Report on Government Services 2016

Chapter 18, Volume G

Homelessness services

The Homelessness services chapter (chapter 18) reports on the performance of governments in providing specialist homelessness services, and the people accessing these services.

The National Affordable Housing Agreement (NAHA) and the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness (NPAH) provide the framework for Australian Government and State and Territory governments to work together to reduce homelessness and improve housing outcomes for Australians.

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Key Facts
Indicator Framework
Indicator Results
Indigenous Data

In 2014-15, the Australian and State and Territory government recurrent expenditure on specialist homelessness services was $707 million. Most of this expenditure (97.6 per cent) was funding provided to agencies to deliver services for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Nationally in 2014-15, an estimated 255 657 people were provided support by specialist homelessness services agencies. Specialist homelessness agencies provide a number of services to clients in a single support period — across a range of support areas — including general services (provided to 90.7 per cent of clients), accommodation (33.3 per cent), assistance to sustain housing (27.8 per cent) and domestic violence services (23.1 per cent).

The overall aim of specialist homelessness services is to provide transitional supported accommodation and a range of related support services, to help people who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness to achieve the maximum possible degree of self reliance and independence. Within this aim, the goals are to:

resolve crises
re-establish family links where appropriate
re-establish the capacity of clients to live independently, achieve sustainable housing and social inclusion
provide homelessness services 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 2016 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.

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Equity — Access indicators

Access of special needs groups to homelessness services

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and their representation in the population

Representation among clients whose accommodation needs were met, 2014-15

Data for this indicator are comparable subject to caveats (chapter 18)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	26.6	11.9	34.1	48.5	31.3	15.2	21.0	76.2	28.1

Source: Attachment tables 18A.5 and 18A.8

Representation among clients whose need for services other than accommodation were met, 2014-15

Data for this indicator are comparable subject to caveats (chapter 18)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	22.2	5.5	28.3	22.3	19.8	13.0	11.5	67.9	15.4

Source: Attachment tables 18A.5 and 18A.8

Representation in the population, June 2015

Data for this indicator are comparable subject to caveats (chapter 18)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	2.9	0.9	4.3	3.6	2.4	5.0	1.7	29.5	3.0

Source: Attachment tables 18A.5 and 18A.8

People born in non-main English-speaking countries

Representation among clients whose accommodation needs were met, 2014-15

Data for this indicator are comparable subject to caveats (chapter 18)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	10.5	15.2	7.6	8.8	5.9	4.2	17.2	3.3	10.5

Source: Attachment tables 18A.6 and 18A.8

Representation among clients whose need for services other than accommodation were met, 2014-15

Data for this indicator are comparable subject to caveats (chapter 18)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	7.3	12.5	6.7	10.0	5.7	4.9	17.5	2.3	9.8

Source: Attachment tables 18A.6 and 18A.8

Representation in the population, 2011

Data for this indicator are comparable subject to caveats (chapter 18)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	17.9	18.9	9.2	13.7	12.3	4.9	16.3	9.5	15.1

Source: Attachment tables 18A.6 and 18A.8

People with disability, and their representation in the population

Representation among clients whose accommodation needs were met, 2014-15

Data for this indicator are comparable subject to caveats (chapter 18)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	4.1	5.8	3.0	3.9	2.7	5.0	4.0	2.8	4.1

Source: Attachment tables 18A.7 and 18A.8

Representation among clients whose need for services other than accommodation were met, 2014-15

Data for this indicator are comparable subject to caveats (chapter 18)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	2.9	2.8	2.9	7.0	1.8	4.2	2.7	3.3	3.0

Source: Attachment tables 18A.7 and 18A.8

Representation in the population, 2013

Data for this indicator are comparable subject to caveats (chapter 18)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	6.4	6.4	5.5	4.9	6.9	7.7	5.2	3.8	6.1

Source: Attachment tables 18A.7 and 18A.8

Effectiveness — Access indicators

Unmet demand for homelessness services

Proportion of clients with unmet need for accomodation, 2014-15

Data for this indicator are not comparable but are complete (chapter 18)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	22.9	31.8	27.4	16.3	19.1	19.7	33.9	9.9	25.9

Source: Attachment table 18A.10

Proportion of clients with unmet need for services other than accomodation, 2014-15

Data for this indicator are not comparable but are complete (chapter 18)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	1.6	2.9	0.9	0.1	-	1.7	0.6	0.8	1.8

