Men taking part in the program, The Michael Project, also reported having greater access to health services when they needed it and a decreased sense of social isolation.
The Michael Project is funded by a private donor. It aims to improve the lives of homeless men by simultaneously addressing their health, accommodation and other needs, such as literacy and computer skills.
Last year, Mission Australia released the first round of results from The Michael Project research study. This information was gathered from an initial survey of 253 homeless men and provided the most comprehensive profile of homeless adult men available in Australia.
This week, Mission Australia is releasing the second wave of results, showing how these men were faring three months into the project. Of the 253 men first surveyed, 147 were located and agreed to take part in the second survey. The results in this publication compare only the data for participants who responded to both the first and second surveys.
Of the men who were living in short to medium-term accommodation, about one in five had entered long-term housing and the proportion of those employed rose from 6.5 per cent to 19.6 per cent. Others had begun actively seeking employment.
Men who were initially surveyed in emergency accommodation, or through outreach services, were less likely to have found long-term accommodation and their employment circumstances had not changed.
In the first survey, one-third of participants said they felt they lacked the skills or education to find a job. Three months later, only 15 per cent of the men said they still felt that way and the percentage of men receiving wages or a salary rose from 6.5 per cent to 11.4 per cent.
The Michael Project combined accommodation services with assertive case management and 11 specialist services: dental, podiatry, psychology, drug and alcohol counselling, barber, occupational therapy recreation, literacy and numeracy, computer literacy, and two street-based health and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander outreach services.
The project ran for three years and ended last year. Remaining data gathered during that time is due for release later this year. The results of the project will provide evidence for policies and programs.
The generous donor is now also funding the MISHA project, 'Michael's Intensive Supported Housing Accord'. It is a trial of an integrated program that provides long term stable accommodation and helps homeless men build the lives they would like to live.
The full report of the three-month results is available here:
How homeless men are faring: Some initial outcomes from The Michael Project
The first snapshot of participants in the project is available here:
Increasing our understanding of homeless men: The Michael Project
For additional copies, please contact Aimee Tyson on (02) 9217 2022 or email tysona@missionaustralia.com.au
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