Research and Reports

The Salvation Army - Social Justice Stocktake

The Salvation Army - Social Justice Stocktake

In late 2021, The Salvation Army did a nationwide Social Justice Stocktake to get to the heart of what people were seeing in their local communities. From there, they built a map of social justice priorities across Australia.    

 

 

read more

Convention on the Rights of the Child: The children's version

https://www.unicef.org/media/60981/file/convention-rights-child-text-child-friendly-version.pdf

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is an important agreement by countries who have promised to protect children’s rights. The Convention explains who children are, all their rights, and the responsibilities of governments. All the rights are connected, they are all equally important and they cannot be taken away from children. 

read more

Children’s Emotional Development Is Built into the Architecture of Their Brains

https://www.ehn.org.au/uploads/244/500/Childrens-Emotional-Development-Is-Built-into-the-Architecture-of-Their-Brains.pdf

Children’s Emotional Development Is Built into the Architecture of Their Brains is an article written by National Scientific Council on the developing child. 

A growing body of scientific evidence tells us that emotional development begins early in life, that it is a critical aspect of the development of overall brain architecture, and that it has enormous consequences over the course of a lifetime. These findings have far-reaching implications for policymakers and parents, and, therefore, demand our attention.

read more

The economic case for early intervention in the child protection and out-of-home care system in Victoria


Commissioned by Berry Street, this report from Social Ventures Australia presents the economic case for targeted early interventions to prevent children entering out-of-home care in Victoria. A cost-benefit analysis of five evidence-based programs shows that $150 million of investment in these programs per year over ten years would deliver cumulative net savings of $1.6 billion.


 

read more

Mental Health Services in Australia - web report

https://www.ehn.org.au/uploads/244/489/aihw-hse-228-in-brief.pdf

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare have brought the new Mental Health Services in Australia 2019 report. Mental health services in Australia describes the activity and characteristics of Australia’s health care and social care services accessed by people with a mental illness.

read more

Out of the shadows - Domestic and family violence: a leading cause of homelessness in Australia

https://www.ehn.org.au/uploads/244/488/Out-of-the-shadows-Snapshot-1.pdf

Published by Mission Australia, this paper identifies domestic and family violence as a key driver of homelessness in Australia, particularly for women and children. The paper discusses the importance of domestic and family violence prevention in order to prevent homelessness, requiring a cultural and systemic shift in individual and community attitudes regarding gender and violence.

read more

People in short-term or emergency accommodation: a profile of Specialist Homelessness Services clients

Short-term or emergency accommodation is a service provided for the homeless, and those at risk of homelessness. This report explores the circumstances, experiences and housing outcomes of clients in short-term or emergency accommodation who sought assistance from specialist homelessness services between 1 July 2011 and 30 June 2015.

Based on service use patterns across a 4-year period, this comprehensive analysis highlights the diversity and the complexities of the short-term or emergency accommodation population.

read more

Theme: Homelessness

A DISORGANIZED TODDLER IN FOSTER CARE: Healing and Change From an Attachment Theory Perspective

This article focuses on the remarkable story of a deeply disorganized child, Rachel, and her experience in foster care with Janet and Paul Mann, founders of the Children’s Ark.

read more

AHURI - Housing outcomes after domestic and family violence

AHURI - Housing outcomes after domestic and family violence

Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) 

This research examined the impact of housing and other support services on safety and wellbeing for families experiencing domestic and family violence. It reviewed the legislative framework, strategies, governance arrangements and major initiatives in each state and territory, together with interviews with key stakeholders and users to better understand integration of support services.

read more

Couch Surfers - A profile of SHS clients

https://www.ehn.org.au/uploads/244/405/aihw-hou-298.pdf

Couch surfers are among the most hidden groups of people experiencing homelessness. This report explores the circumstances, experiences and housing outcomes of couch surfers who sought assistance from specialist homelessness services between 1 July 2011 and 30 June 2015. Based on service use patterns across a 4–year period, this comprehensive analysis highlights the diversity and the complexities of the couch surfer population. 

read more

Changing the story on child poverty

https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/what-we-do/resources-and-publications/fair-shares-and-families-report

6 DECEMBER 2018
APPS Policy Forum

 

