Allocations Manual Homeless with Support Category

Introduction

This prioritisation is on the understanding that the support and accommodation needs of individuals or families are being actively addressed by a designated support program provider or specialist service working with them over a sustained period to maximise their levels of functioning and independence, which will also assist in sustaining a future tenancy.

Under these arrangements, organisations providing designated Department of Health & Human Services (Department)/ Commonwealth funded support programs, specialist homelessness services, and family violence services working in partnership with other services to provide an integrated family violence response, assume a key role in the assessment of individuals and families under the Homeless with support category. These designated support program providers or specialist services invest time in gaining an understanding of causal factors of homelessness, and can identify how to best provide support to achieve lasting outcomes.

The intent of these arrangements is to establish a platform for communication and coordination between the Department’s officers and support services from the outset of the tenancy.

Individuals and families who are living in highly unsuitable housing are assisted as a second priority. Existing early housing arrangements (Supported Housing and Special Housing Needs) remain in place until the second half of 2012 when a new Unsuitable Housing category will be introduced.

Homeless with Support category

An application can be lodged under this category by a designated support program provider or specialist service on behalf of an individual or family:

• 
  living in crisis accommodation arranged by a family violence service
  
• 
  residing in transitional, crisis managed or crisis arranged housing (including accommodation that is unsuitable because transitional or crisis accommodation was unavailable when they needed it)
  
• 
  living temporarily with other families because they have not been able to access or maintain accommodation of their own
  
• 
  without conventional accommodation such as living on the streets, sleeping in parks, squatting in derelict buildings, or using cars for temporary shelter.
  

• 
  exiting short term care/treatment services including hospitals, disability residential services, Mental Health Secure Extended Care or Community Care Units
  
• 
  receiving care through a Children Youth and Families funded Leaving Care program
  
• 
  leaving a secure facility under the Youth Justice Pathways or Corrections Housing Pathways initiatives.
  

Application pathways

Homeless with support applications must be lodged at a local office on behalf of the individual or family by a designated support program provider or specialist service.

Homeless applicants who are receiving support

An application on behalf of the individual or family can be lodged under this category when an Initial Assessment & Planning (IAP) assessment of housing need at an Opening Doors entry point or equivalent assessment (i.e. by a family violence intake worker or where a designated support program provider is not part of the Opening Doors framework and has their own assessment processes and intake workers ) has occurred, and the delivery of support has commenced through the support program provider or specialist service.

Applicants exiting care or custody arrangements

A support organisation can lodge an application on behalf of an individual or family that has no alternative housing options and is:

• 
  exiting short term care/treatment services including hospitals, disability residential services, Mental Health Secure Extended Care or Community Care Units
  
• 
  receiving care through a Children Youth and Families funded Leaving Care program
  
• 
  leaving a secure facility under the Youth Justice Pathways or Corrections Housing Pathways initiatives.
  

The application can be lodged once the support worker commences working with the individual to prepare them for independent living, up to a maximum of six months prior to the anticipated release or exit date.

Applicants who are not receiving support

Individuals and families who are homeless but not receiving support must be interviewed by an IAP worker at an Opening Doors entry point or equivalent worker (i.e. family violence intake worker, or an intake or assessment worker with a designated support program provider that is not part of the Opening Doors framework) for:

• 
  assessment of the level of housing need, and the range of housing options available
  
• 
  assessment of support need, risk and vulnerability
  
• 
  a service response that is prioritised according to the level of assessed need.
  

As part of the assessment process, the IAP or equivalent worker should refer the individual or family on for support where the need is identified. They may be placed on a waiting list for support where a support need is identified and an immediate connection with that support cannot be made.

The IAP or equivalent worker may also consider assisting the individual or family with an application for the Special Housing Needs category where an immediate connection with support is not made. When the individual and family later connect with support, they may then be considered for the Homeless with support category.

Where the individual or family is unlikely to require support in the establishment phase of a public tenancy, the appropriate application pathway is the Special Housing Needs category (Insecure/Unsafe Housing).

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