Brisbane Homelessness Community Action Plan
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Brisbane Homelessness Community Action Plan
This Homelessness Community Action Plan is delivered in a partnership involving the Department of Communities, the Queensland Council of Social Service and the local community. The Homelessness Community Action Plan initiative is part of the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness. The funding has been provided by the Australian and Queensland Governments.
Brisbane
Homelessness Community Action
Plan
1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Brisbane Homelessness Community Action Plan overview
2. Brisbane location profile
3. Brisbane homelessness profile
4. Brisbane homelessness service system strengths and challenges
5. Priority areas for action
6. Brisbane Homelessness Community Action Plan actions
7. Reporting and Governance
2
1. Brisbane Homelessness Community Action Plan Overview
The areas shaded on the map below (and highlighted in colour on the inside cover map) outline
the boundary for Homelessness Community Action Planning in Brisbane.
3Home is more than a roof over your head, and homelessness is more than a lack of
accommodation. The work of ending homelessness is varied and complex. It’s about
recognising the many circumstances that place people at risk or cause them to become
homeless. It’s about providing services that help people to cope with the difficulties in their lives.
It’s about enabling people to secure and stay in housing for the long-term. People may come
into contact with a broad range of government and non-government services before they
become homeless, and collectively, we must ensure these services work to support people so
they can avoid losing their homes.
In the Brisbane Homelessness Community Action Plan the principles of a No Wrong Door 1
approach will be implemented. Through this approach access to a range of services should be
readily available to homeless people or those at risk of homelessness. These services will assist
people in these circumstances to stabilise their lives, find employment and secure housing.
In 2008 the Australian Government released its White Paper, The Road Home: A National
Approach to Reducing Homelessness. 2 The Road Home declares ‘In a country as prosperous
as Australia, no one should be homeless’ and challenges us to think about ending
homelessness, rather than just managing it. The Road Home asks us to get together as
communities and find innovative solutions to end and prevent homelessness. By drawing on the
best examples, The Road Home points out that the plight of homeless people can be improved
greatly if we can build systems that better coordinate and integrate services to meet their
immediate, medium and long-term needs.
The Brisbane Homelessness Community Action Plan seeks to do just this. The actions identified
in the plan encourage government, community service providers and the broader community to
support, and build on, the extensive work already achieved in delivering better coordinated
services that will in turn deliver better outcomes for homeless people or people at risk of
homelessness in Brisbane.
This plan has a particular focus on: the inner city comprising the Central Business District, the
inner southern and inner northern suburbs of Brisbane, the south west corridor from Acacia
Ridge through to Inala, Forest Lake and Ellengrove (formerly Carole Park), and the outer north
1
Information on the No Wrong Door approach can be accessed at:
http://www.communitydoor.org.au/nowrongdoor.
2
The Road Home can be accessed at:
http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/sa/housing/progserv/homelessness/whitepaper/Documents/default.htm.
4from Chermside through to Zillmere and out to the eastern suburbs of Brighton, Taigum,
Bracken Ridge and Sandgate.
By working in partnership and with a positive outlook the Brisbane Homelessness Community
Action Plan will be a key contributor to ongoing efforts to bring about real and lasting change for
people who are experiencing or living near the edge of homelessness.
1.1. Homelessness Community Action Plans – a place-based approach to reducing
homelessness
Working in partnership
Homelessness Community Action Plans are being implemented in seven homelessness ‘hot
spots’ throughout Queensland, including Brisbane. The other six locations are:
Caboolture/Deception Bay/Morayfield, Cairns, Gold Coast, Hervey Bay, Mount Isa and
Toowoomba. The development and implementation of the plans is a three year initiative (2010-
2013) funded through the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness and delivered in
partnership by the Department of Communities and the Queensland Council of Social Service.
This partnership has been made possible by a number of developments in recent years. These
include the impact of The Road Home and the National Partnership Agreement on
Homelessness, as well as the Queensland Government’s 2008 priorities statement – Toward
Q2: Tomorrow’s Queensland. 3 Toward Q2 describes the government’s key priorities, one of
which is to mobilise a whole-of-community approach to tackle disadvantage and create safer,
fairer and more supportive communities. Homelessness clearly belongs to this priority area.
However, the most significant development has been the implementation of the Queensland
Compact. 4 Officially launched in November 2008, the Compact is a partnership agreement
between the not-for profit community services sector and the Queensland Government that
promotes the sector and government working together to achieve a fairer society. It signifies a
‘fresh start’ to non-government and government collaboration in Queensland. The development
and implementation of these Homelessness Community Action Plans is a demonstration project
under the Compact.
3
Toward Q2 can be accessed at: http://www.towardq2.qld.gov.au/tomorrow/index.aspx
4
The Queensland Compact can be accessed at
http://www.communityservices.qld.gov.au/department/about/corporate-plans/queensland-compact/
5Developing the model
The development of and implementation of Homelessness Community Action Plans is being
delivered through a unique model. The model was established – with the Compact providing the
basic principles – in a variety of settings by representatives from the Department of
Communities, the Queensland Homelessness Intersectoral Forum, the Queensland Council of
Social Service, Queensland Shelter, local government, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
organisations and homelessness service providers.
The model is based on 14 locally-based coordinators working with local stakeholders to develop
and implement a plan that is centred on delivering positive outcomes for people who are
experiencing or living near the edge of homelessness. Seven coordinators work within the
Department of Communities (Queensland Government Homelessness Coordinators) and the
other seven are based in the Queensland Council of Social Service (Homelessness Planning
and Coordination Officers).
