November 2018

1. November 2018

3. Overview of homelessness • and • the homelessness service system

4. What is homelessness? • ABS Statistical Definition of Homelessness • A person who does not have suitable accommodation alternatives are considered homeless if their current living arrangement: • is in a dwelling that is inadequate; or • has no tenure, or if their initial tenure is short and not extendable; or • does not allow them to have control of, and access to space for social relations. • Supported Accommodation Assistance Act 1984 Definition:

5. Supported Accommodation Assistance Act 1994 •   (1)  For the purposes of this Act, a person is homeless if, and only if, he or she has inadequate access to safe and secure housing. • Inadequate access to safe and secure housing(2)  For the purposes of this Act, a person is taken to have inadequate access to safe and secure housing if the only housing to which the person has access: •      (a)  damages, or is likely to damage, the person’s health; or •      (b)  threatens the person’s safety; or •      (c)  marginalises the person through failing to provide access to: •             (i)  adequate personal amenities; or •             (ii)  the economic and social supports that a home normally affords; or •      (d)  places the person in circumstances which threaten or adversely affect the adequacy, safety, security and affordability of that housing.

6. Extent of homelessness • People who are homeless or at risk of homelessness: • 24,828 people were homeless in Victoria on census night 2016: 42 in every 10,000 people. • 41% of those people who identified as homeless on Census night in 2016 were in Melbourne’s north or west.

7. Why are so many people homelessness? We convey to clients that homelessness in Melbourne is not a symptom of individual failing and bad luck but is reflective of the housing crisis that we are experiencing. Melbourne has: • a housing supply problem (there are not enough houses for everyone – we need 1.6M more houses by 2050. Melbourne continues to grow by 1,850 people a week); and • a housing affordability problem (for instance, no properties were considered affordable across Melbourne for someone on Newstart).

8. Question 1 Did you realise that so many people are experiencing homelessness? What does this mean for you?

9. Consumers of the homelessness service system

11. Consumers of the HSS • Of those who present to the HSS in Victoria, • just over half are women • ¼ are under 25 • just over half are single people • 1/3 are accompanied by children • 6% are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders • The primary reasons people access homelessness services are: • Family violence (30%) • Eviction (18%)

12. Why do people present to the HSS?

13. Numbers of households assisted: Presenting unit head by gender, North and West Homelessness Services, 2015/16 • In 2015/16 specialist homelessness services (SHSs) in Melbourne’s north and west supported:27,753 households (36,053 people), through 41,866support periods. • 5,282 children accompanied their parent/s. • To March 2018 we had already supported 22,266 this year.

14. What is the HSS?

15. Funding for the HSS • Specialist Homelessness Services (SHSs) across Australia are jointly funded through by the Commonwealth and State Governments, through the National Housing & Homelessness Agreement (http://www.federalfinancialrelations.gov.au/content/housing_homelessness_agreement.aspx) • The Commonwealth sets targets for the State but the State manages allocation of the funding. • Funding is allocated to community organisations through a Funding and Service Agreement (FASA) by the Department of Health and Human Services. • The FASA outlines targets for each homelessness program and all guidelines, legislation and conditions of funding that the service must adhere to. • To provide assistance to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness to support them: • to find or maintain stable long term housing; and • to address those issues that have contributed to homelessness or homelessness risk to reduce the likelihood of recurring homelessness.

16. What is the role of the HSS? • Broad aim: • To provide assistance to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness to support them to: • find or maintain stable long term housing; and • address those issues that have contributed to homelessness or homelessness risk to reduce the likelihood of recurring homelessness. The SAA Act: the overall aim of homelessness support services is: • To provide transitional supported accommodation and related support services, in order to help people who are homeless to achieve the maximum possible degree of self-reliance and independence. Within this aim the goals are: • To resolve crisis; and • To re-establish family links where appropriate; and • To re-establish capacity to live independently of homelessness support. • To provide assistance to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness to support them: • to find or maintain stable long term housing; and • to address those issues that have contributed to homelessness or homelessness risk to reduce the likelihood of recurring homelessness.

