Aged care funding for the homeless

A program that supports homeless older people around the country has had its funding renewed for the next three years. But finding appropriate accommodation is still a challenge in some areas.

Above: Minister for Mental Health, Ageing and Social Inclusion, Mark Butler.

By Stephen Easton

Services that help homeless older people all over Australia have received certainty that their funding will continue for at least another three years.

The Department of Health and Ageing’s Assistance with Care and Housing for the Aged (ACHA) program is made up of 45 separate services based in cities, regional areas and remote communities, which will share $14.4 million from federal coffers over the next three years.

The Minister for Mental Health, Ageing and Social Inclusion, Mark Butler, said the services had helped about 4,000 older people in the last financial year alone, by “linking them to community care, welfare services and accommodation”.

“The guarantee of funding ensures that thousands more older Australians will be able to get help finding suitable accommodation, advice on housing applications and financial services and assistance with removals and the purchase of household items,” Mr Butler said.

“Older Australians who are homeless or living in insecure housing are some of the most vulnerable members of our community. Our commitment to the ACHA program will ensure that those Australians not only have a roof over their heads but also the confidence and security to participate, and feel included in the community of their choice.” 

Nambucca Valley Community Services Council ACHA coordinator, Sharon Daley , who runs the program in the Coffs Harbour, Bellingen and Nambucca areas on the mid-north coast of New South Wales, was pleased the funding had been guaranteed for a longer period than in the past.

“The ACHA program has been funded on a yearly basis up to this point, so it’s really nice to know we’ve secured the funding for another three years,” Ms Daley said.

“We probably see about 85-100 homeless older people here every year; it’s a fabulous and rewarding program to be a part of, and it’s great to know it can help around 4,000 people across Australia every year. 

“But we can only do so much. If we had more funding we could do way more [in each area], and it would be fabulous to see the program expanded even more [to cover more areas].”

The ACHA services identify clients by going out in the community, and provide case management services to help them get the care and accommodation they need. But according to Ms Daley, long waiting lists for public housing and the price of private rentals were still significant challenges, even outside of major cities.

“We go out and find the people and link them to services, and we find them appropriate affordable housing, which is a bit of a challenge these days,” she said.

“Trying to get them accommodated through social and community housing providers is always a first option. 

“But with the huge wait list we have in Housing NSW, it is a challenge, so the private rental market is something we look at more often, and then there is that challenge in terms of rental affordability.

“Expansion of this service across the country would be a fabulous thing, and greater funding would be brilliant.”

Tags: doha, funding, homeless, homelessness, minister-for-mental-health-and-ageing-mark-butler,

3 thoughts on “Aged care funding for the homeless

  1. Great news! This program is the unsung hero of the Aged Care portfolio providing extraordinary client-centred services to the most vulnerable seniors in our communities. IRTGroup ACHA program assists over 100 people each year that are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Every ACHA Coordinator I come in contact with from across the network inspires me with their passion and tenacity to make a positive impact for their clients.

  2. Continued funding for ACHA is a great step in the right direction, but this is a program that is crying out for extra funding. It is shocking that the fastest growing group of homeless people are older single women.The dire shortage of affordable housing means that the individual help and advocacy provided by an ACHA worker is vital for older people trying to find somewhere to live where they can still afford to eat. So much more needs to happen, but it’s a good start.

  3. Hello,
    I have been told to leave the house I have rented for over 10 years,on the 4-7-2012, my mother and I [daughter]came here in 2002, looked after the property, payed rent on time, mum passed on in 2007,after looking after her for 12 years, I have lived here alone,since, now i,m finding it hard to find accomadation i don,t know what to do, or where to go for help, I have no family here, I am 69yo on the 21 June, what a birthday gift, to be out on the street, at 69yo,

    Hope to hear from you soon
    Jean Cooper

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