Guides: Community Services: Homelessness

eBooks & Books in the Library

Housing the homeless (2022) "Every night 116,000 Australians are homeless, lacking safe, secure or affordable housing. This includes rough sleepers, people staying in temporary accommodation, and those sharing with others in severely crowded dwellings. Homelessness has profound effects on various social groups including struggling families, young people, women escaping domestic violence, older women, Indigenous Australians and people with substance abuse and mental health problems. Australia's homeless problem is growing, in spite of 300,000 Australians already receiving help from specialist homelessness services each year. Most rough sleepers were temporarily housed by governments during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic but are now back on the streets fending for themselves. What can governments do to permanently deal with the homeless epidemic? How could more emergency housing, supported accommodation, private rental housing, and long-term affordable and social housing better meet demand for essential shelter? There is a concerning property boom in Australia, what about the overlooked plight of the homeless?" -- publisher website.
Homeless People (2013) On any given night, 105,000 Australians are homeless and without safe, secure or affordable housing. Every day, more than half the people who request immediate accommodation from homelessness services are turned away. Homelessness has profound effects on various groups in society including families, young people, women escaping domestic violence, indigenous Australians, and people with substance abuse and mental health problems. Homelessness results in social and economic costs to individuals, families, communities and the nation.
Youth Work & Youth Issues (2010) Looks at: youth participation, youth partnerships and the participation of marginalised young people; youth researching youth, health and wellbeing, young deaf people, suicide prevention, primary health care; mental health, services for homeless young people, and services for people with complex needs; sex and sexuality, including sexuality education, sexual health, masculinity, HIV/AIDS, sexual coercion, same sex attracted people; homelessness and accommodation; and alcohol and drugs.
The Housing Crisis (2009) This book explores key issues shaping the current and future state of housing in Australia, including mortgage stress, housing costs, rent affordability, housing assistance and supported accommodation, and the rise in homelessness.
Critical Multicultural Practice in Social Work (2019) Chapter 12 - Nationless, homeless and seeking asylum: considerations for social workers

YouTube Videos

Knot at Home Series

Knot At Home: Stories of Survival (Episode 1) Knot At Home is the result of a series of community projects run by Big Hart, a non-profit organisation. From 1998 to 2004 over 500 young people were asked to tell stories about when they felt "not at home". The projects were designed to give people who often go unheard a chance to tell their stories.
Knot at Home: Stories of Security (Episode 2) Knot At Home is the result of a series of community projects run by Big Hart, a non-profit organisation. From 1998 to 2004 over 500 young people were asked to tell stories about when they felt 'not at home'. The projects were designed to give people who often go unheard a chance to tell their stories. In this episode, seven young people tell their own story in their own way about how they survived living in domestic situations without a feeling of security.
Knot At Home: Stories Of Love (Episode 3) This program is the result of a series of community projects run by Big Hart, a non-profit organisation. From 1998 to 2004 over 500 young people were asked to tell stories about when they felt 'not at home'. The projects were designed to give people who often go unheard a chance to tell their stories. Stories of Love deals with the issues of parental love, drug use, gaol and grief.
Knot At Home: Stories Of Dreams (Episode 4) This program is the result of a series of community projects run by Big Hart, a non-profit organisation. From 1998 to 2004 over 500 young people were asked to tell stories about when they felt 'not at home'. The projects were designed to give people who often go unheard a chance to tell their stories. Stories of Dreams deals with issues of access to education and opportunity when you are black, a woman or a refugee.
Knot At Home: Stories Of My Family (Episode 5) This program is the result of a series of community projects run by Big Hart, a non-profit organisation. From 1998 to 2004 over 500 young people were asked to tell stories about when they felt 'not at home'. Stories of My Family deals with the issues of family bonds broken by violence.
Knot At Home: Stories Of Loyalty (Episode 6) This episode deals with the issues of bravery, friendship and family duty. Seven young people tell their own story in their own way about how they survived a time when they needed to make some very tough choices in the face of adversity.
Knot At Home: Stories Of Insight (Episode 7) Deals with issues related to taking responsibility for cc. Eight young people talk about how they realised they had taken a wrong turn in their lives and what they are now doing to rectify this.
Knot At Home: Stories About Telling My Story (Episode 8) Deals with the issue of disclosure of your personal story to an audience and looks deeper into the process of the Knot At Home project. Five young people tell their own story in their own way about how they got involved in the Knot At Home project and what it was like for them to have their personal stories heard.

Filthy Rich and Homeless Series

Filthy Rich and Homeless - Series 1

Filthy Rich and Homeless - S1 Ep1 Participants: Tim Guest, Kayla Fenech, Jellaine Dee, Stu Laundy, and Christian Wilkins are guided by host Indira Naidoo and homelessness expert Dr Catherine Robinson.
Filthy Rich and Homeless - S1 Ep 2 Five wealthy volunteers have faced some of the realities of homelessness in Australia after spending two days and nights sleeping rough on the streets of Melbourne. In the next stage of the social experiment, host Indira Naidoo and expert Dr Catherine Robinson reveal the participants are returning to the street, but this time paired with a buddy: a rough sleeper who calls the city streets home. Will personal connections with the rough sleepers see the volunteers' perspectives begin to change?
Filthy Rich and Homeless - S1 Ep 3 Five wealthy volunteers now reach the end of the social experiment, where the final stage sees the group discover what it's like to live in Australia's crisis accommodation.

