Common use of Policy Context Clause in Contracts

Policy Context. As part of Tasmania’s specialist homelessness service system, long term supported accommodation services provide affordable and secure rental accommodation with integrated support for Tasmanians who require support to live independently as they may otherwise struggle to maintain a residential tenancy. Long term supported accommodation is provided for the duration of need, as determined for Eligible Persons under the Homes Tasmania Act 2022 and is provided within the requirements of the Residential Tenancy Act 1997 (RTA). Long term supported accommodation for adults aged 18 years of age and over who are homeless or at risk of homelessness is tailored to people’s needs and includes different types of accommodation for: • adults with low support needs • adults with moderate support needs • older Tasmanians aged over 50 years who require support to live independently. Long term supported accommodation services in Tasmania are managed by housing support providers as defined under the Homes Tasmania Act 2022. Long term supported accommodation services across Tasmania are part of the housing continuum and support the introduction of Housing Connect 2.0 which provides services tailored to the different circumstances and life stage of each person. This includes access to long term supported accommodation for people who are provided with support to enhance their connections to family, friends and their community and increase their wellbeing so they can live a safe and happy life. Policy development – Draft version 0.C: Policy for Long Term Supported Accommodation Homes Tasmania is introducing a policy framework and practice guidelines specifically for Housing Connect 2.0. When finalised, the policies and practice guidelines will provide the policy setting for managing short term supported accommodation. Until then, this document remains a draft. Risk Factors There are a range of structural, community, familial and individual level issues effecting homelessness in Australia, with the root causes including income poverty and disadvantage. Other known causes of homelessness include lack of access to affordable housing, relationship breakdown and family violence, low income and unemployment, mental illness, disability, and drug and alcohol use. People who are exiting prison, mental health services or other institutional care are also at increased risk of experiencing homelessness. Provision of Long Term Supported Accommodation Referrals will be coordinated Housing Connect is the principal application and referral point for all long term supported accommodation for Tasmanians aged 18 and over. Housing Connect assesses the required intensity of support, and suitable fit of a person before making a referral to a long term supported accommodation service. Eligibility for Long Term Supported Accommodation Applications for long term supported accommodation are made through Housing Connect. To be eligible for long term supported accommodation, applicants must be eligible for social housing, be identified as having low to moderate living skills requiring integrated housing support, and they must be at risk of, or experiencing homelessness, as evidenced by either: • exiting from an institutional facility (such as custodial arrangements, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ care and child safety residential placements, hospitals, prisons, and mental health facilities) into homelessness, • experiencing primary homelessness (such as living without conventional accommodation, eg. sleeping rough), • experiencing secondary homelessness (such as frequently moving from one temporary shelter to another, eg. brokered emergency accommodation and couch surfing), • experiencing tertiary homelessness (where accommodation falls below minimum community standards, eg. boarding house or caravan park), • experiencing insecure tenure (where the person has no tenure, or their tenure is short and not extendable), • living in a home that is inappropriate, unaffordable or unsafe (eg. women and children escaping family violence). Applicants must also be suitable for long term supported accommodation, which means an applicant is assessed as: • requiring low to moderate integrated housing support to live independently • willing to engage in a support plan to enhance their capabilities and live a safe and happy life • able to live in a communal setting or in close proximity to other people.