Homelessness services

In most data collections, a person who identified themselves, or was identified by another household member, as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin. Also referred to as Indigenous and First Nations people.

Australian Bureau of Statistics

Accommodation services include short-term or emergency accommodation, medium-term/ transitional housing, assistance to obtain long-term housing, assistance to sustain tenancy or prevent tenancy failure or eviction and assistance to prevent foreclosures or for mortgage arrears.

Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

A person is described as at risk of homelessness if they are at risk of losing their accommodation or they are experiencing one or more of a range of factors or triggers that can contribute to homelessness.

Risk factors include:

• financial stress (including due to loss of income, low income, gambling, change of family circumstances)
• housing affordability stress and housing crisis (pending evictions/ foreclosures, rental and/or mortgage arrears)
• inadequate or inappropriate dwelling conditions, including accommodation that is unsafe, unsuitable or overcrowded
• previous accommodation ended
• relationship/ family breakdown
• child abuse, neglect or environments where children are at risk
• sexual abuse
• domestic/family violence
• non-family violence
• mental health issues and other health problems
• problematic alcohol, drug or substance use
• employment difficulties and unemployment
• problematic gambling
• transitions from custodial and care arrangements, including:
  • out-of-home care
  • independent living arrangements for children aged under 18
  • health and mental health
  • facilities/programs, juvenile/youth justice and correctional facilities
• discrimination, including racial discrimination (for example, Aboriginal people in the urban rental market)
• disengagement with school or other education and training
• involvement in, or exposure to, criminal activities
• antisocial behaviour
• lack of family and/or community support
• staying in a boarding house for 12 weeks or more without security of tenure.

The measurement of this concept in the Specialist Homelessness Services Collection (SHSC) is defined in the Data derivation section.

Legal orders or arrangements that give child protection departments some responsibility for a child’s welfare. See also finalised guardianship or custody order, finalised third-party parental responsibility order, finalised supervisory order, interim and temporary order, and administrative arrangement

A specialist homelessness agency client is a person who receives a specialist homelessness service. To be a client the person must directly receive a service and not just be a beneficiary of a service. Children who present with an adult and receive a service are considered to be a client. Children of a client or other household members who present but do not directly receive a service are not considered to be clients.

A client is identified as being on a care and protection order if they are aged under 18 and provided any of the following information in any support period (any month within the support period) during the reporting period (either the week before, at the beginning of the support period or during support).

• They reported that they are on a care and protection order and that they had the following care arrangements:
  • residential care
  • family group home
  • relatives/ kin/ friends who are reimbursed
  • foster care
  • other home-based care (reimbursed)
  • relatives/kin/friends who are not reimbursed
  • independent living
  • other living arrangements parents
• They have reported ‘Transition from foster care/ child safety residential placements’ as a reason for seeking assistance, or main reason for seeking assistance.

SHS clients with a current mental health issue are clients who:

• indicated that at the beginning of a support period they were receiving services or assistance for their mental health issues or had in the last 12 months
• received their formal referral source to the specialist homelessness agency from a mental health service
• reported ‘mental health issues’ as a reason for seeking assistance
• had a psychiatric hospital or unit as their dwelling type either a week before presenting to an agency, or when presenting to an agency
• had been in a psychiatric hospital or unit in the last 12 months
• at some stage during their support period, had an identified need for psychological services, psychiatric services or mental health services.

SHS clients with disability are clients who ‘always/ sometimes need help and/or supervision’ with self-care, mobility or communication in any support period during the reporting period.

The definition used to classify clients with disability (for the purposes of analyses in SHSC reporting) is similar to that used for Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Census questions that measure ‘core activity need for assistance’. The Census questions are a simplified version of the comprehensive questions used in the ABS Survey of Disability and Carers (SDAC). The Census’ simplified questions are conceptually comparable with ‘severe or profound core activity limitation’ in the SDAC.

The ABS Census aims to identify people who need assistance in their day-to-day lives with any or all of the following core activities:

• self-care
• mobility
• communication (ABS 2012b).

The SHSC takes a similar approach in gathering information from clients of specialist homelessness services about disability.

To align with the ABS definition of ‘core activity need for assistance’, clients who did not report needing assistance (such as ‘have difficulty but don’t need help/supervision’ or ‘don’t have difficulty, but use aids/ equipment’) with self-care, mobility or communication are not included as clients needing assistance with disability for SHS analyses.

A term used to describe any person who typically moves from household to household intermittently, who is not regarded as being part of those households, and who does not have any form of permanent accommodation.

See Care and Protection Order

A term used to describe a groups or segments of the population. This can include age bands, gender, educational attainment and labour force status.

The umbrella term for any or all: an impairment of body structure or function, a limitation in activities, or a restriction in participation. Disability is a multidimensional and complex concept and is conceived as a dynamic interaction between health conditions and environmental and personal factors (WHO 2011).

Measuring disability in the Specialist Homelessness Services Collection.

