rhonda phillips - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by rhonda phillips

The Australian housing system involves a complex web of market, government and community actors o... more The Australian housing system involves a complex web of market, government and community actors operating in diverse contexts to deliver a range of housing products and services. Markets are relied on as the primary means of housing provision, with governments regulating and intervening where markets fail. Responding to the increasing complexity of the 'wicked problems' such as homelessness, housing affordability and housing supply constraints in specific localities or for specific populations requires intersectoral collaboration in policy formulation and implementation. The market/state dichotomy is increasingly under challenge as new policy responses blur traditional state/market boundaries, increasingly involve community or 'third' sector actors and highlight inter-dependencies between the sectors. In attempting to respond to specific housing problems policy makers utilise a mix of market, hierarchical and network governance mechanisms for interacting and coordinating with other actors. This paper draws on new institutional economics, policy networks and related social science and public administration theories on public governance to empirically examine recent Australian examples of responses to complex housing problems that involve multiple sectors and organisations. It takes a regional perspective, drawing on two empirical case studies from regional Queensland to examine the governance approaches adopted and their implications. The paper demonstrates that reliance on hierarchy and market is deeply entrenched in the institutions, practices and culture of Queensland public administration and that the values, relationships and instruments that underpin network governance are not those that currently dominate public policy discourse and practice. The author argues that network governance has potential to harness the contribution of multiple actors in solving complex public policy problems while acknowledging that network governance is not a panacea and requires the application of appropriate skills, resources and tools to achieve its potential. The paper proposes that greater attention, by central policy makers, to strengthening locality based governance structures for policy implementation will provide opportunities to harness the knowledge, relationships and goal commitment needed to address intractable problems that occur in increasingly complex and diverse institutional environments.

This paper draws on ideas of recognition and the intercultural as a way of examining the impact o... more This paper draws on ideas of recognition and the intercultural as a way of examining the impact of welfare conditionality on Indigenous housing policy in Australia. The increased application of welfare conditionality has occurred in tandem with "mainstreaming" of housing management and provision, and regulation of Indigenous Community Organisations. (ICOs). These developments raise policy and practice questions about the effectiveness of such approaches in achieving desired housing outcomes because of questions about their alignment with Indigenous norms and values. The paper argues that the embedded nature of individuals in their social and cultural locations requires the development of policy paradigms that are adapted to these realities. The idea of a recognition space extends the idea of conditionality to one involving moral relationships of duty and care between the individual, Indigenous formal and informal governance structures and the state and its agents. This can be used to build a framework for the development of flexible and adaptive housing policies that are culturally respectful and address the differences in housing values between tenants and housing agencies.

Housing Studies, 2018

When it comes to issues of housing policy, remote Indigenous housing often presents the extreme c... more When it comes to issues of housing policy, remote Indigenous housing often presents the extreme case, but despite the need to learn from policy mistakes of the past, there has been little detailed analysis of the policy history over the last fifty years.

AHURI comprises a network of universities clustered into Research Centres across Australia. Resea... more AHURI comprises a network of universities clustered into Research Centres across Australia. Research Centre contributions, both financial and in-kind, have made the completion of this report possible. The authors would like to thank their colleagues Paul Memmott and Nicola Seage for their contribution during the research. Paul Memmott provided invaluable assistance in conceptualising the issues relating to Indigenous homelessness and Nicola Seage provided research assistance, including with fieldwork in Darwin. The research team would also like to thank the research participants in Sydney, Brisbane and Darwin for their generosity in contributing their knowledge and perspectives to the research. DISCLAIMER AHURI Limited is an independent, non-political body which has supported this project as part of its programme of research into housing and urban development, which it hopes will be of value to policy-makers, researchers, industry and communities. The opinions in this publication reflect the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of AHURI Limited, its Board or its funding organisations. No responsibility is accepted by AHURI Limited or its Board or its funders for the accuracy or omission of any statement, opinion, advice or information in this publication. AHURI FINAL REPORT SERIES AHURI Final Reports is a refereed series presenting the results of original research to a diverse readership of policy makers, researchers and practitioners. PEER REVIEW STATEMENT An objective assessment of all reports published in the AHURI Final Report Series by carefully selected experts in the field ensures that material of the highest quality is published. The AHURI Final Report Series employs a double-blind peer review of the full Final Reportwhere anonymity is strictly observed between authors and referees. iii CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES .

