Report on Government Services 2018
Part G, Chapter 19
Homelessness services
This chapter focuses on specialist homelessness services funded by government under the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) National Affordable Housing Agreement (NAHA) and National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness (NPAH). Other non-specialist homelessness services are not included in this Report.
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- Key Facts
- Indicator Framework
- Indicator Results
- Indigenous Data
In 2016-17, the Australian and State and Territory government recurrent expenditure on specialist homelessness services was $817.4 million. Most of this expenditure (95.9 per cent) was funding provided to agencies to deliver services for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Nationally in 2016-17, an estimated 288 273 people were provided support by specialist homelessness agencies. Specialist homelessness agencies provide a number of services to clients — across a range of support areas — including general services (provided to 89.6 per cent of clients), accommodation (29.9 per cent), assistance to sustain housing (27.0 per cent), and domestic and family violence services (25.2 per cent).
The specialist homelessness services system aims to support people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness to achieve sustainable housing, social inclusion and greater economic participation — re-establishing their capacity to live independently — through the delivery of transitional supported accommodation and a range of related support services that:
- are accessible
- identify and address individuals’ needs as appropriate
- are of high quality, provided by qualified staff in a safe environment.
Governments aim for specialist homelessness services to meet these objectives in an equitable and efficient manner.
The performance indicator framework provides information on equity, efficiency and effectiveness, and distinguishes the outputs and outcomes of homelessness services. The performance indicator framework shows which data are complete and comparable in the 2018 Report.
An overview of the Homelessness services performance indicator results are presented. Information to assist the interpretation of these data can be found in the indicator interpretation boxes in the Homelessness services chapter and attachment tables.
Equity — Access indicators
Access of special needs groups to homelessness services
Access to homelessness services — Proportion of clients whose need for accommodation or services other than accommodation was met and who are in each of three population groups (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people born in non‑main English-speaking countries, people with disability), 2016-17 (per cent)
Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete, subject to caveatsRepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people among:
NSW | Vic | Qld | WA | SA | Tas | ACT | NT | Aust | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Clients whose accommodation needs were met | 28.8 | 12.7 | 35.0 | 52.6 | 28.9 | 14.7 | 19.6 | 82.6 | 29.7 |
Clients whose need for services other than accommodation were met | 25.4 | 6.4 | 32.0 | 20.1 | 19.2 | 14.0 | 11.7 | 71.8 | 17.7 |
In the population, June 2016 | 3.0 | 0.9 | 4.4 | 3.7 | 2.4 | 5.2 | 1.8 | 30.4 | 3.1 |
Representation of people born in non‑main English-speaking countries among:
NSW | Vic | Qld | WA | SA | Tas | ACT | NT | Aust | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Clients whose accommodation needs were met | 9.5 | 14.8 | 6.6 | 8.4 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 17.3 | 2.5 | 9.7 |
Clients whose need for services other than accommodation were met | 8.7 | 11.2 | 7.0 | 8.7 | 6.2 | 3.6 | 17.7 | 3.0 | 9.4 |
In the population, 2016 | 21.0 | 22.0 | 11.1 | 16.6 | 14.3 | 5.8 | 19.6 | 13.4 | 17.9 |
Representation of people with disability among:
NSW | Vic | Qld | WA | SA | Tas | ACT | NT | Aust | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Clients whose accommodation needs were met | 5.6 | 6.3 | 3.3 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 6.5 | 5.2 | 3.2 | 4.9 |
Clients whose need for services other than accommodation were met | 3.3 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 6.3 | 2.8 | 6.6 | 2.6 | 3.6 | 3.2 |
In the population, 2015 | 5.9 | 6.4 | 5.6 | 4.1 | 7.2 | 7.8 | 4.9 | 3.2 | 5.8 |
Effectiveness — Access indicators
Unmet demand for homelessness services
Proportion of clients with unmet need for accommodation, 2016‑17
NSW | Vic | Qld | WA | SA | Tas | ACT | NT | Aust | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