Source: Attachment table 18A.10

Effectiveness — Appropriateness indicators

Development of case management plan

Proportion of clients with a case management plan (closed support periods), 2014-15

Data for this indicator are comparable subject to caveats (chapter 18)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	51.8	39.7	86.1	45.3	33.6	41.9	59.4	69.1	49.3

Source: Attachment table 18A.11

Match of needs of clients

Proportion of clients seeking accommodation and accommodation related assistance that were directly provided, or directly provided and referred, with a service (closed support periods), 2014-15

Data for this indicator are comparable subject to caveats (chapter 18)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	52.9	47.8	57.2	71.9	79.2	45.3	47.5	88.2	56.0

Source: Attachment table 18A.14

Efficiency indicators

Cost per completed support period

Recurrent cost per completed support period, 2014-15

Data for this indicator not complete or not comparable (chapter 18)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
$	3068	1184	2326	2362	1771	2534	3844	1289	1864

Source: Attachment table 18A.18

Cost per client

Recurrent cost per client accessing homelessness services, 2014-15

Data for this indicator not complete or not comparable (chapter 18)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
$	3759	2048	2792	3073	2799	4030	4144	1533	2766

Source: Attachment table 18A.19

Cost per day of support

Recurrent cost per day of support for clients, 2014-15

Data for this indicator not complete or not comparable (chapter 18)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
$	45.98	29.20	41.22	44.82	30.38	54.30	25.48	18.32	35.95

Source: Attachment table 18A.20

Outcome indicators

Achievement of employment on exit

Proportion of clients who needed employment and/or training assistance who were employed after support (closed support periods), 2014-15

Data for this indicator are comparable subject to caveats (chapter 18)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	20.6	16.9	17.2	19.8	22.7	16.5	23.7	17.0	19.1

Source: Attachment table 18A.21

Achievement of income on exit

Proportion of clients who needed income assistance who had an income source after support (closed support periods), 2014-15

Data for this indicator are comparable subject to caveats (chapter 18)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	92.8	93.5	93.1	94.4	88.3	91.5	94.9	93.6	92.9

Source: Attachment table 18A.24

Achievement of independent housing on exit

Proportion of clients who needed assistance to obtain or maintain independent housing who obtained or maintained independent housing after support (closed support periods), 2014-15

Data for this indicator are comparable subject to caveats (chapter 18)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	63.0	62.0	65.1	56.5	63.5	68.9	65.7	66.4	63.5

Source: Attachment table 18A.26

Proportion of people experiencing repeat periods of homelessness

Proportion of clients experiencing homelessness who had repeat periods of homelessness, 2014-15 (%)

Data for this indicator are comparable subject to caveats (chapter 18)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	6.9	6.0	5.5	6.2	5.5	6.7	7.3	5.4	5.7

Source: Attachment table 18A.31

Goals achieved on exit from service

Proportion of closed support periods with individual case management plan where half or more or all case management goals were achieved, 2014-15 (%)

Data for this indicator are comparable subject to caveats (chapter 18)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	59.2	72.0	80.7	54.6	81.0	56.0	68.4	63.9	70.7

Source: Attachment table 18A.33

Source: Chapter 18 and attachment 18A

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.

Indigenous homelessness services data
Table number	Table title
Table 18A.5	Proportion of clients — with accommodation and services other than accommodation needs that were met — who were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients
Table 18A.8	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people born in non-main English speaking countries (MESC) and people with disability, as a proportion of all clients who accessed specialist homelessness services and in the population
Table 18A.12	Proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients with a case management plan (closed support periods)
Table 18A.13	Support needs of clients, summary
Table 18A.15	Support needs of clients, by service assistance type, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients (closed support periods)
Table 18A.22	Proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients who needed employment and/or training assistance and who were employed after support (closed support periods)
Table 18A.25	Proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients who needed income assistance and who had an income source after support (closed support periods)
Table 18A.27	Proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients who needed assistance to obtain or maintain independent housing (closed support periods), type of tenure before and after support
Table 18A.30	Proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients who needed assistance to obtain or maintain independent housing and who achieved independent housing after support, and did not present again with a need for accommodation within the reporting period, by tenure type after support (closed support periods)
Table 18A.32	Proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients experiencing homelessness who had repeat periods of homelessness