Evidence has shown for a long time that the best way out of poverty is to increase incomes and access to resources. So why hasn’t policy responded? Gill Main writes about a ground-breaking study from the UK that aims to help policymakers hear the real story.

read more

Social housing as infrastructure: an investment pathway

https://www.ehn.org.au/uploads/244/401/AHURI-Final-Report-306-Social-housing-as-infrastructure-an-investment-pathway.pdf

A new research report from AHURI points to a shortfall of 727,300 social housing properties across Australia by 2038, including 166,000 new properties across Victoria.

read more

Theme: Homelessness

Rental Affordability Index

https://www.ehn.org.au/uploads/244/400/RAI_Nov_2018_-_high_quality.pdf

National Shelter, Community Sector Banking, Brotherhood St Laurence and SGS have released the Rental Affordability Index (RAI) on a biannual basis since 2015. A price index for rental housing markets, the RAI is an easy to understand indicator of rental affordability relative to household incomes. It is applied to geographic areas across Australia.

read more

Theme: Homelessness

Every Suburb, Every Town - Poverty Report

https://www.ehn.org.au/uploads/244/397/Every-suburb-Every-town-Poverty-in-Victoria-VCOSS.pdf

'Every Suburb, Every Town' -- a significant report into poverty  by VCOSS .  They commissioned NATSEM to crunch the local numbers on poverty both by suburb and demographic (gender, age, housing status, employment, disability, Aboriginal and family status), using census and SIH data.

read more

The specialist homelessness services 2017-18 web report

https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/7adcd21f-6d1a-4ea5-8182-37d4343555ff/aihw-shs-2017-18-vic.pdf.aspx

The specialist homelessness services 2017-18 web report is the seventh annual report from the Specialist Homelessness Services Collection (SHSC).

 

read more

The Relationship Between Substance Misuse, Mental Health and Homelessness

The following article appeared in the August 2018 edition of CHP Parity:  Issues of Substance: Substance Dependency and Homelessness. It was written by Nigel Pernu, a member of CHP’s Peer Education and Support Team.

read more

Sleeping rough: a profile of Specialist Homelessness Services clients

An AIHW report

Rough sleepers are the most visible population experiencing homelessness. This report explores the circumstances, experiences and housing outcomes of rough sleepers who sought assistance from specialist homelessness services between 1 July 2011 and 30 June 2015.

Based on service use patterns across a 4-year period, this comprehensive analysis highlights the diversity and the complexities of the rough sleeper population.

read more

AHURI - Navigating a changing private rental sector: opportunities and challenges for low-income renters

A new AHURI report examines the challenges and opportunities for low-income renters as they attempt to navigate a changing private rental sector (PRS)

read more

Theme: Homelessness

Housing Affordability – re-imagining the Australian Dream

http://www.ehn.org.au/uploads/244/271/901-Housing-affordability.pdf

Excert from CHIA - March ebulletin

The Grattan Institute’s recently released research, Housing Affordability – re-imagining the Australian Dream, is the next in a series of compelling reports urging Commonwealth and State Governments to move past their policy malaise and take decisive action to improve housing affordability and guide the development of our cities.

read more

Theme: Homelessness

Homelessness is jeopardising the futures of Victorian kids

Homelessness is jeopardising the futures of Victorian kids

New data from the AIHW shows that last financial year, 10,985 primary and secondary school students sought help from homelessness services (accompanied and unaccompanied); an 11% increase on the previous year. 

read more

Couch Surfing Limbo: Young people falling between the gaps

The Couch Surfing Limbo report looks into the experiences of young people who are couch surfing, and the experiences of couch providers, identifying legal, policy and service gaps, and ways forward. It highlights several challenges and makes several recommendations.

read more

Specialist Homelessness Service infographics

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) 

Individual state and territory level infographics summarise information on specialist homelessness services delivered in 2016–17.

read more

Theme: Homelessness

Brain-to-Brain, Body-to-Body

Brain-to-Brain, Body-to-Body: A Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Perspective on the Treatment of Children and Adolescents

read more

Children who bully at school

Australian Institute of Family Studies, Child Family Community Australia have conducted a study into Childen who Bully at school. 

read more

A New Diagnosis for Childhood Trauma?

