Household Organisation Management Expenses (HOME) Advice Program 

The Household Organisational Management Expenses (HOME) Advice Program assists families who face difficulty in maintaining tenancies or home ownership due to personal or financial circumstances. The program's early intervention approach prevents families from using crisis accommodation services. The Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) delivers the HOME Advice Program through a partnership with Centrelink and community agencies in eight locations throughout Australia - one in each state and territory. Each site delivers the service to families within the relevant Centrelink Customer Service Centre area boundary.

In 2008-09, HOME Advice supported 616 families.  Of this number, support was provided to 307 client families* and 309 casual client families**.  HOME Advice data collected for the 2008-09 period revealed that:

• Over 79 per cent of client families reported an improvement in their situation as a result of HOME Advice support;
• Almost 31 per cent of client families were headed by sole parents and of those, nearly 90 per cent were female headed households.  For casual client families, 55 per cent were sole parent families;
• Close to 24 per cent of client families assisted were Indigenous families, with slightly over 9 per cent for casual client families;
• Culturally and Linguistically Diverse clients made up 17 per cent of client families assisted; and
• Referral sources for client families were: 14 per cent of families from State Housing Authorities; 23 per cent from Centrelink; 37.3 per cent from self-referral and nearly 26 per cent from other sources.

* Client families – full eligibility for support
** Casual client families – referred to appropriate support agency and supported for less than 30 days

Reports

• The HOME Advice Evaluation Report 2007
• Family Homelessness Prevention Pilot - February 2005