Older people who use home maintenance and modification services value them highly. Such services ... more Older people who use home maintenance and modification services value them highly. Such services support people to continue to live in their current home for longer. However, Australia lacks a systematic approach to the provision of these services that limits their effectiveness in achieving health, wellbeing and housing outcomes. This research involved a range of research methods, including a review of international literature on HMM; documentation of descriptive information about HMM services in Australia; a series of focus groups held in all states and the ACT involving 92 HMM service providers; and 30 semi-structured consumer interviews conducted in Queensland, South Australia and Victoria. The interviews involved older people who had received HMM services during the previous six months.

Ahuri Positioning Paper, Apr 4, 2011

AHURI comprises a network of universities clustered into Research Centres across Australia. Resea... more AHURI comprises a network of universities clustered into Research Centres across Australia. Research Centre contributions-both financial and in-kind-have made the completion of this report possible. DISCLAIMER AHURI Limited is an independent, non-political body which has supported this project as part of its programme of research into housing and urban development, which it hopes will be of value to policy-makers, researchers, industry and communities. The opinions in this publication reflect the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of AHURI Limited, its Board or its funding organisations. No responsibility is accepted by AHURI Limited or its Board or its funders for the accuracy or omission of any statement, opinion, advice or information in this publication. AHURI POSITIONING PAPER SERIES AHURI Positioning Papers is a refereed series presenting the preliminary findings of original research to a diverse readership of policy makers, researchers and practitioners. PEER REVIEW STATEMENT An objective assessment of all reports published in the AHURI Positioning Paper Series by carefully selected experts in the field ensures that material of the highest quality is published. The AHURI Positioning Paper Series employs a double-blind peer review of the full report, with strict anonymity observed between authors and referees. i CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES .

Ahuri Final Report, Mar 1, 2013

AHURI comprises a network of universities clustered into Research Centres across Australia. Resea... more AHURI comprises a network of universities clustered into Research Centres across Australia. Research Centre contributions, both financial and in-kind, have made the completion of this report possible. DISCLAIMER AHURI Limited is an independent, non-political body which has supported this project as part of its programme of research into housing and urban development, which it hopes will be of value to policy-makers, researchers, industry and communities. The opinions in this publication reflect the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of AHURI Limited, its Board or its funding organisations. No responsibility is accepted by AHURI Limited or its Board or its funders for the accuracy or omission of any statement, opinion, advice or information in this publication. AHURI FINAL REPORT SERIES AHURI Final Reports is a refereed series presenting the results of original research to a diverse readership of policy-makers, researchers and practitioners. PEER REVIEW STATEMENT An objective assessment of all reports published in the AHURI Final Report Series by carefully selected experts in the field ensures that material of the highest quality is published. The AHURI Final Report Series employs a double-blind peer review of the full Final Report-where anonymity is strictly observed between authors and referees. iii CONTENTS CONTENTS .

Social Service Review, 2014

An emerging body of evidence has demonstrated the extent to which social programs and housing ini... more An emerging body of evidence has demonstrated the extent to which social programs and housing initiatives have successfully helped people exit chronic and unsheltered homelessness. Contemporary research shows that people with both health and social problems are able to exit homelessness and sustain housing over several years. Although the existing evidence is robust and often based on studies employing rigorous experimental designs, clients of programs are presented as passive service recipients whose exits from homelessness are attributed to outside intervention. Drawing on a multisite Australian study with people who had exited chronic and unsheltered homelessness, this article adopts a theoretical framework of human agency to demonstrate how people exiting homelessness play active roles in shaping the outcomes they achieve. Extending the existing evidence base, we show how they explain their outcomes in terms of imagined future trajectories and an evaluation of their options to achieve change. Much contemporary research has been devoted to examining the ways in which people manage to exit chronic unsheltered homelessness. However, the majority of it focuses on the roles of social programs and policy initiatives in the process, rather than on the agency of the people themselves. Although some studies highlight the ways in which people who are homeless, or otherwise socially and economically marginalized, express agency, they rarely focus on people's actions and perceptions in the process of Social Service Review (June 2014).

