Issue Number 52 - November 2003

Family Homelessness

During 2003 the Social Action Office has been part of a group who have sponsored research into Family Homelessness in Queensland. The director, Annette Arnold, has been part of the Management Committee for this project. The UnitingCare Centre for Social Justice initiated the research which was carried out by Peter Walsh from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in conjunction with the QUT Centre of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies and other community organisations.

The title of this report, More Than Just a Roof, is designed to give evocative support to the report’s findings that measures beyond the mere provision of housing are required to address the needs of family groups facing a housing crisis. A clear message was conveyed by agencies who work in this field that they are wary of becoming accommodation-providers if they are not properly resourced to address the complex and multi-faceted needs of homeless families. So, in addition to improved access to housing and housing assistance, the report’s recommendations include:

• policies and practices which identify families ‘at risk’ of becoming homeless;
• improved and integrated service responses, including dedicated child care facilities and ‘Indigenous-friendly’ practices in services dealing with homeless families;
• better access by clients to complaints services;
• enhanced use of domestic violence protection orders to reduce the risk of family homelessness.

The report is addressed primarily to the Queensland State Government (especially Departments of Housing and Families, and Queensland Health), though it recognises that the effectiveness of State programs is contingent on Federal and local government support. Cooperation with State agencies and, in particular, the Minister for Families the Honorable Judy Spence MP, and the Minister for Housing the Honorable Robert Schwarten MP, during the preparation of the report gives us confidence that the State Government will give serious consideration to the Report’s recommendations. Click here to access the research report More Than Just a Roof (pdf file).

The Social Action Office will be establishing a Housing Circle early in 2004 to follow-up the recommendations of this report in order to educate and lobby on issues prior to both the 2004 State and Federal elections.