Addressing homelessness amongst persons with a disability : identifying and enacting best practice

July 2012 - front page September 2011 - page 2 "National Homelessness Research Projects" Project No. 1-EFBLTW

Professor Shelley Mallett is General Manager, Research and Policy Centre at the Brotherhood of St Laurence (also Professorial Fellow in Social Policy School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Melbourne.

Persons with a disability are vulnerable both to, and within, homelessness because of their many have low incomes, may have limited engagement with the labour market, and limited housing options. While attention has been given to the relationship between poor mental health and homelessness, persons with other types of disability – physical, sensory, intellectual – are also at risk. The goal of this research is to understand the homelessness risks confronting persons with a disability and how best to meet their needs. This project addresses research priorities around improving service practice; understanding referral pathways through services; preventing homelessness through early intervention; and, identifying resilience and protective factors