On Monday 7 February 2022, the Centre for Social Impact, Neami National and the Australian Alliance to End Homelessness launch the Ending Homelessness in Australia report as we, and many others in the community, work towards the goal of ending homelessness in Australia.
The objectives of this report are to collate and assess the current evidence base on the state of homelessness in Australia and its key drivers, and, to set out an evidence-informed policy and practice agenda towards ending homelessness in Australia.
The Ending Homelessness in Australia Report provides another step in understanding the national state of homelessness in Australia, made possible by the unique collaboration between states, service providers, peaks, researchers, and a commitment to data, evidence and research. This has allowed the pooling of multiple sources of data to build a stronger understanding of what is driving and sustaining homelessness in Australia, and what is needed to shift the dial. This report provides progress towards national benchmarking and our ability to track progress towards ending homelessness.
In a Preface to the report, Priscilla Ennals, Senior Manager – Research and Evaluation, says, “Evident throughout the report is proof of the intersectional nature of homelessness – how poverty, health, mental health, justice, exclusion, trauma, discrimination, and employment all contribute to, and are impacted by, homelessness. While this is not new knowledge, the scale of the intersecting issues and the impacts, including personal outcomes and economic costs, are laid bare.”
“The report illuminates how chronicity plays a role; early entries to homelessness and length of time homeless both increase the likelihood of chronicity, high need, and high support to successfully exit homelessness. This reinforces the need for housing as a foundational intervention in addressing physical health, mental health, poverty, exclusion, justice, and productivity. High representation of Aboriginal peoples in the homelessness data across Australia reinforces what we know from Neami’s services. Culturally appropriate services are critical in improving outcomes here, including services delivered by ACCOs, in partnership with ACCOs or ACHOs, and services embedded with flexible, culturally meaningful service structures, and more Aboriginal staff.”
Download a copy of the Ending Homelessness in Australia Report below.