In accordance with section 16(3) of the Audit Act 1994 a copy of this report, or relevant extracts, were provided to the departments of Human Services, Treasury and Finance, Premier and Cabinet, Health, and Justice with a request for submissions or comments.
The submissions and comments provided are not subject to audit nor the evidentiary standards required to reach an audit conclusion. Responsibility for the accuracy, fairness and balance of those comments rests solely with the agency head.
Responses were received as follows:
Figure C1
Innovation Action Projects (IAP) as at December 2012
IAP |
Organisation |
Project objectives |
Funding |
|---|---|---|---|
Detour |
Melbourne City Mission, Kids Under Cover, Uniting Care Cutting Edge |
Support and housing for young people Provide skills and employment |
$1 556 869 |
Figure B1
Victorian Homelessness Action Plan 2011–2015 (VHAP)
components and progress as at December 2012
Funding |
Description |
Schedule |
Progress |
|---|---|---|---|
Innovation Action Projects (IAP) |
|||
$25 million | |||
Figure A1
Outputs of the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness (NPAH)
Outputs |
|---|
Core outputs |
The Department of Human Services (DHS) is implementing the Victorian Homelessness Action Plan 2011–2015 (VHAP), which is separate from the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness. VHAP focuses on early intervention and prevention, a better targeting of resources and supporting new approaches to homelessness.
Good governance and management must underpin nationally important partnership agreements involving multiple departments. This includes leadership, oversight of implementation, management of funds and reporting, and ongoing coordination.
The intent of partnership agreements is to achieve mutually agreed outcomes of national importance. The National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness (NPAH) has output and outcome measures, and evaluating specific initiatives can further inform understanding of the effectiveness of this agreement in reducing homelessness.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics defines a person as homeless if they do not have suitable accommodation alternatives and their current living arrangement is in a dwelling that:
The 2011 census reported that 22 789 Victorian people were homeless, a 21 per cent increase since 2006.
Homelessness has a significant impact on both individuals and the community. Homeless people have poorer health, fewer social connections and fewer opportunities for education or employment. This is turn generates considerable cost to government, through its provision of direct support services, demand on health services and lost economic participation.
The 2011 census data indicates that the rate of homelessness in Victoria has increased by 21 per cent since 2006. In 2011, 22 789 Victorian people were homeless on census night, and 16 per cent of these were children under 12.