Filthy Rich and Homeless - Series 2

Filthy Rich and Homeless - S2 Ep 1 Five high-profile Australians with the potential to effect real change will swap their privileged lives to discover what life is like for the nation's homeless in the country's most expensive city: Sydney. Stars actor and broadcaster Cameron Daddo, charity fundraiser and Sydney socialite Skye Leckie, author and journalist Benjamin Law, politician and activist Alex Greenwich, and singer and Instagram star Alli Simpson.
Filthy Rich and Homeless - S2 Ep 2 Five high-profile Australians with the potential to effect real change will swap their privileged lives to discover what life is like for the nation's homeless in the country's most expensive city: Sydney.
Filthy Rich and Homeless - S2 Ep 3 Five high-profile Australians with the potential to effect real change will swap their privileged lives to discover what life is like for the nation's homeless in the country's most expensive city: Sydney.

Filthy Rich and Homeless - Series 3

Filthy Rich and Homeless - S3 Ep 1 Five high-profile Australians agree to swap their privileged lifestyles for 10 days of being homeless in NSW. They find out what it's like to go from having everything to having absolutely nothing. Living among Australia's homeless are emergency doctor and businessman Dr Andrew Rochford, Deputy Lord Mayor of Melbourne Arron Wood, restaurateur and entrepreneur Pauline Nguyen, comedian and radio presenter Ciaran Lyons, and actress and model Ellie Gonsalves.
Filthy Rich and Homeless - S3 Ep 2 Five high-profile Australians agree to swap their privileged lifestyles for 10 days of being homeless in NSW. They find out what it's like to go from having everything to having absolutely nothing. Living among Australia's homeless are emergency doctor and businessman Dr Andrew Rochford, Deputy Lord Mayor of Melbourne Arron Wood, restaurateur and entrepreneur Pauline Nguyen, comedian and radio presenter Ciaran Lyons, and actress and model Ellie Gonsalves.
Filthy Rich and Homeless - S3 Ep 3 Five high-profile Australians agree to swap their privileged lifestyles for 10 days of being homeless in NSW. They find out what it's like to go from having everything to having absolutely nothing. Living among Australia's homeless are emergency doctor and businessman Dr Andrew Rochford, Deputy Lord Mayor of Melbourne Arron Wood, restaurateur and entrepreneur Pauline Nguyen, comedian and radio presenter Ciaran Lyons, and actress and model Ellie Gonsalves.

Reports and Articles

The good fight 7.30 Report, 7 June 2024
In need of repair: The National Housing and Homelessness Agreement This report was released on 30 September 2022. It is a review of the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement. The report examines how well the Australian, State and Territory Governments have achieved the objectives, outcomes and outputs set out in the Agreement, and the suitability of the Agreement for the future.
National report card on youth homelessness

Websites

100 Families 100 Families WA is a collective action research project with a vision to address the issue of entrenched disadvantage or hardship, as experienced by families living in WA. The ten partner organisations involved are working towards a broad set of objectives to achieve a common goal of reducing entrenched disadvantage in WA. The project is unique as it is based on a deep collaboration between eight not-for-profit organisations from the community service sector and UWA.
Alternative housing models for precariously housed older Australians This report undertaken by researchers from University of South Australia, RMIT, Curtin University and Flinders University investigates the potential of alternative housing models to increase the supply of affordable housing for older Australians and the role alternative financing schemes could play in expanding those options.
Anglicare Anglicare WA is a leading not-for-profit organisation highly regarded by clients, funders and donors. We play an important part in building strong communities and families. We influence policy makers and ensure that institutions and systems are attuned to the needs of all people in our community. Our work is achieved in a spirit of reconciliation between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Western Australians.
Ask Izzy Ask Izzy is a website that connects people in need with housing, a meal, money help, family violence support, counselling and much more. It is free and anonymous, with over 370,000 services listed across Australia. And if you're on the Telstra or Vodafone mobile networks, you can access Ask Izzy on your phone even if you don't have credit or access to wifi.
Australian Drug Foundation Celebrating 50 years of service to the community, the Australian Drug Foundation is Australia’s leading body committed to preventing alcohol and other drug problems in communities around the nation.
Australian Drug Information Network The Australian Drug Information Network (ADIN) provides a central point of access to quality Internet-based alcohol and other drug information provided by prominent organisations in Australia and internationally.
Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute AHURI has a public good mission to deliver high quality research that influences policy development to improve the housing and urban environments of all Australians
Council to Homeless Persons (Vic) Council to Homeless Persons is the peak Victorian body representing organisations and individuals with a commitment to ending homelessness.
The Funding of Western Australian Homelessness Services The Funding of Western Australian Homelessness Services 2022 report commissioned by Shelter WA and undertaken by the Centre for Social Impact at the University of WA, is a comprehensive overview of the funding of homelessness services in WA. This report is based on findings from 73 homelessness services operating across WA and outcomes from focus groups comprising of homelessness service CEOs and managers.
Mission Australia - research resources eg Home and Away: Child and Youth Homelessness Report 2016
Red Cross WA Red Cross works with the most vulnerable people and communities in Australia and internationally.
Salvation Army WA
ShelterWA Shelter WA drives change by facilitating collaboration amongst those who have an impact on housing, while providing evidence-based policy, advice, engagement, representation and strong advocacy for an effective housing system.
Streetsmart Australia Homelessness impacts more men than women, and it impacts them differently. Domestic violence is the number one cause of homelessness for women, while men are more likely to experience chronic homelessness.
St Vincent de Paul Society