This article introduces and discusses early findings from a study of service integration and its ... more This article introduces and discusses early findings from a study of service integration and its potential to contribute to efforts to reduce homelessness in Australia. The study is one of five research projects being undertaken by the Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR) at The University of Queensland (UQ) under a Homelessness Research Partnership Agreement (HRPA) with FaHCSIA.

Collaboration and integrated service delivery are necessary for homelessness. Homelessness strate... more Collaboration and integrated service delivery are necessary for homelessness. Homelessness strategies especially over the past decade have emphasized the need for improved coordination of homeless and mainstream policies, programs and services. The article outlines some of the key and recurring findings from the human services research literature and highlights the opportunities and challenges in applying these to improve homelessness responses in Australia.

This study examines older people's homelessness in Australia, with a particular focus on the ... more This study examines older people's homelessness in Australia, with a particular focus on the experience of becoming homeless for the first time in later life. The study seeks to gain a national understanding of older people's homelessness and to inform prevention strategies by drawing on interventions undertaken in a range of geographically and socially diverse locations across Australia. The research is partnered with Assistance with Care and Housing for the Aged (ACHA) agencies throughout Australia. This program, currently funded through the federal Department of Social Services (previously funded by the Department of Health and Ageing) and operating through community and government agencies, is purposively designed to assist disadvantaged older people who are at risk of homelessness or are homeless. It aims to facilitate their ongoing independence within the community by facilitating access to appropriate and affordable housing and by linking older people where appropriate to community care and support services. This practice model corresponds strongly to contemporary homelessness prevention practice. The paradigm of housing alongside appropriate supports underpins the ACHA program and thus provides not only a specialised focus on vulnerable older people but also a link with contemporary homelessness initiatives. There has been longstanding criticism of a lack of attention to older people's homelessness. However, in Australia there has been increasing recognition of this distinctive form of social exclusion. Leading on from recommendations in the Australian Government's 'White Paper' on homelessness (FaHCSIA 2008), legislative changes to the Aged Care Act 1997 identify older people experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless (Part 2.2, Section 11-3) as a special needs group that receive priority access to residential aged care. In addition, there has been funding of specialised aged care facilities that provide care for formerly homeless people who have complex health needs. Of particular importance is the acknowledgement of homelessness in the aged care reform package, Living longer. Living better. (DoHA 2012), which has resulted in increased funding for outreach services to older people in housing crisis in rural areas. This initiative signals a clear recognition that housing is an aged care issue. Historically, with the exception of the small ACHA program, Australia's housing and ageing portfolios have operated separately. There have been consistent calls by gerontologists that housing and ageing policy need to be coupled. The homelessness policy attention has largely focused on older people who live with a range of complex care needs linked to their homeless history where independent housing is not seen as appropriate. There is also a clear need to consider older people experiencing homelessness for the first time in their later years in the policy arena. Notwithstanding the significant and growing numbers of older people experiencing either first time homelessness or housing crises in later life, there is little empirical evidence about the nature of the problem in Australia and the drivers of first time homelessness among older people nationally. In the absence of a national evidence base there are limitations in the capacity to achieve homelessness prevention objectives for this group. Research aims: This study aims to contribute to the evidence base about homelessness prevention for older people experiencing homelessness or housing crises in later life. Building on the existing evidence drawn primarily from Australia's two largest capital cities, Sydney and Melbourne, this study examines older people's homelessness and preventive strategies in geographically, culturally and economically diverse areas of Australia. It draws on new empirical material gathered in five Australian states and across 31 agencies working with older people in housing need. Specifically, the study undertook to: → Review Australia's knowledge of older people's homelessness in the context of international literature. Consideration of the research literature in Australia and other western countries provides an understanding not only of the living circumstances of vulnerable older people but also the distinctive characteristics of homelessness as it is experienced by older people. In particular, the pattern of long-term and first time homelessness is highlighted as a theme in the literature. → Consider insights from gerontology. In particular, the frameworks of life course theory-our rich knowledge of the role of home and place and their integral nature to older people's wellbeing, and agency or the purposive actions of older people in managing their lives-are discussed. This discussion seeks to build recognition of older people's homelessness within gerontology. Social gerontology is rich in understandings of older people's living environments and the circumstances of older people experiencing disadvantage and…