These coordinators engaged with the local community through community forums, targeted
workshops and face-to-face meetings to bring together the key players who have developed the
action plans. These coordinators will continue to provide vital support to government and non-
government organisations who have agreed to participate in delivering outcomes through the
action plans.
Locally-owned plans
A key ingredient in the development and implementation of the Homelessness Community
Action Plans is that they are owned by the local community – government and non-government
equally. The plans are practical ways to bring whole communities – such as Brisbane – together
to map out and find the best way forward for tackling homelessness. The Brisbane
Homelessness Community Action Plan has been produced and will be implemented by a wide
range of interested people and organisations. The plan is a true ‘living document’. It has targets
to be reached and goals to be achieved, capable of reflecting changing circumstances.
It is hoped that the Brisbane Homelessness Community Action Plan will become the foundation
over the next ten years to guide our response to reducing, and perhaps ending, homelessness
in places such as Brisbane.
61.2. Opening Doors: Queensland Strategy for Reducing Homelessness 2011-2014
Opening Doors: Queensland Strategy for Reducing Homelessness 2011-2014 was released by
the Queensland Government on 21 July 2011. Opening Doors builds on The Road Home to
provide key strategic directions for reducing homelessness in Queensland over the next few
years. 5 The vision of the strategy is ‘To end homelessness by ensuring every Queenslander is
empowered to find and keep a home’. This vision will be achieved through building on past and
current successes and by focussing effort on three key strategic priority areas over the next
three years. Headline reforms also inform the intent of each of the three key strategic priority
areas:
1. Helping people avoid becoming homeless — by improving housing outcomes for people
exiting health facilities, child safety arrangements, prisons, and youth detention facilities.
Headline reform: Reduce exits into homelessness.
2. Helping people get ahead — by ensuring people who are homeless or at risk of
homelessness have access to safe, affordable, well-located and appropriate housing
together with support and increased opportunities to get ahead through participation in
education, training and employment.
Headline reform: Adopting a housing first approach.
3. Working together for stronger services — by better coordinating and integrating policies,
programs and services, using and sharing data, and improving local case coordination.
Headline reform: Realignment of specialist homelessness services.
The Brisbane Homelessness Community Action Plan will implement actions that will contribute
to achieving positive results against these key strategic priority areas and headline reforms.
Through extensive community consultation the plan establishes targets that we will work toward
achieving within the timeframe of the Opening Doors strategy and beyond.
5
Opening Doors: Queensland Strategy for Reducing Homelessness 2011-2014 can be accessed at
http://www.communities.qld.gov.au/housing/community-and-homelessness-programs/homelessness-
programs/reducing-homelessness-in-queensland/opening-doors-queensland-strategy-for-reducing-
homelessness-2011-14.
For The Road Home see the associated documents: The National Partnership Agreement on
Homelessness, which can be accessed at
http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/sa/housing/progserv/homelessness/national_partnership_agreement/Pages/NP
AHomelessness.aspx and the Queensland’s Implementation Plan for the National Partnership Agreement
on Homelessness, which can be accessed at: http://www.public-
housing.qld.gov.au/programs/homelessness/reducing/plan.htm.
72. Brisbane – location profile 6
The Brisbane Homelessness Community Action Plan focuses on three ‘hot spot’ locations: the
inner city which comprises suburbs in the inner north, south and the Central Business District,
the south west corridor including Acacia Ridge, Inala/ Durack, Doollandella/ Forest Lake and
Ellengrove (formerly Carole Park), and the outer north suburbs including Chermside, Zillmere,
Brighton, Taigum/ Fitzgibbon, Bracken Ridge and Sandgate.
The local government area of Brisbane City has a total area of 1,340.3 km2, or 0.1% of the total
area of the state. The estimated resident population of Brisbane City at 30 June 2010 was
1,067,279 persons, or 23.6% of the state's population. Projected population to 2011 for the
three target locations for the Homelessness Community Action Plan in Brisbane City include:
69,046 for inner Brisbane 50,270 for the south west corridor and 46,664 for the outer north.
At the time of the 2006 Census there were:
• 12,943 persons who identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin in Brisbane City,
amounting to 1.4% of the total population (compared to the 3.6% Queensland average). This
includes:
o 659 inner city, ranging from 0.6% of the population in the inner city and remainder to
2.2% at West End,
o 1,896 in the south west, ranging from 1.7% at Doolloondella to 10.8% at Carole Park,
o 1,080 in the outer north, ranging from around 1.1% at Taigum to 3.7% at Zillmere.
• 24% of persons stated they were born overseas in Brisbane City, with the inner city suburbs
averaging around 29% south western suburbs around 30% and outer northern suburbs
around 20%.
• 7.2% of the usual resident population in Brisbane City experienced a high level of
disadvantage relative to the rest of the state, with the south west corridor including six
Statistical Local Areas of highest level of disadvantage. Zillmere and Chermside in the outer
north also experience the highest level of disadvantage according to the Social and
Economic Index for areas.
6
Section 3 is based on data extracted from: Office of Economic and Statistical Research, Queensland
Treasury, Queensland Regional Profiles, Brisbane City, based on local government area (2010). This
profile can be accessed at: http://statistics.oesr.qld.gov.au/qld-regional-profiles.
8The smoothed unemployment rate for Brisbane City in the June quarter 2011 was 4.3% though
significantly higher in the target locations: with inner city ranging from 4% at Kelvin Grove to
8.7% at Woolloongabba, south west from 4.4% at Ellen Grove to 11.2% at Inala, and outer north
from 5% at Bracken Ridge, Brighton and Sandgate to 6.6% at Chermside.
.
At the time of the 2006 Census, health care and social assistance were the largest industries of
employment for Brisbane City usual residents, with 11.4% of the region's employed labour force.