% | 37.2 | 35.6 | 25.9 | 13.9 | 15.6 | 25.5 | 32.6 | 5.6 | 30.2 |
Effectiveness — Appropriateness indicators
Addressing client needs
Proportion of clients with a case management plan (closed support periods), 2016-17
NSW | Vic | Qld | WA | SA | Tas | ACT | NT | Aust | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
% | 52.0 | 42.2 | 87.5 | 46.7 | 45.2 | 48.0 | 51.7 | 66.4 | 51.2 |
Proportion of clients needing accommodation or accommodation related assistance who were provided with and/or referred for at least one accommodation or accommodation related service (closed support periods), 2016-17
NSW | Vic | Qld | WA | SA | Tas | ACT | NT | Aust | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
% | 58.0 | 58.8 | 72.1 | 86.0 | 84.7 | 71.9 | 58.3 | 94.3 | 66.7 |
Efficiency indicators
Cost per day of support
Recurrent cost per day of support for clients, 2016-17
NSW | Vic | Qld | WA | SA | Tas | ACT | NT | Aust | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
$ | 31.10 | 35.08 | 40.52 | 48.04 | 32.56 | 33.11 | 30.90 | 27.80 | 34.89 |
Outcome indicators
Economic participation
Proportion of clients who were employed and/or enrolled in education and/or training after support (closed support periods), 2016-17
NSW | Vic | Qld | WA | SA | Tas | ACT | NT | Aust | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
% | 24.1 | 19.2 | 16.2 | 16.9 | 23.9 | 18.7 | 32.1 | 16.2 | 20.4 |
Proportion of clients who had an income source after support (closed support periods), 2016-17
NSW | Vic | Qld | WA | SA | Tas | ACT | NT | Aust | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
% | 90.8 | 90.8 | 93.5 | 93.7 | 89.9 | 93.0 | 93.0 | 91.6 | 91.5 |
Achievement of sustained housing
Proportion of clients living in independent housing after support (closed support periods), 2016-17
NSW | Vic | Qld | WA | SA | Tas | ACT | NT | Aust | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
% | 62.9 | 62.5 | 63.9 | 63.6 | 68.8 | 64.4 | 66.6 | 67.8 | 63.8 |
Proportion of clients experiencing homelessness who had repeat periods of homelessness, 2016-17
NSW | Vic | Qld | WA | SA | Tas | ACT | NT | Aust | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
% | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 5.3 | 4.9 | 6.9 | 7.8 | 6.9 | 5.3 |
Notes
These data and caveats for these data are available in chapter 19 and attachment 19A.
Performance indicator data for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in this chapter are available in the attachment tables listed below. Contextual data and further supporting information can be found in the chapter.
Table number | Table title |
---|---|
Table 19A.4 | Proportion of clients — with accommodation and services other than accommodation needs that were met — who were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients |
Table 19A.10 | Proportion of closed support periods with an agreed case management plan, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients |
Table 19A.11 | Support needs of clients, summary (closed support periods) |
Table 19A.13 | Support needs of clients, by service assistance type, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients (closed support periods) |
Table 19A.19 | Economic participation, before and after support, clients aged 15 years or over (closed support periods) |
Table 19A.20 | Labour force status, before and after support (closed support periods), clients aged 15 years or over |
Table 19A.22 | Labour force status, before and after support, as a proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients who needed employment and/or training assistance (closed support periods) |
Table 19A.27 | Income status, before and after support, clients aged 15 years or over (closed support periods) |
Table 19A.29 | Income status, before and after support, as a proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients who needed income assistance (closed support periods) |
Table 19A.30 | Independent housing, before and after support (closed support periods) |
Table 19A.32 | Housing tenure type, before and after support, as a proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients who needed assistance to obtain or maintain independent housing (closed support periods) |
Table 19A.35 | The proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients who needed assistance to obtain or maintain independent housing and achieved it at the end of support, who did not present again with a need for accommodation assistance in the reporting period |
Table 19A.36 | Proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients experiencing homelessness, who had repeat periods of homelessness |