A long-term health condition is one that has lasted, or is expected to last, 6 months or more. Examples of long-term health conditions that might restrict everyday activities include severe asthma, epilepsy, mental health conditions, hearing loss, arthritis, autism, kidney disease, chronic pain, speech impediment and stroke.

Disability is a general term that covers:

• impairments in body structures or functions (for example, loss or abnormality of a body part)
• limitations in everyday activities (such as difficulty bathing or managing daily routines)
• restrictions in participation in life situations (such as needing special arrangements to attend work).

The SHSC collects information on whether and to what extent a long-term health condition or disability restricts clients’ everyday activities across the following 3 life areas:

• Self-care – the client needs help/ supervision with self-care (for example, showering or bathing, dressing or undressing, using the toilet or eating food)
• Mobility – the client needs help/ supervision with mobility (for example, moving around the house, moving around outside the home, or getting into or out of a chair)
• Communication – the client needs help/ supervision with communication (for example, understanding or being understood by other people, including people they know).

Department of Social Services

The Estimated Resident Population (ERP) is the official measure of Australia's population based on the concept of usual residence. It refers to all people, regardless of nationality or citizenship, who usually live in Australia, with the exception of foreign diplomatic personnel and their families. It includes usual residents who are overseas for less than 12 months. It excludes overseas visitors who are in Australia for less than 12 months.

The ERP is based on the results of the Census of Population and Housing, adjusted for net undercount and Australian usual residents temporarily overseas on census night.

The ERP is compiled as at 30 June of each census year and updated quarterly between censuses for Australia, states and territories and annually for smaller areas. Population measures based on place of usual residence are also referred to as the de jure population.

More details about the concept of ERP, as adopted by the ABS for official population estimates, are contained in Information Paper: Population Concepts, 2008 (cat. no. 3107.0.55.006) and Population Estimates: Concepts, Sources and Methods (cat. no. 3228.0.55.001) (ABS Population FAQs).

The process and conditions under which an individual is released from custody, including parole, probation, supervised release, or completion of sentence.

Two or more persons, one of whom is at least 15 years of age, who are related by blood, marriage (registered or de facto), adoption, step or fostering, and who are usually resident in the same household. The basis of a family is formed by identifying the presence of a couple relationship, lone-parent–child relationship or other blood relationship.

Family and domestic violence

People of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.

First presentation refers to an individual's initial contact with a specialist homelessness agency when seeking assistance.

A form of out-of-home care where the caregiver is authorised and reimbursed (or was offered but declined reimbursement) by the state/territory for the care of the child. (This category excludes relatives/kin who are reimbursed). There are varying degrees of reimbursement made to foster carers.

General Services encompass a broad variety of support services available to individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Services include:

• Family/relationship assistance
• Support for incest/sexual assault survivors
• Legal information
• Material aid/brokerage
• Financial information
• Educational and training assistance
• Employment assistance
• Help obtaining/maintaining government allowances
• Assertive outreach for rough sleepers
• Childcare
• Trauma support
• Assistance with social/behavioural challenges
• Living skills/personal development
• Court support
• Advice and information
• Help with personal belongings (retrieval/storage/removal)
• Advocacy and liaison on behalf of clients
• School liaison
• Structured play/skills development
• Child contact and residence arrangements
• Meals, laundry, and shower facilities
• Recreation and transport services
• Other basic assistance.

The ABS General Social Survey provides data on the social characteristics, wellbeing and social experiences of people in Australia.

For the purpose of the SHSC a person is defined as experiencing homelessness if they are living in either:

• non-conventional accommodation or ‘sleeping rough’, or
• short-term or emergency accommodation due to a lack of other options.

Non-conventional accommodation (primary homeless) is defined as:

• living on the streets
• sleeping in parks
• squatting
• staying in cars or railway carriages
• living in improvised dwellings
• living in the long grass.

This definition aligns closely with the cultural definition of primary homelessness.

Short-term or emergency accommodation (secondary homeless) includes:

• refuges
• crisis shelters
• couch surfing or no tenure
• living temporarily with friends and relatives
• insecure accommodation on a short-term basis
• emergency accommodation arranged by a specialist homelessness agency (for example, in hotels, motels and so forth).

This definition aligns closely with the cultural definition of secondary homelessness.

The measurement of homelessness in the SHSC is defined in the Data derivation section of the Specialist homelessness services annual report.

The ABS definition of homelessness for estimates derived from the Census of Population and Housing can be found in ABS catalogue 2049.0

Used interchangeably with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and First Nations people.

Individual risk factors are personal circumstances that increase the likelihood of homelessness and housing instability, such as:

• mental illness
• physical illness
• substance use
• unemployment
• family breakdown or trauma.

Itinerant refers to a person who moves frequently from place to place, often without a permanent home or stable residence.

Money given to, or on behalf of, the client for bond/rent/transport and so forth and other non-monetary assistance, such as clothing, food vouchers and bus/train tickets. This assistance is not expected to be repaid.