In the inner city, people are more likely to be employed in a professional field. In the south west,
manufacturing was the largest industry for employment of residents. In the outer-north, health
care and social assistance were the largest industry for employment of residents, followed
closely by retail and manufacturing.
In 2008-09, there were 107,401 businesses in Brisbane City, 25.6% of all Queensland
businesses. This included 16,177 in the inner city (3.9% of the Queensland total), 3,061 in the
outer north (0.7% of the Queensland total), and 1,774 in the south west (0.4 % of the
Queensland total).
At the time of the 2006 Census, 353,009 people occupied private dwellings in Brisbane
City Local Government Area, representing 25.4% of Queensland's total occupied private
dwellings. Of these dwellings 106,584 were fully owned (30.2% of the total), 115,252 were being
purchased (32.6% of the total) and 119,643 were being rented (33.9% of the total).
Government-owned housing accounts for 11.1% of all rental properties in Brisbane.
There are significantly lower levels of home ownership in the inner city, with 14.3% of dwellings
fully owned, 16% being purchased and associated higher levels of renting (53%) which may be
associated with the gentrification and increased density development of student apartments in
the inner city suburbs. Suburbs such as Bowen Hills and Woolloongabba also have higher
proportion of state-owned rental properties (16.8% and 15.5% respectively).
In the south west, there is a slightly lower level of home ownership with 26.2% of properties fully
owned, 28.5% being purchased and 33.9% being rented. Of the rental properties, there is a
larger proportion of public rental (40.6%) with the proportion extremely higher in the former
Carole Park (76.6%) and Inala (63%). In the outer north, 29% of properties are fully owned,
28.4% being purchased and 35.5% rented, and 18.1% state-owned rental properties
9Zillmere and Chermside have a higher proportion of state-owned rental properties with 37.3%
and 24.6% respectively. Chermside also has a considerably higher proportion of rental
properties overall (55.1%) which may be an outcome of increased density housing as part of the
move to Transport Oriented Development around major transport interchanges such as
Chermside Shopping Centre.
3. Brisbane homelessness profile
3.1. Defining homelessness
Defining homelessness can be challenging – people and organisations have diverse ideas
about what constitutes homelessness and, over time, different definitions have been proposed
to try to capture the range of circumstances that might be considered ‘homelessness’. The most
common definition in use across Australia was developed by Professor Chris Chamberlain and
Associate Professor David Mackenzie and is used by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Three
broad types of homelessness are identified:
Primary homelessness
Primary homelessness applies when a person lives on the street, sleeps in parks, squats in
derelict buildings, or uses cars or railway carriages for temporary shelter.
Secondary homelessness
Secondary homelessness is used to describe people who move frequently from one form of
temporary shelter to another. Secondary homelessness applies to people using emergency
accommodation, youth refuges or women’s refuges, people residing temporarily with relatives or
with friends (because they have no accommodation of their own), and people using boarding
houses on an occasional or intermittent basis (up to 12 weeks).
Tertiary homelessness
Tertiary homelessness is used to describe people who live in premises where they don’t have
the security of a lease guaranteeing them accommodation, nor access to basic private facilities
(such as a private bathroom, kitchen or living space). It can include people living in boarding
houses on a medium to long-term basis (more than 13 weeks) or in caravan parks.
3.2. Homelessness in Brisbane
On Census night 2006 in Queensland there were 26,782 homeless people. This number is
disproportionately high with the state accounting for 26% of total Australian homelessness and
10recording a rate of 69 homeless persons per 10,000 of the population, compared to a national
rate of 53. In Brisbane 5,395 people were recorded as homeless and the rate of homelessness
was 56 per 10,000. 7
Table one outlines the number of homeless people and the rate per 10,000 of the population for
Brisbane City.
Table 1: Homeless people in Brisbane City – number and rate per 10,000 of the
population
Inner city North west South east North west South east Total
Brisbane inner inner outer inner
Number 2,070 774 616 1,047 888 5,395
Rate 246 44 41 33 39 56
The inner city target location for the Brisbane Homelessness Community Action Plan reflects
the boundaries for inner Brisbane, while both south west and outer north are captured by the
north west outer.
Table two outlines people in different sectors of the homelessness population, Brisbane City.
The data clearly shows that significantly less people identified as homeless in Brisbane are
accommodated in improvised dwellings compared to the state and national figures. However,
significantly more people than in the state or national contexts are accommodated in boarding
houses.
Table 2: Homeless persons by accommodation type
Brisbane Queensland Australia
Type
No. % No. % No. %
Boarding house 2,135 40 5,438 20 21, 596 20
SAAP 1,018 19 3,233 12 19,849 19
Friends/relatives 1,855 34 12,946 49 46,856 45
Improvised dwellings 387 7 5,165 19 16,375 16
Total 5,395 100 26,782 100 104,676 100
The highest numbers of residents in boarding houses (952) are in the inner city which
represents almost 60% of the Brisbane regional total. There are particularly high numbers in
7
Unless indicated otherwise, the data in section 3. is drawn from Chris Chamberlain and David
Mackenzie, Counting the Homeless 2006 Queensland, Canberra, Australian Institute of Health and
Welfare, June 2009
11New Farm (228), Spring Hill (215) and Fortitude Valley (153). There are also a few remaining
boarding houses in the outer north.
There are 546 long-term residents of caravan parks and 198 who have been resident in caravan
parks for less than one year in the south west suburbs of Inala and Durack areas. In the outer
north there are also 469 long term residents of caravan parks and 437 who have been resident
in caravan parks for less than one year in the Aspley, Brighton, Zillmere and Taigum areas.