Urban Studies, 2013

Much of what is known of street homelessness is informed by accounts from urban centres throughou... more Much of what is known of street homelessness is informed by accounts from urban centres throughout North America and the UK. The nature of the problem and the ways in which it is addressed are implicitly assumed to be similar across diverse major cities. The street homeless are thought to be highly marginalised and vulnerable. In turn, contemporary policy aims to provide housing/accommodation and welfare to address this form of homelessness as deep exclusion. Based on empirical research in Australia’s northernmost capital city, Darwin, this article demonstrates the role of culture in how homelessness is experienced and addressed. It argues that cultural mobility and modes of behaviour that normalise rough sleeping are embedded within condoned poverty and discriminatory legislation directed towards Indigenous people. Indigenous people are constructed as out of place in urban environments and rather than housing and welfare, the focus is directed towards moving the problem.

Though There is general accepTance ThaT The developmenT of effecTive sTrucTures and processes Tha... more Though There is general accepTance ThaT The developmenT of effecTive sTrucTures and processes ThaT cross convenTional boundaries beTween program, organisaTion, and secTors (referred To as inTegraTion) is cenTral To addressing The policy and managemenT challenges facing social housing in ausTralia, There is inconclusive evidence from inTernaTional evaluaTion of such iniTiaTives abouT wheTher The ouTcomes for clienTs are indeed beneficial.

Demand for public housing among older people is projected to outstrip supply by 2016. The sorts o... more Demand for public housing among older people is projected to outstrip supply by 2016. The sorts of housing and services required by older people will also require new investment by public housing providers.

The Australian housing system involves a complex web of market, government and community actors o... more The Australian housing system involves a complex web of market, government and community actors operating in diverse contexts to deliver a range of housing products and services. Markets are relied on as the primary means of housing provision, with governments regulating and intervening where markets fail. Responding to the increasing complexity of the 'wicked problems' such as homelessness, housing affordability and housing supply constraints in specific localities or for specific populations requires intersectoral collaboration in policy formulation and implementation. The market/state dichotomy is increasingly under challenge as new policy responses blur traditional state/market boundaries, increasingly involve community or 'third' sector actors and highlight inter-dependencies between the sectors. In attempting to respond to specific housing problems policy makers utilise a mix of market, hierarchical and network governance mechanisms for interacting and coordinating with other actors. This paper draws on new institutional economics, policy networks and related social science and public administration theories on public governance to empirically examine recent Australian examples of responses to complex housing problems that involve multiple sectors and organisations. It takes a regional perspective, drawing on two empirical case studies from regional Queensland to examine the governance approaches adopted and their implications. The paper demonstrates that reliance on hierarchy and market is deeply entrenched in the institutions, practices and culture of Queensland public administration and that the values, relationships and instruments that underpin network governance are not those that currently dominate public policy discourse and practice. The author argues that network governance has potential to harness the contribution of multiple actors in solving complex public policy problems while acknowledging that network governance is not a panacea and requires the application of appropriate skills, resources and tools to achieve its potential. The paper proposes that greater attention, by central policy makers, to strengthening locality based governance structures for policy implementation will provide opportunities to harness the knowledge, relationships and goal commitment needed to address intractable problems that occur in increasingly complex and diverse institutional environments.