National Agreement on Social Housing and Homelessness

National Disability Insurance Scheme

National Housing and Homelessness Agreement

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Other support services refer to the assistance, other than accommodation services, provided to a SHS client. They include domestic/family violence services, mental health services, family/relationship assistance, disability services, drug/alcohol counselling, legal/financial services, immigration/cultural services, other specialist services and general assistance and support.

Persistent homelessness is the experience of homelessness for more than 7 months over a 24 month period (that is, at least 30% of the time).

SHS clients aged 10 and over are considered to have problematic drug and/or alcohol use in the Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS) Collection (SHSC) if, at the beginning of or during support, the client provided any of the following information:

• recorded their dwelling type as rehabilitation facility
• required drug or alcohol counselling
• were formally referred to the SHS agency from an alcohol and drug treatment service
• had been in a rehabilitation facility or institution during the past 12 months
• reported problematic drug, substance or alcohol use as a reason for seeking assistance or the main reason for seeking assistance.

The identification of clients with problematic drug and/or alcohol use may be current or recent – referring to issues at presentation, just prior to receiving support or at least once in the 12 months prior to support.

Public housing is rental housing provided and managed by state and territory governments.

Community housing is housing provided for low- to moderate-income or special needs households, managed by community-based organisations.

Returning clients are SHS clients who have received a service from an SHS agency in the financial year plus at least one previous year since data collection for the SHSC began in July 2011.

In the context of homelessness, factors that increase the likelihood of an individual or household experiencing homelessness. These indicators can be demographic, economic, social, or health related and help identify those at a higher risk, enabling targeted interventions and support services.

Rough sleeping clients are defined as an SHS clients who, either the week before presenting, at the time of presenting to an SHS agency, or at the end of their support with an SHS agency, had no shelter or who were living in non-conventional accommodation, including any of the following:

• living on the streets
• sleeping in parks
• squatting
• staying in cars or railway carriages
• living in improvised dwellings
• living in the long grass.

Short-term accommodation refers to temporary housing including shelters, crisis housing, and transitional stays, usually for days to months.

See Specialist Homelessness Services

Specialist Homelessness Services Collection

Statistical Linkage Key. A unique identifier that enables two or more records about the same individual to be linked without revealing their identity.

Social and economic participation refers to a range of ways in which people contribute to and have the resources, opportunities and capability to learn, work, engage with and have a voice in the community. This can also be referred to as social inclusion.

Social participation can include social engagement, volunteering, working with community organisations and accessing services.

Economic participation can include paid employment, training and education or self-employment.

Specialist homelessness service(s) is assistance provided by a specialist homelessness agency to a client aimed at responding to or preventing homelessness. The specialist homelessness services in scope for this collection include accommodation provision, assistance to sustain housing, domestic/family violence services, mental health services, family/relationship assistance, disability services, drug/alcohol counselling, legal/ financial services, immigration/cultural services, other specialist services and general assistance and support.

An organisation which receives government funding to deliver specialist homelessness services to a client. These can be either not-for-profit or for-profit agencies.

Stable housing, for the purpose of the SHSC, refers to clients ending support in public or community housing (renter or rent free), private or other housing (renter, rent free or owner), or Institutional settings.

A unique identifier that enables two or more records about the same individual to be linked without revealing their identity.

Support period refers to the timeframe during which a person at risk of or experiencing homelessness receives support from a specialist homelessness services agency, from the start of support to the end of support.

Children aged under 18 who received services without a parent or legal guardian.

Unassisted requests for services are instances where a person seeks support from a SHS agency and receives no assistance at the time of request. The information required for reporting is limited as it is not always appropriate for an agency to collect the same detailed information as they would if the person was to become a client.

A person aged 15 or more who was not employed during the reference week but had actively looked for work and was currently available for work.

World Health Organisation

Wraparound services refer to a holistic approach to providing or coordinating all necessary support services for individuals facing complex challenges, such as homelessness. These services aim to stabilise and support individuals or families by addressing issues that may hinder long-term housing security and overall well-being.

Wraparound services are often used interchangeably with the term 'continuum of care', though a distinction can be made: the continuum of care includes both housing and wraparound support, while wraparound services specifically encompass the non-housing assistance provided to an individual.

These services are delivered within a structured, team-based framework, where case managers and social workers develop individualised, intensive support plans that consider each person’s unique strengths, needs, and support networks. The goal is to help individuals remain housed and lead more stable, fulfilling lives within their community.

Examples of wraparound services:

• Case management (service coordination)
• Counselling (individual, family, group, youth, vocational)
• Employment, education, and specialist education support
• Links to peer support, self-help, and community groups
• Psychiatric consultation and community-based mental health care
• Health and medical services
• Legal assistance, advocacy, and protection services
• Access to detox, residential treatment, or medically assisted treatment
• Specialist care settings (therapeutic foster care, small therapeutic group care)
• Support with applications for public benefits (e.g. Universal Credit, disability benefits, housing assistance)
• Life skills training (cooking, cleaning, hygiene, transport, communication, conflict resolution, self-esteem).