New Australian-first homelessness reforms by the State Government have been announced in a bid to make accessing services easier for vulnerable regional South Australians from July 1.
Following consultation and a competitive tender process, the SA government revealed it would use an alliance approach to homelessness, which would deliver homelessness and domestic violence services across the state.
In the regions, two new alliances have been formed – Country South and Country North – while a new domestic violence alliance will aim to support at-risk women state-wide. Existing regional providers have agreed to come together for the alliances.
In the Limestone Coast, part of the Country South alliance, Anglican Community Care (ac.care) will work alongside partner organisations Junction Australia, Pangula Mannamurna Aboriginal Corporation and Moorundi Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service.
In a statement, ac.care said maintaining continuity of service access and activities for clients will be a “core focus” during the shift from individual program contracts to the alliance model.
The non-profit organisation’s chief executive Shane Maddocks said the agreement “secures the future of our staff” in the homelessness sector. He also welcomed the opportunity to work more closely with Aboriginal-controlled organisations under the new alliance agreement in a mutually-supportive way to provide the best possible service to clients.
Mr Maddocks added clients and communities would likely see little change to service delivery in ac.care’s regions in the short-term, but improved cooperation and coordination going forward with the new alliance approach.
“Sadly, rent stress, a shortage of affordable and emergency accommodation, unemployment and a JobSeeker rate that has not kept up with increasing costs of living continue to push an increasing number of country people to the brink of homelessness and in need of the support of organisations such as ours,” Mr Maddocks said.
“We welcome the government’s new funding package as a step towards securing the sustainability of vital services in our communities and the jobs of staff dedicated to supporting vulnerable people.”
Despite South Australia spending more than $70m per year on homelessness services, people are still cycling in and out of the system. In an official statement, Minister for Human Services Michelle Lensink said the homelessness reforms would make accessing services easier for vulnerable regional South Australians.
“Ultimately, we’re undertaking this reform because we want better outcomes for our most vulnerable,” Minister Lensink said. “Organisations in our regions already work collaboratively together to get positive outcomes for South Australians experiencing homelessness and it’s really exciting this reform formalises this approach to ensure everyone is working together.
“Importantly, South Australians using these services will only have to tell their story once and services can be even more responsive to supporting clients across our regions.” Minister Lensink’s statement came days after it was revealed a shocking lack of rental affordability across Australia is causing the nation’s most vulnerable to be priced out of the market.
The results of the annual Rental Affordability Snapshot showed that no properties for rent in the Limestone Coast, Riverland or Murraylands are affordable for adults who are single and on Youth Allowance or JobSeeker.
For a property to have been considered affordable, its rent would need to have been no more than 30% of a household’s budget.
