Homelessness partnerships and agreements
The Protocol for Homeless People in Public Places
The Protocol for Homeless People in Public Places (the Protocol) assists and guides government, non-government organisations, and private businesses to interact and engage with people experiencing homelessness, so they are treated respectfully, with dignity, and do not face discrimination.
The Protocol also encourages government and non-government organisations to provide a response or deliver support to people experiencing homelessness if they need or request it.
No Exits from Government Services into Homelessness: A Framework for Multi-Agency Action
Many highly vulnerable people leaving government services have multiple and complex needs or experience unpredictable exit pathways that significantly increase their risk of homelessness.
This includes young people leaving out-of-home care, people being released from correctional facilities, people leaving social housing and patients transitioning from health care settings.
The No Exits from Government Services into Homelessness: A framework for multi-agency action 2020 outlines agreed service principles for effective and coordinated planning across NSW Government agencies to support people to move into stable accommodation and independent living.
The Framework informs NSW Government transition planning policies and procedures to strengthen current practice and reduce exits from government services into homelessness.
Housing and Mental Health Agreement
The Department of Communities and Justice is committed to helping people with mental health conditions who need assistance with housing.
Access to safe, secure, appropriate housing is essential to ensure that people who live with mental health conditions can live well in the community. Timely access to appropriate mental health supports enhances wellbeing, helps people sustain their tenancy, and creates pathways into housing for people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.
People with mental health conditions are among those with the most complex needs in our community. Supporting these people often requires collaboration between government and non-government agencies so that people can access the full range of services available to them.
The Housing and Mental Health Agreement 2022 (HMHA 22) provides a framework that covers planning, coordinating and delivering effective services to people who are living in social housing or who are experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness and require mental health supports.
Homelessness due to domestic and family violence
The Department of Communities and Justice is committed to reducing the significant impact that domestic and family violence has on our community. We are doing this by improving access to timely and appropriate support and crisis accommodation, and safe and affordable housing. The safety of women and children is most important to the work we do.
Improving access to safe housing
Experiences of Domestic and family violence increase the risk of homelessness. DCJ is committed to reducing the risk of homelessness among people experiencing domestic and family violence by improving access to safe and affordable housing, and providing appropriate and timely housing assistance.
There are now more services across NSW catering for the specific needs of women who are victims of domestic and family violence. Around 15,000 women (aged 15 years and over) experiencing domestic and family violence are assisted by Specialist Homelessness Services each year. Many of these women will have accompanying children, with close to 9,000 children also receiving services.
Increasing funding to combat domestic and family violence
More funding is being injected into the service system to make it stronger and increase the capacity of services catering for the special needs of women who are victims of domestic and family violence.
In October 2021, the NSW Government announced a historic investment of $484.3 million for housing and specialist supports for women and children experiencing DFV. This includes $426.6 million to expand Core and Cluster, $52.5 million to the Community Housing Innovation Fund and $5.2 million to a trial homeless children and young people, with a focus on DFV. In addition to this $60 million is allocated to support frontline DFV services and $32.5 million to Staying Home Leaving Violence.
This investment will help respond to increased demand and better assist women experiencing domestic and family violence by delivering expert support and funding additional accommodation options.
NSW Ombudsman’s report on specialist homelessness services - implementation plan
The NSW Ombudsman tabled a report ‘Specialist homelessness services: helping people with high or complex needs’ in August 2022. View DCJ’s Implementation Plan in response to that report.
Who to contact
Women escaping domestic violence can call:
Operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, where they will be assessed and referred to the most appropriate service. If a refuge bed is not available, they can be provided with temporary accommodation while other solutions are sought.
Women can also call:
NSW Domestic Violence Line
1800 656 463 for counselling, information and referral to other services.
Providing refuge and accommodation for women is only one response, which is why specialist homelessness services offer a greater range of prevention, early intervention and support responses.
Other useful services:
Website and app for immediate assistance with information about where to get help for shelter, food, health and other critical services.
Find a specialist homelessness service
Search for details on all homelessness services that DCJ supports that are available to anyone who is homeless or at risk of becoming homeless in NSW.
Initiatives to keep people safe
Many DCJ initiatives support women and children experiencing domestic and family violence.
Start Safely
Start Safely is a private rental subsidy that provides short-to-medium term financial support to people who are experiencing domestic and family violence. The Start Safely subsidy helps people secure and maintain private rental accommodation so they don’t have to return to the violent situation.
Staying Home, Leaving Violence (SHLV)
SHLV is a DCJ initiative aimed at promoting the safety and housing stability of victim-survivors of domestic and family violence. It enables women and children to remain safely in their home or a home of their choice after leaving a violent relationship.
The range of support includes intensive case management, risk assessments, safety planning, security modifications and equipment, legal help, employment support and direct services to children.
Housing Pathways
The Housing Pathways and local Housing office pages can provide more information about the types of help available and how to access them.