Homelessness Indicators 003-06010090
Expand allFrequently Asked Questions on the Homelessness Indicator
| Item | Description |
| 1 | How does the Homelessness Indicator relate to the information recorded on the Circumstances Impacting Compliance screen? The Homelessness Indicator 'flag' is a service delivery tool that provides an alert to all Services Australia staff that a customer is homeless or at risk of homelessness. It also provides information about what intervention has been completed or is in progress. The Homelessness Indicator is designed to be used for all payment types. The Circumstances Impacting Compliance screen provides an overview of the circumstances a customer has that might indicate they have difficulty meeting their compulsory requirements and is only used for customers who have job seeking requirements. Where the customer has compulsory participation requirements and a Homelessness Indicator is recorded, information regarding the risk of, or ongoing or temporary homelessness will automatically display under the title of Accommodation Arrangements on the Circumstances Impacting Compliance screen. The circumstance will display as 'Automatically created - yet to assess impact' until a Service Officer is required to assess the impact of this circumstance on compliance. This does not need to be actioned at the time of recording the Homelessness Indicator. This information will be automatically updated when further changes are made to the Homelessness Indicator. |
| 2 | Can Employment Services Providers see when a Homelessness Indicator has been recorded on a customer record? The Homelessness Indicator is only available for agency staff to code and view. However, where the information recorded in the Homelessness Indicator transfers to the Circumstances Impacting Compliance screen, the provider will see this as a circumstance on their system. Some Employment Services Providers specialise in assisting those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Prior to referring a job seeker to a provider, it is important to ensure the job seeker is made aware of services that are available to them (including any relevant specialised providers), so that they can be referred to the most appropriate provider. |
| 3 | Does a Homelessness Indicator need to be assessed and coded for every customer? No. It is important not to make assumptions about a customer's accommodation status without clarifying this with the customer. Sometimes there will be obvious triggers that a customer is homeless and sometimes these will be more hidden, so if unsure, ask. In summary, only code a Homelessness Indicator where a customer is actually homeless or at risk of homelessness, not as a matter of routine. |
| 4 | If a customer is identified as homeless but they do not want any help from Services Australia, does a Homelessness Indicator still need to be coded? While some customer's may not want assistance from the agency, it is important to record a Homelessness Indicator for any customer who is identified as homeless, provided they give their consent. This contributes to enabling staff to provide a better service offer to customers who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. |
| 5 | Can a Homelessness Indicator be taken off a customer's record? Once a customer has found safe and secure accommodation and is no longer homeless, update the Homelessness Status with 'No longer homeless and not at risk for becoming homeless'. This is equivalent to removing the indicator from a record. |
| 6 | Does a Service Officer need a customer's consent before coding the Homelessness Indicator? Yes. The Privacy legislation means the customer must give consent for this information to be coded on their record. Check customers are aware of the importance of having an Indicator coded on their record. Like a Display on Access DOC, it is designed to alert and inform staff that a customer is vulnerable. This information is not shared with external agencies except with the consent of the customer. |
Categories of Indigenous Homelessness
Summary: This table provides descriptions of different categories of homelessness.
| Category | Description |
| Lack of access to stable shelter | This is having nowhere to stay or go and is regarded as the worst form of homelessness. It is also defined as being without conventional accommodation (living on the streets, in deserted buildings, railway carriages, under bridges). |
| Spiritual forms of homelessness | This is separation from traditional land or from family. It is also defined as lacking a sense of belonging to a place or a community, or lacking knowledge of one’s identity and role in the Indigenous community. |
| Over-crowding | This is a situation causing considerable stress to families and communities. Over-crowding is a form of homelessness that is regular in Indigenous communities because of their socially disadvantaged position. In some cases, over-crowding is preferred to living on the street. This is not a situation that many Indigenous people believe is acceptable or desirable. |
| Relocation and transient homelessness | This is moving between various forms of temporary shelter, including friends, relatives, youth refuges, night shelters, boarding houses, hostels and other forms of emergency accommodation. This causes temporary, intermittent and often cyclical patterns of homelessness. This relates to the large proportion of Indigenous people having to travel to get services. |
| Leaving an unsafe or unstable home | This is individuals who have a home but are forced to leave to escape unstable situations for their own safety or survival, especially women and young people. The breakdown of traditional ways of handling violence through family kinship networks may contribute to the homelessness experienced by victims of family and domestic violence. |
State-based crisis homeless assistance
This includes people who are homeless because of family and domestic violence. The services below are available 24 hours, 7 days a week unless specified.
ACT
ACT Domestic Violence Crisis Service
NSW
NSW Domestic Violence Helpline
NT
QLD
SA
TAS
VIC
Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre
WA
Applying for housing
Customers can apply for housing and check eligibility with their state or territory government website. These links are not for customers who need crisis accommodation.
ACT government Apply for public or community housing
NSW Government, Apply for housing assistance
NT Government Apply for Social Housing
Queensland Government: Eligibility and applying for housing
SA Government Register for Housing
Homes Tasmania Applying for social housing