18. What is the NWMR HSS? • 5 generalist, 2 family violence and 1 youth specific access point services • 5 transitional housing management services, managing 1,100 properties • 50 homelessness support agencies providing 180 programs, targeted to: young people, single men, single women, families or cross target, including Aboriginal and Family Violence specific services • Brokerage such as: Housing Establishment Funds, Private Rental Brokerage Programs, Flexible Support Packages, CEEP • Capacity building programs such as FRMP, Living Skills, Children’s Resource Coordinators • Tenancy Plus– support for public and community housing tenants at risk of eviction

19. Access Point Services • Provide the first point of contact with the homelessness service system • Role: • Initial assessment. • Risk assessment • Identification of immediate needs • Short term planning occurs with clients to manage future needs. • Best matching and referral to homelessness resources

20. Homelessness support services linked to accommodation • Crisis supported accommodation (CSAs): youth refuges, women’s refuges and supported accommodation for single men, single women and families Case managed support in crisis support and crisis supported accommodation services is funded for an average of six weeks with a high ratio of staff to clients (generally 1 worker: 6 individual clients or 5.5 households when assisting families). • AO4F, SFAR • Foyer models: Step Ahead, Ladder, Hope Street Melton and Whittlesea, Launch Broadmeadows and soon Wyndham

21. Brief Task Based Response • Interim Response 1 • Telephone ‘check in’ with those most vulnerable • Update consent every six months • Primarily by access points • Brief Task Based Response (IR2) • Short term targeted assistance to individual/households who have been assessed and are awaiting housing and/or support: • Prevention/early intervention – short term assistance to help a client maintain current housing and avoid the need to enter the HSS • Short term support/crisis intervention to provide assistance to clients to avoid an escalation of their crisis whilst awaiting access to support/housing.

22. Transitional support • Case managed support to assist people in crisis to move to independent long term housing. • The average duration of support is 13 weeks. • Generally provided on an outreach basis: clients may be residing in temporary situations (e.g. a rooming house), exiting crisis accommodation (e.g. refuge), or in transitional housing. Support may be offered from an office base, the client’s residence or an agreed venue • 1 worker: 12 clients when supporting individuals • 1 worker: 7.5 households when assisting families (about 2.5/hrs a week per client) • Support provision includes: assistance to find housing, emotional support, advocacy, assistance to obtain income, parenting support, active referral to other service systems, assistance with living skills, assistance to access employment, education and training.

23. Transitional Housing • Medium term accommodation (20 weeks on average) • 1,100 transitional housing properties across the North and West. (200 are attached to ‘joined up’ initiatives) • Subject to the provisions of the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) • Responsibilities guided by the Housing and Support Partnership Agreement. • Properties allocated proportionately to need by IA&P from the prioritisation list. • Access point data: approximately 1 in 85 clients will access transitional housing

24. Direct referral services You can contact these services directly: • Flat Out/ACSO/Brosnan • Aboriginal homelessness services • Family Violence Services • Youth programs • Reconnect • Creating Connections Private Rental Brokerage • Creating Connections Intensive Case Management • Creating Connections Living Skills Program • Family Reconciliation Mediation Program • Youth foyers • Day centres • Bright Futures and Children's Resource Program

25. Family Violence Services in the North and West • Homelessness funded family violence programs: • Women’s Health West and Berry Street • Family Violence Outreach Support/ L17s • Court Support • CALD specific support • Flexible funding packages • Five women’s refuges Georgina Martina, Mary Anderson, Elizabeth Morgan, Women’s Health West and McAuley Community Services for Women • Statewide: Safe Steps and In Touch Broader Integrated Family Violence Services • Men’s behavioural change programs • Women’s and children’s counselling programs

26. Question 2 Do you feel that you are apart of a coordinated service system? How does coordination play out for you in your role?

27. Framework for the homelessness service system

28. Why Opening Doors? • Prior to 2008, there were 400 entry points in Victoria. • People who were homeless reported that they found it hard to navigate the service system • Services were responsive to their own consumers, but without a common framework there was no sense of shared responsibility • Resources were so limited, in relation to need, that the need to manage the resources as effectively as possible was pressing. • A clear need existed to improve consistency and coordination across the State

29. Practice Framework: Opening Doors • Practice and systems approach to provision of timely and effective access to homelessness and social housing services: • • A consumer focussed and strengths based approach • • Equity of access to the resources of the HSS • • Reasonable care to address the risks faced by each person who is homeless • • Maximising the use of available homelessness resources • • Visible entry points staffed by initial assessment teams • • The system ‘holds’ the client • • Consistent, high quality practice that reduces multiple assessments and unsuccessful referrals • • Collaboration and partnership between agencies and DHHS

