Social Policy and Housing Support in Australia: A Critical Analysis

This essay provides a critical analysis of the Australian government's policy approach to housing support and homelessness. It examines the theoretical and ideological underpinnings of the National Affordable Housing Agreement (NAHA) and the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement (NHH...Read More

Running head: SOCIAL POLICY
Social Policy
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Discussion..................................................................................................................................2
Develop a framework that would support the various points of intervention available to a
human services worker for influencing the outcomes for the specific target group...............6
Identify the theoretical underpinnings of your approach to influencing social policy as this
relates to your profession and outcomes for disadvantaged populations............................10
Summary/Conclusion...............................................................................................................12
References................................................................................................................................13

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Introduction
The increase in the rate of housing support in Australia throughout the past decades
has been one of the major social concern and has coincided with the timeframe of
unprecedented prosperity. According to the supported accommodation assistance act of 1994,
housing is fundamental to all the individual and the context of housing has a significant
influence on certain social and economic aspects of the society. The Australian Bureau of
statistics recognizes housing as the main factor towards the effectiveness of the welfare
system of Australia (Australian Government, 2017). There is a number of characteristics
which are connected and related to the context of housing and to an individual who has been
homeless for long. This paper focuses on the area of social responsibility on the topic of
housing support by the Australian Government and the policy approach towards the issue of
housing support and homelessness among the citizens of Australia.
Discussion
Critically analyze the theoretical and ideological underpinnings of the policy approach
taken by the Australian Government in relation to one area of social responsibility
Housing support is a complex issue that impacts on the lives of many Australians.
From the social perspective,the context of housing provides a stable and a solid base that
enables active patipation in the society.Furthermore,housing eables an individual to develop
families and enjoy their retired life happily. From an economic perspective,the concept of
housing holds a significant impact in the productivity,rate of participation and the level of
investment and consumptionin the economy. Long-term, organized efforts within the sectors
and the community are essential for addressing the issue realte to housing and homelssness.
In Australia, the Commonwealth supports the state and the governments of the territory by

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providing services to people with proper schemes of funding by the National Affordable
Housing Agreement (NAHA). According To the budget of 2017-2018, the government of
Austalia has been working with the territories and the states for reforming NAHA which will
result in an increase in the supply of improved and developed homes and address to the issue
of housing outcomes for all the affected Australians (Australian Government, 2017).
Furthermore, the NAHA that was established by the Australian Government Council provides
a wide package for the purpose of investment for the housing. It includes targeted and
additional fundings on housing support, indigenous housing, and social housing policy
(Morris, Jamieson & Patulny, 2012).
As per the government of Australia, the main aim of the NAHA is to form a whole-
governmental approach for the provision of the accessible, affordable, sustainable and safe
housing plan for all the Australians. The strategy of funding as depicted by the government of
Australia underpins the commitments of the housing policy that are stated in the White Paper.
The white, on the other hand, is an ambitious policy document that includes goals and targets
which are worthy of praise. The two major goals of the white paper as published by the
government of Australia are halving of the housing issue by 2020 in the nation and provision
of accommodation to all the people with housing support by the targeted year of 2020
(Australian Government, 2017). The theoretical underpinnings of the policy of housing
support in Australia in the current scenario focus on the National Housing and Homelessness
Agreement (NHHA) that is expected to increase the supply of newer homes and improve the
housing and the homelessness outcomes for all the people (Saunders, 2007). The NHHA is
expected to provide certainty for the services related to housing support with a $375.3 million
over three consecutive years. According to the government of Australia, this funding will
certainly be beneficial for the improvement of the housing of the people an will prioritize to
enable support for the individual who is affected by the homelessness and the adjacent issue

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like domestic violence and more (Australian Government, 2017). The government of
Australia has also committed $ 23 million for reconnecting programs which enables
assistance to Australians and young individuals who are the risk of issues related to housing
support.
One of the ideological underpinnings of the government of Australia in the context of
homelessness in Australia is ‘reconnect’. It is a community-based prevention and intervention
program for the young individuals between the age of 12 to 18 years who are mostly
homeless or who are at the risk of being homeless. The governmental program, ‘reconnect’
enables in assisting young people for stabilizing their current livelihood and improving their
rate of engagement with the community and their family, education, training, and
employment. Furthermore, the theoretical underpinning of the homelessness policy by the
government targets to provide support to the front line services that aim to address
homelessness.
The government of Australia furthermore announced a bunch of initiatives in the
2017-2018 budget plan of the nation for developing alternative sources of capital for
affordable and social housing. The budget plan included revenue amount of $30 million for
the impact on social investment initiatives, among which $10.2 million was reserved for use
in the development and improvement of the welfare and housing of the people (Australian
Government, 2017). Furthermore, the funding from the commonwealth will enable support
for the development of the capability of the organization for delivering the homes for homes
initiative.
The approaches to the issue of homelessness by the government of Australia is far
better than the practice in the other countries. This is because the current explanation in
Australia is robust, evidence-based and considers homeless pathways and the cultural