This paper draws on ideas of recognition and the intercultural as a way of examining the impact o... more This paper draws on ideas of recognition and the intercultural as a way of examining the impact of welfare conditionality on Indigenous housing policy in Australia. The increased application of welfare conditionality has occurred in tandem with "mainstreaming" of housing management and provision, and regulation of Indigenous Community Organisations. (ICOs). These developments raise policy and practice questions about the effectiveness of such approaches in achieving desired housing outcomes because of questions about their alignment with Indigenous norms and values. The paper argues that the embedded nature of individuals in their social and cultural locations requires the development of policy paradigms that are adapted to these realities. The idea of a recognition space extends the idea of conditionality to one involving moral relationships of duty and care between the individual, Indigenous formal and informal governance structures and the state and its agents. This can be used to build a framework for the development of flexible and adaptive housing policies that are culturally respectful and address the differences in housing values between tenants and housing agencies.

Housing Studies, 2018

When it comes to issues of housing policy, remote Indigenous housing often presents the extreme c... more When it comes to issues of housing policy, remote Indigenous housing often presents the extreme case, but despite the need to learn from policy mistakes of the past, there has been little detailed analysis of the policy history over the last fifty years.

AHURI comprises a network of universities clustered into Research Centres across Australia. Resea... more AHURI comprises a network of universities clustered into Research Centres across Australia. Research Centre contributions, both financial and in-kind, have made the completion of this report possible. The authors would like to thank their colleagues Paul Memmott and Nicola Seage for their contribution during the research. Paul Memmott provided invaluable assistance in conceptualising the issues relating to Indigenous homelessness and Nicola Seage provided research assistance, including with fieldwork in Darwin. The research team would also like to thank the research participants in Sydney, Brisbane and Darwin for their generosity in contributing their knowledge and perspectives to the research. DISCLAIMER AHURI Limited is an independent, non-political body which has supported this project as part of its programme of research into housing and urban development, which it hopes will be of value to policy-makers, researchers, industry and communities. The opinions in this publication reflect the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of AHURI Limited, its Board or its funding organisations. No responsibility is accepted by AHURI Limited or its Board or its funders for the accuracy or omission of any statement, opinion, advice or information in this publication. AHURI FINAL REPORT SERIES AHURI Final Reports is a refereed series presenting the results of original research to a diverse readership of policy makers, researchers and practitioners. PEER REVIEW STATEMENT An objective assessment of all reports published in the AHURI Final Report Series by carefully selected experts in the field ensures that material of the highest quality is published. The AHURI Final Report Series employs a double-blind peer review of the full Final Reportwhere anonymity is strictly observed between authors and referees. iii CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES .

Older people who use home maintenance and modification services value them highly. Such services ... more Older people who use home maintenance and modification services value them highly. Such services support people to continue to live in their current home for longer. However, Australia lacks a systematic approach to the provision of these services that limits their effectiveness in achieving health, wellbeing and housing outcomes. This research involved a range of research methods, including a review of international literature on HMM; documentation of descriptive information about HMM services in Australia; a series of focus groups held in all states and the ACT involving 92 HMM service providers; and 30 semi-structured consumer interviews conducted in Queensland, South Australia and Victoria. The interviews involved older people who had received HMM services during the previous six months.

Ahuri Positioning Paper, Apr 4, 2011

AHURI comprises a network of universities clustered into Research Centres across Australia. Resea... more AHURI comprises a network of universities clustered into Research Centres across Australia. Research Centre contributions-both financial and in-kind-have made the completion of this report possible. DISCLAIMER AHURI Limited is an independent, non-political body which has supported this project as part of its programme of research into housing and urban development, which it hopes will be of value to policy-makers, researchers, industry and communities. The opinions in this publication reflect the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of AHURI Limited, its Board or its funding organisations. No responsibility is accepted by AHURI Limited or its Board or its funders for the accuracy or omission of any statement, opinion, advice or information in this publication. AHURI POSITIONING PAPER SERIES AHURI Positioning Papers is a refereed series presenting the preliminary findings of original research to a diverse readership of policy makers, researchers and practitioners. PEER REVIEW STATEMENT An objective assessment of all reports published in the AHURI Positioning Paper Series by carefully selected experts in the field ensures that material of the highest quality is published. The AHURI Positioning Paper Series employs a double-blind peer review of the full report, with strict anonymity observed between authors and referees. i CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES .

Ahuri Final Report, Mar 1, 2013

AHURI comprises a network of universities clustered into Research Centres across Australia. Resea... more AHURI comprises a network of universities clustered into Research Centres across Australia. Research Centre contributions, both financial and in-kind, have made the completion of this report possible. DISCLAIMER AHURI Limited is an independent, non-political body which has supported this project as part of its programme of research into housing and urban development, which it hopes will be of value to policy-makers, researchers, industry and communities. The opinions in this publication reflect the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of AHURI Limited, its Board or its funding organisations. No responsibility is accepted by AHURI Limited or its Board or its funders for the accuracy or omission of any statement, opinion, advice or information in this publication. AHURI FINAL REPORT SERIES AHURI Final Reports is a refereed series presenting the results of original research to a diverse readership of policy-makers, researchers and practitioners. PEER REVIEW STATEMENT An objective assessment of all reports published in the AHURI Final Report Series by carefully selected experts in the field ensures that material of the highest quality is published. The AHURI Final Report Series employs a double-blind peer review of the full Final Report-where anonymity is strictly observed between authors and referees. iii CONTENTS CONTENTS .

Social Service Review, 2014

An emerging body of evidence has demonstrated the extent to which social programs and housing ini... more An emerging body of evidence has demonstrated the extent to which social programs and housing initiatives have successfully helped people exit chronic and unsheltered homelessness. Contemporary research shows that people with both health and social problems are able to exit homelessness and sustain housing over several years. Although the existing evidence is robust and often based on studies employing rigorous experimental designs, clients of programs are presented as passive service recipients whose exits from homelessness are attributed to outside intervention. Drawing on a multisite Australian study with people who had exited chronic and unsheltered homelessness, this article adopts a theoretical framework of human agency to demonstrate how people exiting homelessness play active roles in shaping the outcomes they achieve. Extending the existing evidence base, we show how they explain their outcomes in terms of imagined future trajectories and an evaluation of their options to achieve change. Much contemporary research has been devoted to examining the ways in which people manage to exit chronic unsheltered homelessness. However, the majority of it focuses on the roles of social programs and policy initiatives in the process, rather than on the agency of the people themselves. Although some studies highlight the ways in which people who are homeless, or otherwise socially and economically marginalized, express agency, they rarely focus on people's actions and perceptions in the process of Social Service Review (June 2014).

This article introduces and discusses early findings from a study of service integration and its ... more This article introduces and discusses early findings from a study of service integration and its potential to contribute to efforts to reduce homelessness in Australia. The study is one of five research projects being undertaken by the Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR) at The University of Queensland (UQ) under a Homelessness Research Partnership Agreement (HRPA) with FaHCSIA.

Collaboration and integrated service delivery are necessary for homelessness. Homelessness strate... more Collaboration and integrated service delivery are necessary for homelessness. Homelessness strategies especially over the past decade have emphasized the need for improved coordination of homeless and mainstream policies, programs and services. The article outlines some of the key and recurring findings from the human services research literature and highlights the opportunities and challenges in applying these to improve homelessness responses in Australia.