Homelessness is an extremely complex phenomenon. Factors identified as increasingly
important in ‘predicting’ the likelihood of a person experiencing an episode/s of homelessness
include family breakdown, domestic and family violence, poverty and unemployment, and the
consequences of mental illness. These factors are often experienced in combination.
This is as true for Brisbane as for any other place in Australia and beyond. While definitive
research is lacking on the causes of homelessness in Brisbane it is nevertheless possible to
make some educated guesses based on available data and local knowledge. Homelessness in
Brisbane may be particularly influenced by a range of factors and events if not unique to the
area, then of perhaps greater significance than for other places in Queensland and Australia.
Outcomes of a survey of 249 individuals experiencing chronic homelessness and rough
sleeping conducted in Brisbane metropolitan area as part of the 50 Lives 50 Homes project
included:
• 118 people reported a dual diagnosis of mental illness and substance abuse
• 66 people reported a history only of substance abuse
• 18 people reported only signs or symptoms of mental illness
• 202 (87%) of respondents report at least one behavioural health issue
• 105 people reported intravenous drug use
• 31 respondents were under 25 years old, with all but one reported injection drug use
• 59 (26%) respondents reported having a history of foster care or institutional care as a child
• 17 individuals reported being employed
• 83 individuals report receiving the disability support pension
• 14 individuals report receiving the aged pension
• 16 individuals report no income
• 109 people reported having been to prison
12• 48 individuals identified as Aboriginal, and
• 19 individuals identified as New Zealanders, many of whom are unable to access income
support assistance as they are non-residents.
Gentrification in the inner city has also seen the loss of low cost housing and the further
marginalisation of people with high and complex needs who are living in the remaining inner city
boarding houses. Drop-in services such as 139 Club and outreach food vans report that a large
proportion of service users are residents of boarding houses who are unable to meet the basic
needs of food and clothing.
There is also a high risk of homelessness for people in the outer north and south west who are
tenuously accommodated. There are 546 long-term residents of caravan parks and 198 who
have been resident in caravan parks for less than one year in the Inala and Durack areas. In the
outer north there are also 469 long-term residents of caravan parks and 437 who have been
resident in caravan parks for less than one year in the Aspley, Brighton, Zillmere and Taigum
areas.
Reports to the National Data Collection Agency (NDCA) 8 identified that women who where
accessing assistance from specialist homelessness services targeted to women escaping
domestic and family violence identified their previous location as the outer areas of identified
high need including the south west corridor. In the south west, the people seeking assistance
from the family accommodation and youth accommodation services named relationship
breakdown while those seeking assistance from the early intervention service were most
frequently experiencing financial difficulty. In the inner city, specialist homelessness services
reported to the NDCA that the most frequently nominated previous location offered by clients
was the inner city area, similarly the outer north and south west reported previous location as
being in the local area.
Across all areas, young people had previously been in public housing or rough sleeping.
Anecdotal information indicates that young people may become homeless as an outcome of
overcrowding in the family home and/or limited alternative accommodation options for singles.
8
This data is taken from the summary information received by the National Data Collection Agency from
specialist homelessness services in the target locations for the Brisbane Homelessness Community
Action Plan for the period 01/07/2008 and 30/06/2009. As such, it is indicative as it relates only to
individuals who have accessed these services.
13In the outer north, most seeking assistance from services targeted to families named domestic
and family violence while the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders service clients named
eviction or time out as their reason for seeking assistance. More frequently they had been in
private, public or community rental housing and most were recipients of a parenting welfare
payment.
Service providers in the outer areas also report that the level of homelessness is not easily
quantified. They reported seeing increasing numbers of people who are sleeping in cars or who
are couch surfing. The outer north and south west have fewer homelessness services and an
absence of identifiable entry points into the homelessness service system.
Conversely, the inner city has traditionally been the location of homelessness crisis services
which includes accommodation and non-accommodation services and voluntary services
providing basic food and clothing, which is predominantly targeted to single adults who are
chronically homeless and/or rough sleeping.
Of the total 78 homelessness services in Brisbane region, 28 are located in the inner city area,
six in the outer north and four in the south west corridor. The inner city is the location for most of
the crisis accommodation and support services and the two information referral and assessment
services. An initial resource mapping undertaken by Under 1 Roof in the inner city identified that
the greater majority of capacity of members was in information, assessment and referral with
limited capacity for tenancy sustainment.
3.3. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Homelessness in Brisbane
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples disproportionately experience homelessness in
Queensland. In the 2006 Census, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples comprised 3.6%
of the total population but accounted for 8% of the state’s homeless people.
While the proportion of the population who identified as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
background in Brisbane is below that of the state, the Brisbane area has the third largest
Indigenous population in absolute numbers, behind Far North Queensland and North
Queensland.
In Brisbane, there were 670 homeless people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
background which represents 30% of the state’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
homeless. 32% were in the inner city, with 39% sleeping rough. In the 2006 Census it appears
14that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are much more likely to be living in Supported
Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) accommodation as outlined in table three.
Table 3: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander homeless persons by accommodation type
Type Non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Torres Strait Islander Islander
No. % No. %
Boarding House 2,235 30 150 22
SAAP 1,138 16 270 40
Friends / relatives 3,425 47 145 22
Improvised dwellings 486 7 105 16
Total 7,284 100 670 100
4. Brisbane homelessness service system strengths and challenges
A series of consultations held between October 2010 and September 2011 in Brisbane
identified the strengths of, and the challenges experienced by, government and non-government
organisations in tackling homelessness, or preventing people from becoming homeless.
Building on these strengths and overcoming these challenges comprises the actions detailed in
the Brisbane Homelessness Community Action Plan.
