Overview

The study of thirty-three Victorian families was undertaken by the Australian Institute of Family Studies in response to a request from Hanover Welfare Services. The families interviewed had sought help from Hanover Welfare Services, Community and Volunteers of Eltham (CAVE) and St Luke's Family Services in Bendigo after reaching a housing crisis. The case studies document, from the point of view of the families, the pathways leading to homelessness, the emergency itself and the possible ways back to stable family life in the community. There is a section on the ability of families to cope, their strengths and weaknesses and attitudes to agencies and services. The final section looks at possible strategies to prevent homelessness and to help families through the immediate crisis to fight their way back to more stable family life. The implications for government and non-government services are also discussed, and policy options for increased public housing and support services suggested.

Policy background paper (Australian Institute of Family Studies) no. 8.