This study examines older people's homelessness in Australia, with a particular focus on the ... more This study examines older people's homelessness in Australia, with a particular focus on the experience of becoming homeless for the first time in later life. The study seeks to gain a national understanding of older people's homelessness and to inform prevention strategies by drawing on interventions undertaken in a range of geographically and socially diverse locations across Australia. The research is partnered with Assistance with Care and Housing for the Aged (ACHA) agencies throughout Australia. This program, currently funded through the federal Department of Social Services (previously funded by the Department of Health and Ageing) and operating through community and government agencies, is purposively designed to assist disadvantaged older people who are at risk of homelessness or are homeless. It aims to facilitate their ongoing independence within the community by facilitating access to appropriate and affordable housing and by linking older people where appropriate to community care and support services. This practice model corresponds strongly to contemporary homelessness prevention practice. The paradigm of housing alongside appropriate supports underpins the ACHA program and thus provides not only a specialised focus on vulnerable older people but also a link with contemporary homelessness initiatives. There has been longstanding criticism of a lack of attention to older people's homelessness. However, in Australia there has been increasing recognition of this distinctive form of social exclusion. Leading on from recommendations in the Australian Government's 'White Paper' on homelessness (FaHCSIA 2008), legislative changes to the Aged Care Act 1997 identify older people experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless (Part 2.2, Section 11-3) as a special needs group that receive priority access to residential aged care. In addition, there has been funding of specialised aged care facilities that provide care for formerly homeless people who have complex health needs. Of particular importance is the acknowledgement of homelessness in the aged care reform package, Living longer. Living better. (DoHA 2012), which has resulted in increased funding for outreach services to older people in housing crisis in rural areas. This initiative signals a clear recognition that housing is an aged care issue. Historically, with the exception of the small ACHA program, Australia's housing and ageing portfolios have operated separately. There have been consistent calls by gerontologists that housing and ageing policy need to be coupled. The homelessness policy attention has largely focused on older people who live with a range of complex care needs linked to their homeless history where independent housing is not seen as appropriate. There is also a clear need to consider older people experiencing homelessness for the first time in their later years in the policy arena. Notwithstanding the significant and growing numbers of older people experiencing either first time homelessness or housing crises in later life, there is little empirical evidence about the nature of the problem in Australia and the drivers of first time homelessness among older people nationally. In the absence of a national evidence base there are limitations in the capacity to achieve homelessness prevention objectives for this group. Research aims: This study aims to contribute to the evidence base about homelessness prevention for older people experiencing homelessness or housing crises in later life. Building on the existing evidence drawn primarily from Australia's two largest capital cities, Sydney and Melbourne, this study examines older people's homelessness and preventive strategies in geographically, culturally and economically diverse areas of Australia. It draws on new empirical material gathered in five Australian states and across 31 agencies working with older people in housing need. Specifically, the study undertook to: → Review Australia's knowledge of older people's homelessness in the context of international literature. Consideration of the research literature in Australia and other western countries provides an understanding not only of the living circumstances of vulnerable older people but also the distinctive characteristics of homelessness as it is experienced by older people. In particular, the pattern of long-term and first time homelessness is highlighted as a theme in the literature. → Consider insights from gerontology. In particular, the frameworks of life course theory-our rich knowledge of the role of home and place and their integral nature to older people's wellbeing, and agency or the purposive actions of older people in managing their lives-are discussed. This discussion seeks to build recognition of older people's homelessness within gerontology. Social gerontology is rich in understandings of older people's living environments and the circumstances of older people experiencing disadvantage and…

Urban Studies, 2013

Much of what is known of street homelessness is informed by accounts from urban centres throughou... more Much of what is known of street homelessness is informed by accounts from urban centres throughout North America and the UK. The nature of the problem and the ways in which it is addressed are implicitly assumed to be similar across diverse major cities. The street homeless are thought to be highly marginalised and vulnerable. In turn, contemporary policy aims to provide housing/accommodation and welfare to address this form of homelessness as deep exclusion. Based on empirical research in Australia’s northernmost capital city, Darwin, this article demonstrates the role of culture in how homelessness is experienced and addressed. It argues that cultural mobility and modes of behaviour that normalise rough sleeping are embedded within condoned poverty and discriminatory legislation directed towards Indigenous people. Indigenous people are constructed as out of place in urban environments and rather than housing and welfare, the focus is directed towards moving the problem.

Though There is general accepTance ThaT The developmenT of effecTive sTrucTures and processes Tha... more Though There is general accepTance ThaT The developmenT of effecTive sTrucTures and processes ThaT cross convenTional boundaries beTween program, organisaTion, and secTors (referred To as inTegraTion) is cenTral To addressing The policy and managemenT challenges facing social housing in ausTralia, There is inconclusive evidence from inTernaTional evaluaTion of such iniTiaTives abouT wheTher The ouTcomes for clienTs are indeed beneficial.

Demand for public housing among older people is projected to outstrip supply by 2016. The sorts o... more Demand for public housing among older people is projected to outstrip supply by 2016. The sorts of housing and services required by older people will also require new investment by public housing providers.