Briefs

Traditionally Australian judicial systems have ‘solved’ domestic and family violence situations by removing the women and children from their home. However, such actions can disrupt children’s schooling and friendship groups and lead to women and children’s homelessness.

Domestic and family violence (DFV) is a main reason women and children leave their home. In 2020–21, 116,200 people (42% of all SHS clients) who presented as clients to a Specialist Homelessness Service (SHS) reported that they were escaping DFV.

With energy costs for home heating and cooling likely to be high for some time, particularly across Australia’s eastern states and territories, improving the thermal characteristics of residential properties (especially rental properties) is of real concern.

This Brief quantifies some of the financial savings governments may make in health, justice and welfare costs when they fund support for people who are experiencing homelessness. It also highlights a range of better life outcomes vulnerable people may achieve through the use of homelessness support services.

A significant proportion of young people who experience homelessness have previously been in the state care and protection system. This Brief explores what the financial cost could be to government if a Rent Subsidy Scheme was introduced, aimed at preventing young people leaving state care from becoming homeless. Through the proposed Scheme, all young people leaving state care would pay no more than 25 per cent of their income for housing up to the age of 25.