Group head
Mr Geoff Neideck
Ms Vicki Bennett (acting from September 2011 to November 2011)
What we do
The Housing and Homelessness Group is responsible for producing statistics, analysis and information on homelessness, social housing and housing assistance.
In collaboration with key government and non-government stakeholders, the group collects and analyses national housing and homelessness data, identifies data items for national collections and produces national reports. In particular, its work encompasses specialist homelessness services, public rental housing, state owned and managed Indigenous housing, community housing, home purchase assistance, private rent assistance (including, where applicable, assistance provided by the states and territories) and Indigenous community housing.
The group works with state housing authorities, community services departments and other state and territory representatives, FaHCSIA and the not-for-profit sector to produce national housing and homelessness information.
The group supports COAG's objectives for transparent and standardised performance information for the public by providing data on performance indicators for the SCRGSP's Report on government services, and the National Affordable Housing Agreement and associated partnership agreements.
Major achievements
During 2011–12, major achievements of the group were:
- establishing the Specialist Homelessness Services Collection from 1 July 2011, with the first quarter report released in April 2012
- developing data products for the Specialist Homelessness Services Collection
- contributing to a review of performance indicators for the National Affordable Housing Agreement and the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness
- providing housing and homelessness data and data quality statements for the COAG National Agreements Performance Indicators
- providing data and technical advice relating to several COAG National Partnership Agreements Performance Indicators and for the SCRGSP's Report on government services Performance Indicator Framework.
Units in this group
- Homelessness Reporting and Data Development
- Housing
- Specialist Homelessness Services Collection
At the start of and during the year several functional changes were made to the group, to accommodate the work program associated with moving the collection of homelessness data from the former Supported Accommodation Assistance Program collections to the new and expanded Specialist Homelessness Services Collection. Three units ceased operating:
- Homelessness Data Collection
- Homelessness Business Transition Unit
- Specialist Homelessness Services Client Management System.
The Housing Unit moved from the Continuing and Specialised Care Group.
Homelessness Reporting and Data Development Unit
Unit heads
Ms Vicki Bennett (June 2011 to September 2011)
Ms Clara Jellie (acting from September 2011 to November 2011)
Ms Cathy McNickle (acting from November 2011 to May 2012)
Ms Deborah Foulcher (from May 2012)
What we do
The Homelessness Reporting and Data Development Unit analyses and reports on data from the Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS) Collection. This collection describes clients assisted by government-funded specialist homelessness services, their circumstances, and the services provided. The SHS Collection, which began on 1 July 2011, replaced the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) Data Collections.
The SHS Collection is the authoritative source of data on services to support homeless people and those at risk of homelessness. As such, it is an important contributor to the evidence base for monitoring and evaluating homelessness and the effects of reforms in the homelessness sector.
Objectives
- Produce reports and other data outputs from the SHS Collection, including publications and national performance indicator reporting requirements
- Undertake policy-relevant analysis on this homelessness data set, and other special data requests as required (using SHS and SAAP data as appropriate)
- Maintain and develop data standards relating to the SHS Collection
- Provide input to national committees and groups that are responsible for homelessness data and policy
Performance in planned data development activities
- Contributed to weighting, estimation, validation analysis and improvements to the SHS data items
- Performed quality control procedures for the Specialist Homelessness Services Collection
Committees
- Specialist Homelessness Services User Advisory Group: Secretariat for this group, which is chaired by the AIHW
- Housing and Homelessness Policy and Research Working Group: Support to the AIHW observer of this Housing Ministers' Advisory Committee group chaired by Ms Marion Bennett (Housing NSW)
- Housing and Homelessness Information Management Group: Support to the AIHW member of this Housing and Homelessness Policy and Research Working Group subcommittee chaired by Ms Maureen Sheehan (ACT Community Services Directorate)
Data collections managed
- Specialist Homelessness Establishment Database National Minimum Data Set Collection
- Specialist Homelessness Services National Minimum Data Set Collection
- Collections that ceased on 30 June 2011
- Supported Accommodation Assistance Program Administrative Collection
- Supported Accommodation Assistance Program Client Collection
- Supported Accommodation Assistance Program Demand for Accommodation Collection
- Victorian Homelessness Data Collection
Housing Unit
Unit head
Ms Moira Hewitt
What we do
The Housing Unit manages national data collections related to housing assistance. These collections include public and community housing, community and state-owned Indigenous housing, rent and home purchase assistance, and the National Social Housing Survey. Information from these collections is used for national performance reporting for COAG and the SCRGSP's Report on government services, and for publishing reports and bulletins related to social housing and housing assistance.
