National Homelessness Strategy
The Australian Government provided $10 million over four years in the 2005-06 Budget to fund the National Homelessness Strategy (NHS). Since its inception in 1999, the NHS has provided leadership in developing approaches for the prevention and reduction of homelessness and broken new ground in integrated service delivery to people who are vulnerable to homelessness.
The NHS aims to:
- Provide a strategic framework that will improve collaboration and linkages between existing programmes and services, to improve outcomes for clients and reduce the incidence of homelessness;
- Identify best practice models, which can be promoted and replicated, that will enhance existing homelessness policies and programmes;
- Build the capacity of the community sector to improve linkages and networks; and
- Raise awareness of the issue of homelessness throughout all areas and levels of government and in the community.
The NHS will continue to help governments and services build new and innovative ways to help people who are vulnerable to homelessness through funding initiatives which meet the aims of the Strategy.
Funding
Two Streams of funding are available under the NHS:- Demonstration Project Funding - Demonstration Project funding provides opportunities to trial and evaluate new and innovative approaches that prevent, reduce or respond to homelessness. Please note Expressions of Interest for Demonstration Project funding are now closed.
- Communication Activity Funding - Communication Activity funding of up to $40,000 is available for small scale, one-off initiatives which share knowledge, raise awareness and/or promote best practice models/principles for preventing and/or responding to homelessness. Communication Activity funding applications may be made at any time during the life of the NHS, subject to funding availability. Please note Expressions of Interest for Communication Activity funding are now closed.
Funded Projects
Under the 2005-2007 round of NHS funding eight (8) Demonstration Projects and five (5) Communication Activities received funding.Under the 2007-2009 round of NHS funding seven (7) Demonstration Projects and six (6) Communication Activities received funding.
A list of funded projects is attached:
Demonstration Projects and Communication Activities funded under the NHS 2005-2009 - PDF [72kb] | RTF [114kb]
National Homelessness Strategy Initiatives
Demonstration Projects
Demonstration Project funding provides opportunities to trial and document new and innovative approaches that prevent, reduce or respond to homelessness. NHS Demonstration Projects:- develop integrated prevention and early intervention models to address homelessness;
- help to improve coordination, cross programme and service linkages; and
- promote approaches that address the wide range of interacting issues impacting on homelessness.