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background of the people of the nation who are at the risk of homelessness (Jamrozik, 2009).
While it has not been fully possible for the government of Australia to eliminate the homeless
population and address the issues related to homelessness, the supported assistance program
for the national data collection accommodation and the national census of the five-year plan
proved to be useful and beneficial in providing accurate statistics on homeless people. The
provision of the comprehensive statistics by the government of Australia helps both the
government and non-governmental agencies to strategically respond to the issue of
homelessness (Johnson & Watson, 2017).
Another of the most significant development in Australia is the development and
introduction of the strategic approaches towards the programs and the policy. These are the
national homelessness strategy, introduced by the Australian Department of Family and
Community Services and the Commonwealth Advisory Committee on Homelessness
(Australian Government, 2017).
Some of the related concerns on the topic of the implementation of the policy on the
homelessness by the government of Australia includes non-consideration of NHS as an
effective strategy but a number of programs and initiatives in the context. There lies a wide
opportunity to include much more united response towards the issue of homelessness in
Australia (Bailie & Wayte, 2006). One of the major benefits of strategic response can be the
inclusion of the evaluation as the need for the provision of the program. This approach will
further help the government of Australia to determine the success of the demonstration
projects and the strategies for providing a clear benchmark to assess the effectiveness of the
program for the development of further responses and strategies.
The Australian government has been continuously initiating changes and development
in the policies for alleviating and reducing the rate of homelessness. The concept of

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homelessness is a dynamic and complex phenomenon and according to the policies and
procedures of the government of Australia, the issues arising due to the homelessness cannot
be evaluated and addressed by initiatives that are single focused (Carson & Kerr, 2014).
Despite of helping for alleviation of the issue of homelessness, the government of Australia
can further play an important role by initiating support to the community consultation in the
development of the policy, supporting researchers that are evidence-based and evaluation of
the programs for the determination of their effectiveness in the development of further
strategies and response to resolve the issue of homelessness in Australia (Robinson, 2002).
One of the successful model implemented by the government of Australia for the
successful reduction in the risk of homelessness is the Household Organisation Management
Expenses (HOME) Advice Program. The advice program by the government agencies helps
to resolve the issues related to the debt of the tenants and addresses other requirements of the
family (Carson & Kerr, 2014). The HOME advice program has resulted in the reduction of
the risk of homelessness and has significantly improved the outcomes related to housing and
finance for all the families who are at the risk of homelessness. The government of Australia
furthermore provides tenancy support process to prevent the issue of homelessness (Bessant
et al., 2006). The homeless programs as administered by the government of Australia has
their own collection method of data. These include the view of the client, goals, and situation
at the commencement and completion of support. Furthermore, National Affordable Housing
Specific Purpose Payment (NAHSPP) by the government of Australia targets specific
justification and priorities that includes planning,target supply and public housing stocks.
One of the major drawback to the current commitment of the government of Australia
towards addressing homelessness is the failure to commit to the ongoing funding program
that created significant challenges for SHS (Morris, Jamieson & Patulny, 2012). Furthermore,

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the government of Australia failed to link the NPAH funding to any indexation which in turn
resulted in the reduction of the funding revenue.
Develop a framework that would support the various points of intervention available to a
human services worker for influencing the outcomes for the specific target group.
The five core strategic areas to address the issue of homelessness are the following.
o Housing  To ensure affordable and adequate
housing.
 To ensure the supply of housing for
meeting the requirements of those
who need it (Bridgman & Davis,
2004).
 Having various pathways in
permanent housing and various
housing options with effective
services of support
o Prevention  To focus on the prevention and the
early intervention.
 To ensure effective development
services, systems and social responses
for ensuring that the people who are
at the risk of homelessness have
enough support (Carson & Kerr,
2014).