Actions and issues identified through the engagement phase of the Brisbane Homelessness
Community Action Planning process were grouped into ten themes. The themes align with the
key priority areas of Opening Doors (see section 1.2). The themes are:
1. Prevent eviction from all kinds of tenure.
2. Transition and maintain people exiting statutory care/correctional and health facilities into
appropriate long term accommodation.
3. Improve models of service integration by homelessness and mainstream services.
4. Build the capacity of the workforce to deliver integrated services.
5. Improve and better utilise homelessness data and evidence based response to
homelessness.
6. Promote partnerships between all levels of government, business, consumers and the not
for profit sector.
7. Increase and upgrade supply of affordable and social housing.
8. Provide models of accommodation with support that are suitable for different target groups.
159. Provide safe, appropriate long-term accommodation and or support to people experiencing
domestic, family violence relationships and family breakdown at key transition points.
10. Streamline access to crisis accommodation and specialist homelessness services.
In identifying these ten themes a wealth of input from community stakeholders was generated
through a variety of consultation and engagement events. An analysis of this input revealed that
overall for the three areas the top three themes were:
• improve models of service integration by homelessness and mainstream services (27% of
responses)
• provide models of accommodation with support that are suitable for different target groups
(15% of responses), and
• prevent eviction for all kinds of tenure (13% of responses).
In the south western area of Brisbane the top three themes identified were:
• improve models of service integration by homelessness and mainstream services (45% of
responses)
• prevent eviction from all kinds of tenure (12% of responses), and
• streamline access to crisis accommodation and specialist homelessness services (10% of
responses).
In the outer northern area of Brisbane the top three themes identified were:
• improve models of service integration by homelessness and mainstream services (16% of
responses)
• prevent eviction for all kinds of tenure (17% of responses), and
• provide safe, appropriate long-term accommodation and or support to people experiencing
domestic and family violence relationships and family breakdown at key transition points
(10% of responses).
16In the inner city the top three themes identified were:
• improve models of service integration by homelessness and mainstream services (19% of
responses)
• provide models of accommodation with support that are suitable for different target groups
(18% of responses), and
• prevent eviction for all kinds of tenure (8% of responses).
4.1. Local responses to homelessness
Achieving the outcomes of the Brisbane Homelessness Community Action Plan will depend on
the support and commitment of the community.
A priority for the Brisbane region is to ensure that the Homelessness Community Action Plan is
inclusive to all members of the community. While the actions may not always specifically identify
particular population groups, it is implicit in the implementation that target groups include:
• people who are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
• people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
• children and young people
• people with disabilities and people with high and complex needs, and
• older people.
It is also a priority that projects coming out of the Brisbane Homelessness Community Action
Planning process are client focused and achievable and that they acknowledge and continue to
built on existing initiatives.
It is proposed that the key findings of the engagement process could be best implemented
through an action learning approach, based on joint case planning and service coordination in
each location and an overarching governance group to link the three locations to ensure
consistency, share learnings and to provide strategic capacity to escalate issues that are not
able to be addressed at the local level.
17This approach builds on a history of cooperation, collaboration and innovative practice including
existing models of service coordination in the inner city that include:
• Under 1 Roof, which was established with the support of the Rotary Club of Fortitude Valley
to address the needs of homelessness in Brisbane’s inner northern suburbs. Members of
the consortium include 139 Club, BRIC Housing, Brisbane Housing Company, Brisbane
Youth Service, City Care, Communify, Footprints in Brisbane, Mission Australia, New Farm
Neighbourhood Centre and Queensland Intravenous Health Network.
• 50 Lives 50 Homes, which has used a vulnerability index to identify the 50 most
vulnerable people and worked to find them homes, support them to maintain their tenancies
and connect them to the healthcare services they need. This register will provide an ongoing
baseline registry of rough sleepers to assist us track our progress with housing and
supporting people. In February 2011, the 50 Lives 50 Homes team reached its target of
housing the first 50 most vulnerable people experiencing homelessness in Brisbane in
permanent long-term accommodation and has almost achieved the next 50.
• The Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Human Service Coalition, which is
piloting an integrated service delivery response covering Fortitude Valley, West End and
South Brisbane. The pilot involves developing an integrated model of service based on the
needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are sleeping rough.
Housing and homelessness interagency networks in the Brisbane region will continue to play a
key role with the Brisbane Homelessness Community Action Plan, including taking a lead role
with specific actions in the plan including the:
• Inner city Homelessness and Affordable Housing Network
• Inner city Intake and Referral Working Group which includes key stakeholder agencies in the
inner city crisis homelessness service system
• South West Housing Network and the Brisbane North Housing Solutions Network, which are
both sub-branches of Queensland Shelter
• agencies Supporting the Housing of Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Migrants (ASHRAM),
and
• Homeless to Home Healthcare Network.
The Brisbane Homelessness Community Action Planning process is also complemented by
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Urban Participation Plans. These plans are being
18implemented through a partnership between the regional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Services team and key stakeholders in five locations in the Brisbane region, including the three
target locations. Each of these plans has a priority in relation to homelessness.
5. Priority areas for action
A number of local priorities are identified in the action plan. These local priorities were
developed through an extensive consultation process using a wide range of community
stakeholders that took place between October 2010 and September 2011. The consultation
process identified strengths, challenges, gaps and barriers in the local human service system
that impact on people experiencing homelessness and those at risk of experiencing
homelessness.
Eight key local priorities have been identified that guide the activity in this action plan. The
priorities all align to the three key priorities advanced in Opening Doors. The eight local priorities
are:
1. Reduce exits into homelessness
This priority is focussed on reducing exits into homelessness for people in institutional situations
i.e. prisons, youth detention centres, in state care, health facilities and the court system.
