HomeGround: Bringing Supportive Housing to Melbourne
HOMELESSNESS: THE PROBLEMHomelessness is a major social issue often invisible to most Australians.While numbers and concentrations of people who are homeless vary between regions the rate of homelessness is higher in the inner suburbs of all major cities. In 2001, the rate of homelessness in Inner Melbourne was 149 per 10,000 of the population compared with 42 per 10,000 of the population in Victoria overall.We know that homelessness causes damage. Research has revealed that the majority of homeless people with mental health or drug abuse problems developed them after becoming homeless.
The most chronically homeless people present and come into contact with community services, police, the justice system, the mental health system and hospitals in disproportionately high numbers. Targeting and stabilising the most chronically homeless reduces costs to these government-funded services.
SOLUTIONS
Homelessness can be prevented. Homelessness can be ended.Supportive Housing is a new approach in Melbourne that provides a permanent and immediate solution to ending the homelessness of the most vulnerable and chronically homeless people. Supportive housing:
• Is permanent – offering self contained, high quality housing
• Is safe – due to controlled access to keep unwelcome people out
• Is affordable – with rents set at a maximum of 30% income
• Has on site supports – to help people settle into and sustain their housing
• Has a social mix of tenants – ensuring a mixed, thriving community
This combination of features is not currently available in Victoria. Offering homeless people access to safe and affordable housing is the starting point to ending their homelessness.
SUPPORTIVE HOUSING
Supportive Housing provides an immediate solution to ending the homelessness of the most vulnerable and chronically homeless people. Supportive Housing has a combination of features that do not exist in current housing models in Melbourne and offers safe, permanent and affordable housing with access to on site support services, to people that would otherwise be at serious risk of damage to their health and wellbeing. Offering homeless people access to safe and affordable housing is the starting point to ending their homelessness. The Supportive Housing movement in North America inspires and informs the HomeGround Supportive Housing model. Supportive Housing has been proven to reduce the use of services such as police, health, mental health and homeless agencies and enable people to become more satisfied and participate more fully in society. In New York City, Mental Health funding provides the bulk of the support in Supportive Housing models.
Key Elements of Supportive Housing:
§ Property Management - permanent, affordable housing in self-contained apartments
§ Tenancy Management - social mix of tenants, half previously homeless and half low income earners
§ Concierge Function: Ensuring controlled access to the building at all times, creating both the perception and reality of safety.
§ Support Services: On site supports, adaptive to increasing and decreasing need from a multidisciplinary team.
§ Community integration: Through recreation activities, employment and training programs, creating a sense of community on site as well within the local community.
MAKING IT HAPPEN
The development of a Supportive Housing model in Melbourne will fill a significant gap in the service system. The success of any supportive housing project is premised upon effective relationships with its local service system and wider community. HomeGround is developing a coalition of partners that will build on existing links between interconnected service systems and government, and who will provide a body of experience and expertise within Melbourne to support the generation of supportive housing models. Supportive Housing represents a new approach to ending homelessness through collaboration between state and local governments, business, philanthropy & agencies providing services to homeless people & people at risk of homelessness
HOMEGROUND
HomeGround is an independent, not-for-profit and secular organisation, works in the areas of homelessness, housing, community development and social change. HomeGround’s vision is to end homelessness in Melbourne.HomeGround’s mission is to get people housed and keep people housed. HomeGround is experienced and committed to working in partnership with government, local government, philanthropic organisations and other community organisations. For more information about Supportive Housing models overseas see:
www.commonground.org
www.communityaccess.org
www.csh.org
www.cucs.org