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 Involvement of the improving
recognition of the health value of the
home
o Strong and co-ordinated
response
 Introduction of 27 X 7 no wrong door
system for the delivery of responsive
actions within various health support
systems and communities to ensure
that they are well co-ordinated and act
on a quick basis.
o Targets,data and the
research
 To improve data, the evidence, the
systems knowledges, the
accountability of the social support
systems and the health systems for
successful achievement of goals of
the strategy.
 Furthermore, development of the
evidence base around the value of
home is essential to have clear targets
and ensured delivery.
o Developing the community
capacity
 To source the solutions to the issue
from those people who have
experiences of homelessness.
 Sectors supporting experienced
vulnerability and disadvantages
broadens their capacity to diminish

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the issue of homelessness (Woods,
2004).
 To develop broad public movements
and inclusion of all the community
members who have the keen interest
to end homelessness must be
accumulated for ensuring targeted
success.
A framework or the approach to end the outcomes of the issues of the homless people:
 The Responsibility  To end homelessness is the collective
responsibility .
 The persons who are experiencing
homelessness should produce their
knowledge and experiences for the
effective solutions for ending the
issues of homelessness.
 The effective approach to Housing  The primary driver of the issues of
homelessness is the affordability of
the housing. Hence the reduction of
the issues related to affordability and
increase in the availability of the
housing to the homless people can
achieve the target to trigger out

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homelessness.
 To objectify to help the people who
are experiencing homlessnes so that
they gain a permanat stable place like
home and address their health and
social requirements.
 The approach to enable support  To support the homeless people
regarding their health and social
issues and support for the gain in
employment purposes for their long
term financial security.
 To prioritize the vulnerable group of
population who are experiencing long
term homelessness and related issues
like domestic violence on aboriginal
women and children for initiating
actions to end homelessness.
 The approach to funding  Essential to develop a 10 year
strategy funding to meet the
requirements and the objectives to
target the issues of homelessness and
the related problems of the people
who have been homeless for too long

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(Australian Government, 2017).
 Requirement of skilled and well
trained workforce and an well funded
non profit sector for the successful
achievement of the objective to end
homelessness.
Identify the theoretical underpinnings of your approach to influencing social policy as this
relates to your profession and outcomes for disadvantaged populations.
Strengthening the response of the people who are at the risk of homelessness is
extremely important. The national homelessness strategy of the government of Australia must
ensure the commitment of the resource for the maintenance and advancement of the
development of the ongoing development and cost-effective responsive models. Relating to
the profession of a social worker, some of the theoretical underpinnings of the approaches
towards the social policy approaches in the context of homelessness is the social work
systems theory (Morris, Jamieson, & Patulny, 2012). The system theory in the context of this
approach tends to explain the behavior of the human as the connection of the influences of
multiple interrelated systems. According to the main concept of the theory, all the systems are
interconnected parts that constitute a whole and tends to influence the other connected parts.
Furthermore, grounded method theory also fits well in the area of social justice.
Created by Anselm L. Strauss and Barney G. Glaser, this theory is applicable to the
sustansive areas of social inequality and social justice like the context of homelessness
(Bessant et al., 2006). The grounded theory method includes simultaneous collection of data

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to successfully analyze the connection aming the human agncy and social structures that pose
pratical and theoretical concerns in the study of social justice related to homelessness.
Some of the recommended policy focus that needs to be addressed by the government of
Australia for targeting the issue of homelessness includes the following:
 The building of an effective affordable housing system
 The increase in the supply of the social and community housing
 The supply and incentvising of the role of the private sector in the provision of
the affordable housing (Australian Government, 2017)
 The provision of the diversed range of housing options for enabing response to
the homelessness
 Facilitation to the access to the private rental markets
Some of the key actions that need to be taken and addressed for an effective outcome
regarding the issue of homelessness and the problems the people are facing include the
following.
The lived experienced groups should be supported with in-kind resources and
financial aids for ensuring that their voices are heard, their problems are understood and
attempted to be resolved by the social workers of the governmental agencies (Carson & Kerr,
2014). Furthermore, the development of a community toolkit is essential which can be
utilized to educate the community of the Australia regarding the issues and problems of
homelessness and the required actions that need to be taken to trigger the issue (Johnson &
Watson, 2017). Establishment of local government for working on the group of homelessness
for drawing a common and basic pool of resources is also important (Woods, 2004). The key
actions also include implementation of public survey for understanding the required changes
in the context of Australian homelessness, the establishment of backbone organization for