2. Help people establish and maintain tenancies
This priority has an early intervention focus, built on existing Home Stay initiatives with a focus
on improving engagement with first to know agencies. There is also a strong emphasis on
ensuring that people in more tenuous accommodation, such as boarding houses, were assisted
through engagement with private providers and private owners whose accommodation and
personal safety may be at risk due to domestic squalor and hoarding.
3. Provide access to accommodation and support to people who are homeless
The focus of actions under this priority relate to the implementation of supportive housing
models, including Common Ground. This priority also focuses on housing provision that is
appropriate to the needs of people who are homeless to assist them to stay in their community.
This will be achieved through improved planning, design and management of social housing to
meet local needs and assessment process to streamline access through the One Social
Housing System.
194. Increase the economic participation and social engagement of people at risk of
experiencing homelessness
This priority has a focus on employment and training opportunities for people who are homeless
or at risk of homelessness, including the potential to generate new employment opportunities
through collaboration.
5. Improve the responses to victims of domestic violence at risk or experiencing
homelessness
This priority arises out of recognition that it is not only homelessness domestic violence services
that are engaged with women escaping domestic violence and accompanying children. The
priority looks at how to best effect a best practice response across the homelessness sector.
6. Ensure people experiencing homelessness have clear and effective case planning
and coordination to meet their diverse needs
This priority reflects the strong emphasis on service coordination/integration identified by
community stakeholders.
7. Ensure all services for homeless people meet an acceptable level of quality and are
consistent with best practice and new service models
This priority complements priority one by ensuring that participating agencies are enabled to
implement service coordination. The priority also focuses on best practice responses to families
and ensuring access to the service system and on the need to broaden opportunities for
investment in homelessness service delivery.
8. Use of data to better understand the need and align services
This priority has emerged from an identified need to establish clear data to support coordinated
service responses. Such data will better equip services to understand the client ‘churn’ through
crisis services in the inner city and better establish real numbers of homeless people in the
outer north and south west areas so as to be able to intervene before individuals reach crisis
point.
206. Brisbane Homelessness Community Action Plan actions
The Brisbane Homelessness Community Action Plan has been produced through canvassing
the views of local stakeholders to see what they believe are the most important things to do in
the area to reduce homelessness. A vital ingredient has been agreeing on the best things we
can do together to achieve this result (refer to the ‘what we will do’ section of table four).
Through our consultation process in the area we have also agreed on which organisations are
best placed to lead and support the activity that will underpin ‘what we will do’ and to measure
our progress in achieving better outcomes for clients and the reduction of homelessness we
have developed targets to aim for over the next few years. This information is in table four.
The Brisbane Homelessness Community Action Plan is based on a firm foundation. Strategic
direction at the national level has been provided by the Australian Government’s White Paper,
The Road Home and since mid-2011 by the Queensland Government’s strategy to reduce
homelessness – Opening Doors. Table four relates the local actions generated in the area to
the bigger picture objectives of the Queensland and Australian Governments to reduce
homelessness. These three objectives, or key strategic priority areas, as expressed in Opening
Doors are:
1. Helping people avoid becoming homeless — by improving housing outcomes for people
exiting health facilities, child safety arrangements, prisons, and youth detention facilities.
2. Helping people get ahead — by ensuring people who are homeless or at risk of
homelessness have access to safe, affordable, well-located and appropriate housing
together with support and increased opportunities to get ahead through participation in
education, training and employment.
3. Working together for stronger services — by better coordinating and integrating policies,
programs and services, using and sharing data and improving local case coordination.
21Table 4: Brisbane Homelessness Community Action Plan – actions and targets
Please note: lead and partner agencies will be reviewed on an annual basis commencing in late 2012
Opening Doors Key Priority Area 1: Helping people avoid becoming homeless
Local Priority 1: Reduce exits into homelessness
What we will do Lead Agency Partner Agencies Targets
Action 1 Department of 139 Club By December 2013 we will have:
Community Safety
Increase the capacity for reintegration of (Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Completed and implemented best practice protocols.
people exiting prison into the community Corrective Services) Islander Legal Service
in the inner city, south west and outer By December 2020 we will have:
north areas, complementing the existing Local Level BRIC Housing
Queensland Corrective Services Implementation Investigated and made recommendations regarding
programs. Groups Brisbane Homelessness options for ’lower priority groups’ e.g. people on short-
Service Centre (Micah term sentences and people released from remand.
Projects)
Centacare Brisbane
Court Network
Inala Family
Accommodation and
Support Service
Mission Australia
Ozcare
Queensland Health (Prison
Mental Health Service)
Salvation Army
Under 1 Roof
22Action 2 Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait By December 2013 we will have:
Communities Islander Legal Service
Reintegrate young people being released (Child Safety Put in place best practice protocols and commenced
from detention and exiting state care into Services; Youth Create Foundation implementing ways to better reintegrate young people
the community in the inner city, south Justice Services) being released from detention and exiting state care
west and outer north areas. Inala Youth Service into the community.
Kyabra Community By December 2020 we will have:
Association
Made recommendations to replicate an appropriate
North West Youth model, such as the Youth Housing And Reintegration
Accommodation Service Service, in the inner city and outer north.
Peakcare
Youth Emergency Services
Action 3 Queensland Health 139 Club By December 2013 we will have:
Build referral processes for people who HART 4000 Implemented referral processes and reported on the
are homeless presenting at Queensland positive engagement of key stakeholders, including
Health services in the inner city, south Footprints in Brisbane service providers and consumers, with Queensland
west and outer north areas. Health.
Homeless to Home
Healthcare Network (Micah By December 2020 we will have:
Projects)
Reviewed, made recommendations and implemented
Mission Australia the recommendations on referral processes.
