Homelessness Deep Dive

Ending Homelessness in Australia: An Evidence and Policy Deep Dive is the third research report in the Centre for Social Impact's Deep Dive series, and has been created in partnership with the Australian Alliance to End Homelessness (AAEH) and Neami National .

Completed by researchers from CSI UWA and UNSW, the objectives of the research were two-fold. First, to collate and assess the current evidence base on the state of homelessness in Australia and its key drivers. Second, to set out an evidence-informed policy and practice agenda towards ending homelessness in Australia.

Homelessness is a complex problem and, if we are to end it, we need to understand and engage all the levers available to us, whether they’re currently being used or not.

This research report puts forward five key actions which are required to end homelessness in Australia:

1. Leadership and proactivity at the Australian Government level and a national end homelessness strategy.
2. An increase in the supply of social and affordable housing directed to an end homelessness goal.
3. Comprehensive application of Housing First programs linked to supportive housing for those entering permanent housing with long histories of homelessness and high health and other need.
4. Targeted prevention and early intervention programs to turn off the tap of entry into homelessness which address the underlying drivers of homelessness.
5. Supportive systems and programs which build the enablers of an end homelessness program: advocacy, commitment and resource flow to ending homelessness; effective service integration; culturally safe and appropriate service delivery; and improving data quality, evaluation and research around ending homelessness in Australia.