30. Role of the LASN • Homelessness services formed into local area service networks (LASNs) with shared responsibility for: • Holding consumers and assisting them to navigate the service system • Coordinated provision of services • Operating a shared prioritisation approach matching client need to available resources • Managing the limited resources of the Sector effectively • Sharing information and provide advice to DHHS & advocacy

31. Shared approaches • Opening Doors developed common approaches and shared tools: • A shared assessment framework • A shared approach to prioritisation • Development of a resource register • Statewide and local practice guidelines • The LASNs monitor the these coordinated HSS arrangements, through: • Regular LASN meetings • Improvement log • Practice Advisory Group • Consumer feedback • Working Groups

32. Structure of the Networks Making Links Project (AOD, mental health, homelessness) Western and Northern Integrated Family Violence Committees BTBR Working Group Consumer Participation Working Group Access Point/THM Working Group Youth Network Homelessness Week Working Group Practice Advisory Group

33. Navigating the HSS

34. Role of Consumers • All programs are voluntary • Consumers choose geographic area and programs • Consumer charter guides client rights and responsibilities • Consumers consent to transfer of information across the HSS • LASN collects and responds to consumer feedback

35. Access • Consumers present to any access point for assessment, short term planning and prioritisation for referral. • ADDRESS ON HEALTH CARE CARD DOES NOT DETERMINE SERVICE. • 1800 # - diverts to the nearest access point during the day – in theory • Access Points negotiated a shared approach to HEF allocation.

36. Assessment • Assessment is narrative based • Recorded in a standard format across the State • Two part assessment: • a) Initial assessment - Access Points • Incorporates risk assessment • Assessment of support need, housing need and personal vulnerability • Informs short term planning • b) Comprehensive assessment - Support Agencies • Comprehensive assessment to inform case plan

37. Short term planning • Ascertain need for emergency accommodation • HEF, referral to hotels and rooming houses • Co-contribution system • Identify short term goals and develop a plan in response • Undertake a risk assessment • Place on prioritisation list for referral to support and accommodation • Make referrals if possible

38. Client consent and data • Specialist homelessness information system (SHIP) is a consumer data system • SHIP informed consent approach utilised • Consent obtained at the access point • Consent lasts six months • Consent applies to transfer of information across the homelessness service system

39. Diversion and short term responses Brief Task Based Response

40. Prioritisation for resources Standard approach to prioritisation of resource allocation across State Housing and support need and level of vulnerability determined as high, medium or low All clients assessed included in prioritisation list for access to support and/or housing Priority of need can be changed to better reflect client circumstance. Clients being supported outside the HSS can still be prioritised for access to transitional housing if they have a current assessment at an Access Point Other access points can forward assessments

41. Housing need

42. Support need

43. Level of vulnerability

44. Resource Allocation All resources listed on Resource Register Holder of resource responsible for ‘publishing’ and describing resource Access Points ‘best match’ to available resources Access Points refers to resource (support first then housing if available Agency accepts first eligible referral Agency contacts client and arranges access to resource Agency advised access point whether consumer needs to remain on prioritisation list

45. Resource Register

46. Housing and Support Partnership Agreement • Tenancy and support work together to support tenant. • Clarifying shared responsibility of tenancy and support workers and tenant • Support available for duration of tenancy • Communication • 3 way meetings – client, tenancy & support • Clear information for tenants • Shared understanding and consistency of practice

47. Managing scarce resources • In 2015 there were 4,176 (6,171 people – including 2,575 children). • In 11/12 300 new households presented to access points services each month. In 2018 300 new household present to one access point each month. • In 2018 there are 10 vacancies for support and 10 for transitional housing in the one catchment per month.

48. Question 3 • Do you have any questions or comments about the HSS?

49. Guidelines • Statewide: • Guidelines and Conditions of Funding • Prison Exits Protocol • Cross Regional Referral Protocol • Youth Justice/Homelessness Protocol • In the North and West • Regional Practice Manual • Housing and Support Partnership Agreement • Family Violence Entry Point/ Homelessness Access Point Protocol • IR 2 Practice Guide • Improvement Log • Post Referral Feedback form • Intra regional HEF Guideline

50. For further information… Sarah Langmore Western Homelessness Network Coordinator Ph: 0407 832 169 sarah@wombat.org.au Meredith Gorman Northern Homelessness Network Coordinator Ph: 0424 112 445 meredith.gorman@launchhousing.org.au North West Homelessness Networks website: www.nwhn.net.au (Subscribe to e bulletin): www.nwhn.net.au/subscribe