The American Psychological Society has written a paper about the development of a new diagnosis for childhood trauma

read more

The Empty Lunchbox - The experience of primary schools with students who are homeless

A report by Hanover.

This exploratory study is the first time that the point of view of primary schools and their day-to-day experiences of dealing with student homelessness have been investigated. The findings make an important contribution to the broader evidence base on the detrimental impact of homelessness on children’s education. 

read more

Marrung Aboriginal Education Plan 2016–2026

The Victorian Government, through the Department of Education and Training, has worked with the Victorian Koorie community to develop Marrung. 

 

read more

Our safety counts: children and young people’s perceptions of safety and institutional responses to their safety concerns

Over the past three years, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has explored the extent to which children and young people have been exposed to child sexual abuse, and considered some of the reasons why institutions have failed to actively prevent child sexual abuse and appropriately respond when children and young people have been harmed. 

read more

Mission Australia-Child and Youth Homelessness Report

According to the 2011 Census, some 44,000 children and young people in Australia are homeless. The reality is worse; many others are ‘hidden homeless’ who are not counted in the official statistics. 

read more

AHURI - Ready for Growth - Inquiry into Australia’s affordable housing industry capacity

Australian governments have looked to AHURI to investigate what would support an affordable housing industry to:

read more

Royal Commission into Family Violence - Final Report

Full Report of the Royal Commission into Family Violence, handed down 30th April 2016.

read more

Change the Story - A national framework for the primary prevention of violence against women and their children in Australia

A shared national framework for the primary prevention of violence against women and their children in Australia. Developed by Our Watch, VicHealth and ANROWS - on Tuesday 10th November.

read more

Aboriginal Services and Practice Framework

The Department for Child Protection and Family Support (the Department) is committed to improve outcomes for Aboriginal children, families and communities that come into contact with the child protection system. The Aboriginal Service and Practice Framework 2016-2018 (the Framework) has been designed to support and sustain this commitment.

read more

Understanding the National Affordable Housing Agreement

What are the stated objectives of the NAHA and the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness (NPAH)?

read more

Creating Child Safe Institutions

As part of its Terms of Reference the Royal Commission is required to inquire into what institutions and governments should do to better protect children against child sexual abuse and related matters in institutional contexts in the future. A key aspect of this task has been to examine what makes institutions ‘child safe.’

read more

Housing Assistance in Australia 2017

Housing assistance in Australia 2017 provides up-to-date information relating to government funded provision of social housing, rent assistance, purchase assistance and support services to help households maintain their tenancies.


 
read more

AIHW Report: Exploring drug treatment and homelessness in Australia: 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2014

There is much research to suggest a considerable overlap between people experiencing precarious housing, and drug and alcohol misuse. Linking client data from specialist homelessness services and alcohol and other drug treatment services, this report provides a picture of the intersection of these two issues on a national scale. 

read more

New AHURI report into competition and consumer choice in housing assistance

Increasing supply of affordable housing critical to enabling competition and consumer choice in housing assistance

read more

The economic benefits of providing public housing and support to formerly homeless people

AHURI's latest research and policy bulletin, 'The economic benefits of providing public housing and support to formerly homeless people', explores the benefits of providing social housing and support

read more

AHURI report - Effectiveness of the homelessness services system

The AHURI report, ‘Effectiveness of the homelessness services system’ written for the Housing Ministers meeting in November has been released

read more

AHURI - What is a bond aggregator and how does it help build affordable housing?

Australian Housing Urban Reasearch Institute (AHURI) research informs Treasurers’ affordable housing plan

In recent news, Treasurer Scott Morrison has visited London to confer with British officials on the UK experience implementing a bond aggregator model to fund affordable housing.

read more

Transferring public housing to build more homes

New AHURI research explores the benefits of long term leases for not-for-profit housing providers

read more

National survey of renters reveals appalling state of private rental market

Exert from Council to homeless Persons newsletter - 23 Feb 2017

The first national survey of tenants has revealed renters in Australia have little security, are living in poor quality homes, experience discrimination based on their income, age, parental status and are fearful of reprisal if they request repairs and maintenance.

read more

The funding and delivery of programs to reduce homelessness

This report investigates how services supporting those experiencing homelessness are funded, and how different forms and levels of funding, together with diverse funding sources, impact on the delivery of homelessness assistance. 

read more