Inquiry into funding and delivery of programs to reduce homelessness

Abstract

AHURI report 279iii AHURI AHURI is a national independent research network with an expert not-for-profit research management company, AHURI Limited, at its centre.AHURI's mission is to deliver high quality research that influences policy development and practice change to improve the housing and urban environments of all Australians.Using high quality, independent evidence and through active, managed engagement, AHURI works to inform the policies and practices of governments and the housing and urban development industries, and stimulate debate in the broader Australian community.AHURI undertakes evidence-based policy development on a range of priority policy topics that are of interest to our audience groups, including housing and labour markets, urban growth and renewal, planning and infrastructure development, housing supply and affordability, homelessness, economic productivity, and social cohesion and wellbeing.

Investigative panel into building and retaining and effective homelessness sector workforce

“…Specialist homelessness services in Australia are heavily reliant on government funding. Analysis of the funding profile in the SHS sector found that 84.6 per cent of funding was received through government housing and homelessness agreements, a figure that increased to 94.3 per cent when Indigenous-focused services were considered (Flatau, Zaretzky et al 2017). The heavy reliance on government funding by homelessness services began in the 1980s following the launch of the Australian Government Supported Accommodation Assistance Program and, later, the National Affordable Housing Agreement and associated National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness (Flatau, Wood et al 2015).…”

“…Analysis of the funding profile in the SHS sector found that 84.6 per cent of funding was received through government housing and homelessness agreements, a figure that increased to 94.3 per cent when Indigenous-focused services were considered (Flatau, Zaretzky et al 2017). The heavy reliance on government funding by homelessness services began in the 1980s following the launch of the Australian Government Supported Accommodation Assistance Program and, later, the National Affordable Housing Agreement and associated National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness (Flatau, Wood et al 2015). The remaining funding utilised by the SHS sector comes via non-government sources, including non-government organisations (NGOs) that deliver services on the ground and philanthropy (Productivity Commission 2022).…”

Crisis Accommodation: now and in the future

“…Poor housing outcomes and repeat presentations or 'churn' occur within a context of limited exit options from the SHS system. Long-term underinvestment and residualisation of social housing (Flanagan, Levin et al 2020), an escalating shortage of affordable private rental options (Hulse, Reynolds et al 2019), and a funding model based on throughput measures rather than outcomes (Flatau, Zaretzky et al 2017) all impact on what is achieved in the crisis accommodation space.…”

Ending Homelessness in Australia: How can the homelessness service system be redesigned and implemented to be effective for different groups across the life course?

“…SHSs support those who have become homeless and those who are at imminent risk of homelessness. Importantly, SHSs are funded by diverse sources: state and territory governments, the Australian Government, charitable organisations and other sources, including local governments (Flatau, Zaretzky et al 2017). This has resulted in a highly fragmented system.…”

“…The research builds explicitly on previous AHURI and other research, as synthesised by Brackertz, Fotheringham et al (2016), and more recent research by AHURI authors (Flatau, Zaretzky et al 2017;Spinney, Habibis et al 2016). We use a systems thinking approach for analysing the homelessness service system and other systems, supported by three interrelated projects that introduce Indigenous methodologies to contribute to a shared overarching conceptual framework.…”