Homelessness research

This document is the full evaluation report of the Inner City Drift Project, prepared by Elizabeth Conroy, Julie Zezovska, Dewi Shah and Madeline Kynaston from the Centre for Health Research, University of Western Sydney, and Tim Marchant and Sean Lappin. In 2010, the NSW Government funded Mission Australia to implement the Project to better understand whether early intervention and client-centred approaches in Greater Western Sydney can reduce the movement of homeless people into inner city Sydney.

This report provides findings on a research study undertaken in relation to the MISHA project over its first three years of operation. The research study was led by Paul Flatau from the University of Western Australia and included Kaylene Zaretzky of the University of Western Australia, Elizabeth Conroy, Marina Athanassios and Marlee Bower of the University of Western Sydney, and Lucy Burns and Tony Eardley of the University of New South Wales.

The MISHA project provided housing support and wrap around services to a group of 74 men who, prior to entering the project, were chronically homeless. The project was provided by Mission Australia and was made possible by philanthropic funding. This study examines housing outcomes, and the costs and benefits associated with achieving these outcomes.

Preliminary results from these 12 month findings have also shown that 97% cent of the men were able to maintain tenancies over a twelve month period, effectively breaking the cycle of homelessness for nearly all of them.

This publication draws on the The Michael Project Research Study Final Report, produced by a research team led by Chief Investigator Professor Paul Flatau, Centre for Social Impact, University of Western Australia and staff at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre and Mission Australia.