Crisis accommodation in Australia: now and for the future

Despite crisis accommodation being a significant and well established part of the Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS) system in Australia, much remains unknown about the key elements of effective crisis accommodation models.

• In this study we use the term crisis accommodation to refer to the different forms of short-term accommodation used by SHS’s in responding to homelessness. This includes the following types of crisis accommodation: generalist homelessness crisis accommodation services (including shelters or crisis supported accommodation services (CSAS)), family and domestic violence refuges and youth refuges. We also consider various purchased crisis accommodation options such as: boarding and rooming houses, hotels/motels, hostels, backpackers and caravan parks.

• This research provides a review of the grey and academic literature on crisis accommodation models and practices, as well as drawing together perspectives on crisis accommodation from people with living and lived experiences of crisis accommodation, frontline staff and key stakeholders in each Australian state and territory. It also includes analysis of administrative data from a large SHS in Melbourne, Victoria and the South Australian Housing Authority (SAHA).

• A key challenge across jurisdictions is the lack of exit options from crisis accommodation, which creates a range of issues, including prolonging homelessness and exacerbating trauma, backlogs and extended waiting times in the system, and exits to unsuitable accommodation or back into homelessness. While all participants agreed that the main goal of crisis accommodation should be an exit to long-term housing and resolution of homelessness, only a minority of people currently exit crisis accommodation
to longer-term housing.

• There is significant unmet demand for SHS provided crisis accommodation across jurisdictions and particularly in regional and remote areas. Unmet demand results in prolonged periods of homelessness and over-reliance on purchased crisis accommodation, which is often unsuitable and comes with inadequate support.

• Analysis of administrative data reveals that people accessing crisis accommodation have a wide range of support needs. The range of presenting and unmet needs reflects the diverse client cohorts accessing support, as well as the breadth and complexity of work undertaken by specialist homelessness services operating in the crisis space.