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addressing and abolishing the topic of homelessness with a capability to receive funding and
foreign aid to the management of actions to improve the lifestyle of the homeless people.
Furthermore, one of the important action that needs to be taken by the government of
Australia and the social workers in the context of homelessness is to ensure that the people
who do not have a shelter get their basic rights for the necessities of living, have access to
safe water for drinking and sanitation and have basic amenities of their livelihood. It is
furthermore the responsibility of the social worker to ensure that the children and the women
are safe from any kind of domestic violence and other community abuses which may result
due to homelessness.
Summary/Conclusion
The government of Australia plays a significant role in the maket of housing.The
initial level constitutes of the structural base where the Australian government determines the
framewoek of the policy for effective operation of the entire market. The final level
constitutes the direct interventions in the situations where the Australian market is unable to
give appropriate outcomes for the vulnerable group of people like the homeless. Various and
diversed factors contribute to the issues arising from the context of housing matters in the
continent of Australia. The department of the social services continue to improve the matters
of housing in the market of Australia.Some of the noted agreements on the current housing
and homeless programs by the Australian government includes national affordable housing
agreement, national rental affordability scheme, commonwealth rent assistance, housing
affordability fund and the building better regional cities program. Furthermore,there lies
various other challenges for the further development of the existing policies and strategies of
the government so that it can initiate and provide innovative and comprehensive solution to
the issues related to housing support.

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References
Australian Government. (2017, July 12). Housing | Department of Social Services, Australian
Government. Retrieved from https://www.dss.gov.au/housing-support/programmes-
services/housing
Bailie, R.S., & Wayte, K. (2006) ‘Housing and health in Indigenous communities: key issues
for housing and health improvement in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
communities. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 14 (5), 178-183.
Bessant, J., Watts, R., Dalton, T, & Smyth, P. (2006) ‘Theorising social policy’ in Talking
Policy: social policy in Australia, Allen and Unwin, NSW.
Bridgman, P & Davis, G. (2004) ‘Policy analysis’. Chapter 5 in The Australia policy
handbook, 3rd ed, Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin.
Carson, E., & Kerr, L. (2014) Chapter 2, Personal and professional values in human services
practice, in Australian Social Policy and the Human Services. Cambridge University
Press
Carson, E., & Kerr, L. (2014) Chapter 3, The history of Australian social policy in Australian
Social Policy and the Human Services. Cambridge University Press
Carson, E., & Kerr, L. (2014) Chapter 4, The policy making process, inAustralian Social
Policy and the Human Services. Cambridge University Press
Carson, E., & Kerr, L. (2014) Chapter 5 Human services models in Australian Social Policy
and the Human Services. Cambridge University Press
Carson, E., & Kerr, L. (2014) Chapter 9. Housing, in Australian Social Policy and the Human
Services. Cambridge University Press

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Jamrozik, A. (2009) ‘Issues and dimensions of social policy’, Chapter Three in Social Policy
in the Post-Welfare State: Australian society in a changing world(3rd edition),
Pearson Education, NSW.
Jamrozik, A. (2009) ‘Social Policy in Australia’, Chapter 4 in Social Policy in the Post-
Welfare State: Australian society in a changing world(3rd edition), Pearson Education,
NSW.
Jamrozik, A. (2009) ‘Social Policy in the “free market” economy’, Chapter Two in Social
Policy in the Post-Welfare State: Australian society in a changing world(3rd edition),
Pearson Education, NSW.
Jamrozik, A. (2009) ‘Urban environment, housing and community services’, Chapter Eleven
in Social Policy in the Post-Welfare State: Australian society in a changing world(3rd
edition), Pearson Education, NSW.
Johnson, G., & Watson, J. (2017). International commentary: The implications of the family
options study for family homelessness in Australia. CityScape: A Journal of Policy
Development and Research, 19(3), 215-221.
Morris, A., Jamieson, M., & Patulny, R. (2012) ‘Is social mixing of tenures a solution for
public housing estates?’ Evidence Base, 1. ANZSOG.
Robinson, C. (2002) “I think home is more than a building”: young home(less) people on the
cusp of home, help and something else. Urban Policy and Research, 20 (1), 27-38.
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1 Autumn 2007.
Woods, G. (2004) ‘What is happening in Australian housing markets? Why policy makers
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Social Research, Melbourne, Vic (15 pages).

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