Ozcare
Salvation Army
Under 1 Roof
23Action 4 Department of 139 Club By December 2013 we will have:
Justice and the
Engage with the Department of Justice Attorney-General Brisbane Homelessness Established and implemented best practice protocols.
and the Attorney-General through the Service Centre (Micah
Magistrates Courts to prevent exits into Projects) By December 2020 we will have:
homelessness from the court system in
the inner city, south west and outer Centacare Brisbane Reviewed, made recommendations and implemented
north areas. the recommendations on referral processes.
Court Network
Footprints in Brisbane
HART4000
Salvation Army
Under 1 Roof
Local Priority 2: Help people establish and maintain tenancies
Action 5 Australian Red Cross 139 Club By December 2013 we will have:
Develop and implement an early Kyabra Community Brisbane Homelessness Reviewed existing tools and processes as well as
intervention strategy to ensure that people Association Service Centre (Micah brokerage capacity.
do not enter homelessness in the inner Projects)
city, south west and outer north areas. Micah Projects By December 2020 we will have:
Centacare Brisbane
Developed and implemented an early intervention
Communify strategy.
HART 4000
Near North Housing
Service
Queensland Shelter
RESOLVE
Under 1 Roof
Action 6 Tenants’ Union of 139 Club By December 2013 we will have:
Queensland
24Work with private boarding house Aboriginal Hostels Limited Engaged key stakeholders and planned and delivered
providers, key support agencies and the a community awareness strategy in relation to best
Residential Tenancy Authority to avoid BRIC Housing practice in tenancy agreements for boarding house
preventable evictions from residents.
boarding/rooming houses in the inner Brisbane Homelessness
city, south west and outer north areas. Service Centre (Micah By December 2014 we will have:
Projects)
Developed and implemented a report with
Centacare Brisbane recommendations.
Footprints in Brisbane By December 2020 we will have:
New Farm Neighbourhood Reviewed the strategy to prevent evictions.
Centre
Queensland Police Service
Queensland Shelter
Residential Tenancies
Authority
Salvation Army
Supported Accommodation
Providers Association
Under 1 Roof
Action 7 Footprints in 139 Club By December 2013 we will have:
Brisbane
Enhance support to residents of Level 2 Centracare Brisbane Documented recommendations and developed an
and 3 boarding and rooming houses in the Resident Support implementation plan.
inner city, south west and outer north Program (Micah Communify
areas. Projects) By December 2020 we will have:
Department of
Communities (Disability Implemented the recommendations.
Services)
Department of Justice and
the Attorney-General
25(Office of the Adult
Guardian)
Supported Accommodation
Providers Association
Action 8 Centacare Brisbane Australian Red Cross By December 2013 we will have:
Develop collaborative, holistic and Communify Aged Care Queensland Developed an action plan.
sustainable responses to the issues of
severe domestic squalor and/or Brisbane City Council By December 2020 we will have:
compulsive hoarding that reduce the risk
of housing insecurity and homelessness Department of Implemented and reviewed an action plan.
in the inner city, south west and outer Communities (Housing and
north areas. Homelessness Services)
Footprints in Brisbane
Homefront (Micah Projects)
Mission Australia
Near North Housing
Services
Queensland Health
26Opening Doors Key Priority Area 2: Helping people get ahead
Local Priority 3: Provide access to accommodation and support to people who are homeless
What we will do Lead Agency Partner Agencies Targets
Action 9 Department of 139 Club By December 2013 we will have:
Communities
Investigate diverse supportive housing (Housing and Local Level Implementation Implemented Common Ground.
models for people who are chronically Homelessness Groups
homeless in the inner city. Services)
Mission Australia By December 2020 we will have:
Micah Projects
New Farm Neighbourhood Reviewed Common Ground.
Centre
Reported on alternative supportive housing models.
Under 1 Roof
Action 10 Footprints in 139 Club By December 2014 we will have:
Brisbane
People with high and complex health 4Walls 15 families/ individuals assisted have sustained their
needs are supported to maintain Queensland Health tenancies.
tenancies in the inner city, south west Centacare Brisbane
and outer north areas.
Mission Australia By December 2020 we will have:
Near North Housing An additional 15 families/individuals sustaining their
Services tenancies.
Ozcare
Salvation Army
Street to Home (Micah
Projects)
Under 1 Roof
27Action 11 Department of 4Walls By December 2013 we will have:
Communities
Department of Communities (Housing and (Housing and BRIC Housing Reviewed housing policy regarding design, planning
Homelessness Services) to include the Homelessness and engagement with the housing and homelessness
local service providers in the planning and Services) Brisbane Housing sector.
design of housing to meet the needs of Company
different population groups in the inner
city, south west and outer north areas. HART 4000 By December 2020 we will have:
Jacaranda Housing Documented and reported gaps in housing provision to
Department of Communities (Housing and
Local Level Implementation Homelessness Services).
Groups
Action 12 Department of 4Walls By December 2013 we will have:
Communities
Streamline registering and assessment of (Housing and BRIC Housing Mapped existing assessment processes and
clients on the One Social Housing System Homelessness implemented an awareness strategy.
in the inner city, south west and outer Services) Centacare Brisbane
north areas. By December 2020 we will have:
Inala Family
Accommodation and Documented and negotiated a process for
Support Service implementation of a streamlined assessment process
with Department of Communities (Housing and
Jacaranda Housing Homelessness Services).
