2016-04-19
ANSWER TO SENATE QUESTION ON NOTICE
QUESTION NO: 2981
DATE ASKED: 8 March 2016
Senator Ludlam asked the Minister representing the Minister for Social Services, upon notice, on 8 March 2016:
With reference to domestic violence and homelessness.
(1) What are the current turn away rates from specialist homelessness services.
(2) Given that the new Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report, Specialist Homelessness Services 2013-14, identified only 9% of family and domestic violence clients were able to be provided with long-term accommodation when first requested, how many people (adults and children) does this translate to.
(3) How many specialist homelessness services provide services to people experiencing or escaping domestic violence, what are the current turn away rates from domestic violence emergency accommodation and housing services, and how has this changed over the past 5 years.
(4) What is the current gap for accommodation and services at specialist services providing emergency accommodation to people experiencing domestic violence, and does the Federal Government have any target to bridge this gap.
(5) Has there been any study of the impact of the effect of cutting the $44 million capital program for new shelters and homelessness housing from the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness in 2014; if so, will the Minister table the documents.
(6) Is the department doing any modelling on the current gap in accommodation and emergency services.
(7) What number of full-time equivalent employees are devoted to increasing housing or accommodation for women and families escaping domestic violence.
(8) Is the Minister aware of:
(a) a major concern within the sector for women seeking accommodation who are then turned away because of stretched services and who could then end up being killed by the person they are seeking to escape; and
(b) coroners' reports which indicated that one of the murdered women in New South Wales has tried to seek refuge as few times and was not able to access a service.
(9) In regard to paragraph 8, are figures available for how many women have died as a result of not having shelter when they have sought refuge.
Mr Porter - The Minister for Social Services provides the following answer to the honourable Senator's question:
(1) and (2) This information can be found in the latest Australian Institute of Health and Welfare's (AIHW) Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS) 2014-15 Annual Report. The SHS reports are published annually on the AIHW website at www.aihw.gov.au/homelessness-publications.
(3) and (4) The data collected for unassisted persons through the Specialist Homelessness Services Collection (SHSC) captures broad categories of services requested. These are limited to; short-term or emergency accommodation, other housing or support, general assistance and support, and specialised services. The information collected does not further identify services requested or the reason for seeking services.
Client outcomes are reported using the SHSC, conducted by the AIHW and published annually on the AIHW website atwww.aihw.gov.au/homelessness-publications.
(5) The previous Government failed to make any provision of funding for the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness (NPAH) after 30 June 2014. This Government restored funding for the NPAH, and provided greater certainty for providers and the vulnerable Australians they support, by putting in place the 2014-15 and 2015-17 NPAHs to ensure front line services were maintained. In the 2015-17 NPAH, the Government prioritised funding to services focused on women and children experiencing domestic and family violence, and homeless youth.
(6) State and territory governments have primary responsibility for service delivery. Under the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness states and territories are responsible for determining where frontline homelessness services are located, which service providers are contracted, and the amount of funding each service provider receives.
(7) The number of full-time equivalent employees working on housing or accommodation related matters for women and families escaping domestic violence is spread across multiple Commonwealth agencies and all levels of government.
(8) (a), (b) and (9) Addressing violence against women and their children is a priority of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG). This builds on the ongoing work between Commonwealth, state and territory governments under the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022 (the National Plan).
Further, addressing the scourge of domestic and family violence has been given a high priority by this Government.
Under the 2015-17 NPAH, the Government gave funding priority to frontline services focusing on women and children experiencing domestic and family violence. Additionally, in 2015, the Government also announced a $100 million package of measures to provide a safety net for women and children at high risk of experiencing violence. The package will improve frontline support and services, leverage innovative technologies to keep women safe, and provide education resources to help change community attitudes to violence and abuse. This investment has been made in addition to funding for already established initiatives under the National Plan, including national services like 1800RESPECT and DV-alert.
Senator Ludlam asked the Minister representing the Minister for Social Services, upon notice, on 9 March 2016:
With reference to the 9 out of 40 recommendations unanimously agreed to in the report by the Economics Reference Committee inquiry into Housing Affordability, which was received on 8 May 2015, for each of the following recommendations, can an outline be provided of specifically what current resources (full-time equivalent), funding, new programs or announcements the government has devoted to implementing the recommendation:
(a) Recommendation 27: '...commit to ensuring that adequate funding be made available so that women and children escaping domestic violence are housed in secure and appropriate housing with the necessary support network that would allow them to remain in a safe environment...The committee also recommends the Australian Government reverse the cuts to the capital program in National Partnership Agreement of Homelessness and apply needs-based supply and services program as part of the national affordable housing platform in recommendation 30...';
(b) Recommendation 26: '...look closely at its Aged Care policy so that it takes account of the particular difficulties confronting older Australians in the rental market...';
(c) Recommendation 10: '...consider developing a long-term strategy for regenerating Australia's urban centres and transport corridors...';
(d) Recommendation 7: '...investigate Tax Increment Financing to fund infrastructure for new housing developments...';
(e) Recommendation 40: '...give due consideration to the introduction of housing supply bonds using Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute's research as a starting point for its consideration as part of the White Paper on Federation...';
(f) Recommendation 11: '...Government-owned land...represents a potential source of land supply for affordable housing...';
(g) Recommendation 17: '...address barriers to downsizing, by retires, including schemes along the lines of Housing Help for Seniors pilot';
(h) Recommendation 34; '...that through COAG, the National Affordable Housing Agreement...be reinvigorated with particular emphasis on improving accountability and transparency...'; and
(i) Recommendation 35: '...the Federation White Paper process to consider carefully the National Affordable Housing Agreement in this critical area of transparency and accountability.
Mr Porter - The Minister for Social Services provides the following answer to the honourable Senator's question:
The Government is considering the 40 detailed recommendations made by the Senate Economics Reference Committee's report, 'Out of Reach? The Australian housing affordability challenge'.
The Government intends to provide a substantive response informed by this report, as well as findings from other processes that have impacted, or will impact, upon housing and homelessness policy settings. These include the Council on Federal Financial Relations' (CFFR) Affordable Housing Working Group, the CFFR Housing Supply Working Group and the Cities Agenda. These processes will be examining, in detail, important elements picked up in the Senate Committee's recommendations. In addition to these processes, in December 2015, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreed that reforms to housing and homelessness
services will be taken forward by relevant Ministers in the context of existing work on housing affordability. COAG will receive a report on this work at the end of 2016.
Whilst those processes are underway, the Government will continue to progress the finalisation of its response as a matter of priority. The timing of the response will be influenced by the progress of these important processes.