Recommissioning Homelessness Services
On 29 May 2023 the NSW Government announced the extension of existing contracts for Specialist Homelessness Services and Homeless Youth Assistance Program services by two years. This will bring the current contract term to five years, ending on 30 June 2026.
Homes NSW is now working with the sector, peaks and other stakeholders to plan for the recommissioning of the NSW homelessness system from July 2026. Recommissioning will be guided by the Draft NSW Homelessness Strategy 2025-2035, which sets new directions to build the capacity of the NSW service system to prevent and respond to homelessness over the next ten years. The Strategy’s vision is that homelessness is rare, brief and not-repeated because people have a safe home and the support to keep it.
One of the key aims of the recommissioning process will be to balance system reform with the need to maintain a diverse and viable homelessness sector. Secure funding for services will be a key goal and all contracts will be 5 years in duration.
An extensive consultation process has already begun and Homes NSW will be working closely with the sector right through to June 2026 to shape the design of our future system.
For more information, please contact HomelessnessRecommissioning@homes.nsw.gov.au
Specialist Homelessness Services program evaluation
In 2022, DCJ contracted Ernst and Young (EY) to undertake the evaluation of the SHS program. The evaluation of SHS services aimed to build a comprehensive understanding of the service system and provide strategic direction and advice for the future of the program.
The SHS evaluation report provides an understanding of the value of the program and the outcomes it is achieving, as well as areas for further development. The evaluation makes twenty-three recommendations, related to key themes of:
- Accessibility
- Client cohorts and needs
- Client centricity and integration
- Networks and governance
- Data collection and reporting.
Findings and recommendations from the evaluation report will support the recommissioning approach for homelessness services, guiding future service design, as we work towards the commencement of five-year contracts from July 2026.
Homes NSW will continue to work closely with the sector in exploring how the SHS evaluation can support providers and enhance homelessness delivery in NSW.