Local Level Implementation
Groups
Micah Projects
Near North Housing
Services
Queensland Shelter
Street to Home (Micah
Projects)
Under 1 Roof
28Action 13 Department of 4Walls By December 2013 we will have:
Communities
Investigate the potential for transfer of (Housing and BRIC Housing Documented community organisations that could take
public housing stock to community Homelessness on management of potential transferred properties.
management in the inner city, south Services) Brisbane Housing
west and outer north areas. Company By December 2020 we will have:
Inala Family Documented and developed an implementation plan
Accommodation and for a potential process for transfer of stock.
Support Service
Jacaranda Housing
Local Level Implementation
Groups
Salvation Army
Local Priority 4: Increase the economic participation and social engagement of people at risk of or experiencing homelessness
Action 14 Department of 139 Club By December 2012 we will have:
Education,
Work with key employment and training Employment and Max Employment Documented service provider networks and providers.
stakeholders and the business sector to Workforce Relations
increase employment and training Mission Australia By December 2013 we will have:
opportunities in the inner city, south Department of
west and outer north areas. Employment, Relevant employment and Established a local working and documented referral
Economic training service providers, pathways and barriers to participation.
Development and including Participate in
Innovation Prosperity By December 2020 we will have:
Salvation Army Documented and developed an implementation plan
exploring alternative opportunities for economic
Sarina Russo participation.
Local Priority 5: Improve responses to victims of domestic violence at risk or experiencing homelessness
Action 15 Brisbane Domestic 139 Club By December 2012 we will have:
Violence Advocacy
Better integrate the regional domestic Service Micah Projects Mapped existing networks.
violence service with regional family
homelessness services and the general Ozcare By December 2013 we will have:
community to improve service delivery
29and capacity for early intervention in the Peakcare Documented and developed an implementation plan
inner city, south west and outer north and strategies to strengthen local level approaches to
areas. Salvation Army domestic violence.
By December 2020 we will have:
Implemented and reviewed strategies.
Action 16 Department of Brisbane Homelessness By December 2013 we will have:
Communities Service Centre and
Broaden the application of the trial of the (Pathways Project) Families Team (Micah Implemented a risk assessment tool reviewed and
risk assessment tool for Homelessness Projects) implementation plan to include broader stakeholders ie
Domestic Violence services to specialist specialist homelessness services whose client group
homelessness services whose target Combined Women’s includes women escaping domestic violence and
areas include domestic violence and Refuge Group accompanying children.
accompanying children in the inner city,
south west and outer north areas. Peakcare
By December 2020 we will have:
Implemented a risk assessment tool with broader
stakeholder group.
30Opening Doors Key Priority Area 3: Working Together for Stronger Services
Local Priority 6: Ensure people experiencing homelessness have clear and effective case planning and coordination to meet their
diverse needs
What we will do Lead Agency Partner Agencies Targets
Action 17 Australian Red Cross Local Level Implementation By December 2013 we will have:
Groups
Implement a service coordination Inala Family Assisted ten families with high and complex needs who
approach in the south west and outer Accommodation and are homeless or at risk of homelessness to have met
north areas. Support Service case plan actions through case coordination.
Kyabra Community
Association By December 2020 we will have:
Department of Assisted a minimum of an additional ten
Communities families/individuals.
(Community
Services, Sport and
Recreation)
Families Team
(Micah Projects)
Queensland Council
of Social Service
Youth Emergency
Services
Action 18 Department of Local Level Implementation By December 2014 we will have:
Communities Groups
Implement a service coordination (Community Actively engaged key stakeholder agencies in case
approach in the inner city that builds on Services, Sport and Local Case Coordination coordination.
and consolidates existing case Recreation) Groups
coordination approaches such as Project
50 and Under 1 Roof, and links with the Queensland Council
Brisbane Service Integration. of Social Service
Demonstration Project.
Action 19 Queensland Youth Brisbane Youth Service By December 2013 we will have:
31Housing Coalition
Investigate and implement an integrated Inala Youth Service Documented and implemented best practice principles.
approach to young people who are
homeless or at risk of homelessness in Salvation Army
the inner city, south west and outer By December 2020 we will have:
north areas. Youth Emergency Services
The practice framework will be implemented.
Youth Housing Projects
Action 20 Local Level 4Walls By December 2013 we will have:
Implementation
Identify opportunities to promote and Groups Centacare Brisbane Ensured that relevant agencies will have participated in
provide skills development particularly in training and report positively of their experience.
relation to service coordination in the Workforce Council Communify
inner city, south west and outer north
areas. Department of By December 2020 we will have:
Communities (Community
Capacity and Service Documented and developed and implemented a
Quality) training and skills development plan.
Kyabra Community
Association
Micah Projects
Queensland Council of
Social Service
Under 1 Roof
Youth Emergency Services
32Local Priority 7: Ensure all services for homeless people meet an acceptable level of quality and are consistent with best practice
and new service models
Action 21 Inala Family 139 Club By December 2013 we will have:
Accommodation and
Improve service system responses to Support Service BRIC Housing Piloted a family prevention and early intervention
families who are homeless or at risk of strategy
homelessness in the inner city, south Micah Projects, Centacare Brisbane
west and outer north areas. Families Team
Communify By December 2020 we will have:
Department of Reported that participating agencies have an
Communities (Housing and increased capacity to respond to needs of families.
Homelessness Services)
HART 4000
Mission Australia
North West Youth
Accommodation Service
Peakcare
Queensland Health
Under 1 Roof
Action 22 Department of 139 Club By December 2020 we will have:
Communities
Investigate and improve access points to (Community Brisbane Homelessness Implemented and promoted a local model to improve
the homelessness service system in Capacity and Service Service Centre (Micah access to all local agencies.
Brisbane including the inner city, south Quality) Projects)
west and outer north areas.
Brisbane North Housing
Solutions Network
Centacare Brisbane
Communify
HART 4000
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