to be developed within 12
months ( not clear what process is for
development)
• Tender process re flagships not yet
determined
General observations
• Builds on a strong base
• Focus on results is welcome
• Shared responsibility acknowledges the
rights of people experiencing
homelessness
Observations
• The life stage approach is smart policy
• Early intervention works
• Ensuring support where and for how long
as it is needed
• The flagship projects provide a good
opportunity to embed shared responsibility
across government
Observations
• Human rights are missing
• While early intervention and prevention is
the best long term solution, immediate
effort is also required.
Observations
• A homelessness strategy without homes?
• Heavy reliance on the private rental
market requires reform
• The Strategy will have the best chance of
success if it is backed up by more
investment in social housing
• The public supports that investment
More info
http://www.housing.vic.gov.au/homelessness
-and-familyviolence/homelessness/Homelessness2020
DHS info sessions across regions
CHP briefing paper at www.chp.org.au
CHP consultations across the state