Objectives
- Develop performance indicators and output measures that meet the reporting needs of housing and community services ministers
- Build on the AIHW's positive relationship with stakeholders to ensure that the unit collects, reports and provides data that meet their needs
- Build on the data holdings of the National Housing Assistance Data Repository to ensure that it meets the new national reporting requirements and supports a wide range of policy-relevant analysis
| Performance in planned statistical and reporting deliverables |
| Finalise a chapter on housing for Australia's welfare 2011 report |
Achieved |
| Publish the annual report on housing assistance for 2012 |
Work in progress
To be published in 2012–13 |
| Review the needs of stakeholders for reporting on Indigenous housing and homelessness |
Work in progress
Awaiting the findings of the National Social Housing Survey |
| Produce online annual data tables for public rental housing, state owned and managed Indigenous housing, and mainstream community housing for 2010–11 |
Not achieved
Withdrawn from the work program |
| Publish bulletins on the housing circumstances of older people, tenure length and moving house in social housing, and a bulletin using National Social Housing Survey data |
Work in progress
To be published in 2012–13 |
| Publish: |
|
| – National Social Housing Survey: a summary of national results |
Achieved |
| – National Social Housing Survey 2010: state and territory results |
Achieved
To be released in August 2012 |
| – Key results from the 2010 national housing survey of public housing and community tenants: state and territory report |
Work in progress
To be published in 2012–13 |
| Produce performance data and data quality statements for national performance indicators for the COAG Reform Council 2012 report |
Achieved |
| Produce performance data on public rental housing, state owned and managed Indigenous housing, mainstream community housing and Indigenous community housing for the SCRGSP's Report on government services 2012 |
Achieved |
Performance in planned data development activities
- Supported the development of integrated waitlist data sets from states and territories to form a national data source for assessing need and demand for housing assistance
- Reviewed protocols and analysis for Australian Government Housing Data Set with a view to increasing its use for policy-relevant analysis
- Finalised the scope of data items for all social housing data collections, and drafted national metadata standards for these items for further consideration as national minimum data sets
- Reviewed the consistency of data items across housing and homelessness data sets, and identified improvements to their quality, coverage and relevance to support their use for national reporting and policy priorities
Committees
- Housing and Homelessness Information Management Group: Support to the AIHW member of this Housing and Homelessness Policy and Research Working Group subcommittee chaired by Ms Maureen Sheehan (ACT Community Services Directorate)
- Housing and Homelessness Working Group: Support to the AIHW observer of this SCRGSP working group chaired by Ms Janelle Thurlby (Queensland Department of Treasury)
Data collections managed
- Public Rental Housing Data Collection
- State Owned and Managed Indigenous Housing Data Collection
- Community Housing Data Collection
- Indigenous Community Housing Data Collection
- Australian Government Housing Data Set Collection
- Private Rent Assistance Data Collection
- Home Purchase Assistance Data Collection
- National Social Housing Survey data
Specialist Homelessness Services Collection Unit
Unit head
Ms Penny Siu
What we do
The Specialist Homelessness Services Collection Unit works to improve the evidence base for homelessness issues and services to people who are homeless and/or in crisis. The Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS) Collection is vital for policy design and evaluation, as well as service improvement and monitoring of specialist homelessness services in Australia. The unit manages the collection and processing of data on government-funded specialist homelessness services for the new SHS Collection.
The unit liaises with a range of external stakeholders including the ABS, Centrelink, FaHCSIA, state and territory governments, national peak bodies and other sector representatives, the private sector, various research institutes and relevant committees. SHS agencies are supported by the AIHW SHS Collection Hotline and through regular communications, such as newsletters.
Objectives
- Deliver high-quality SHS Collection data for national performance reporting purposes and for research and analysis
- Work with key internal and external stakeholders on the management and maintenance of the homelessness data collection
- Encourage homelessness services agencies and peak bodies, and state and territory governments to participate in the SHS collection through regular communications and training
- Manage the contract with the provider of the Specialist Homelessness Information Platform (SHIP), including technical updates and product certification
| Performance in planned statistical and reporting deliverables |
| Introduce the new SHS Collection on 1 July 2011, including the new client management system for homelessness agencies |
Achieved
Follows substantial survey and systems development during 2010–11 |
| Process and validate SHS data ready for reporting purposes |
Achieved |
| Complete production of stakeholder communication products related to the introduction of the SHS collection |
Achieved |
Performance in planned data development activities
- Managed, maintained and further developed business requirements and technical specifications
- Contributed to weighting, estimation, validation analysis of and improvements to SHS data items
Additional projects
- Managed the contract for the supply and support of the new client management system
Committees
- Specialist Homelessness Services User Advisory Group: Member of this AIHW advisory group chaired by the AIHW
- Housing and Homelessness Policy and Research Working Group: Support to the AIHW observer of this Housing Ministers' Advisory Committee group chaired by Ms Marion Bennett (Housing NSW)
- Housing and Homelessness Information Management Group: Support to the AIHW member of this Housing and Homelessness Policy and Research Working Group subcommittee chaired by Ms Maureen Sheehan (ACT Community Services Directorate)
Spotlight
Validata™ improves quality of data
Our online data receipt and validation product, Validata™, has been designed to improve the quality and timeliness of data supplied by jurisdictions and non-government organisations. In 2011–12, it has been used with the Specialist Homelessness Services Collection in addition to its original use with hospitals data in 2010–11.
Validata™ is an innovative and custom-built automated data validation tool (or more colloquially a 'data cleaner') that has significantly reduced the time taken for the AIHW to publish hospitals and homelessness data and has built the AIHW's reputation with jurisdictions for helping them supply accurate data.
We can now collect and report hospitals data much faster than before—for example, hospital emergency department and elective surgery data for 2010–11 was available within 4 months of the end of the collection year, previously it has taken 10 months.
Following its application to the Specialist Homelessness Services Collection, Validata™ will progressively be extended across other AIHW data collections.