Overview
Mission Australia is an organisation dedicated to ending homelessness and ensuring that people and communities in need can thrive. We appreciate the Government’s frank account of the situation confronting NSW and the promising ambition shown to address it. However, we stress that it will take considerable investment and resources, genuine whole-of-government coordination with stakeholders and robust accountability to truly deliver on the Strategy vision. In our view, the Strategy and its associated documentation accurately identify the key issues, present the evidence of what works, and set out a compelling direction and outcomes to be achieved.
Given this, our response to the draft Strategy focuses on how implementation processes and the first action plan can support the achievement of the Strategy vision and its three outcomes by ensuring:
Wherever possible, homelessness is prevented from happening in the first place, making it rare
- People can get and keep a safe and affordable home
- People at risk of homelessness are identified early and linked with the right supports
- People know where to get information and support to prevent homelessness
When homelessness does occur, people are quickly connected to housing and the supports they need
- People's needs are quickly identified and they are referred to the right support
- People get safe crisis accommodation with appropriate support when they need it
- People are supported out of homelessness into longer-term housing with tailored support
When homelessness does occur, people do not experience multiple episodes of homelessness
- People with complex needs can access comprehensive, longer-term support so they do not experience repeat homelessness
- People have strong connections to their community that protect against repeat homelessness
- People have access to housing that meets their changing needs across their lifespan