Michael’s Intensive Supported Housing Accord (MISHA) project is an innovative homeless men’s service that links men experiencing homelessness in the Parramatta area to long-term, stable accommodation while supporting them to build the lives they would like to live.

The MISHA service delivery model is based on Assertive Case Management, Supported Housing and Housing First principles: facilitating access to permanent housing on the part of clients and providing a holistic service delivery approach that includes both psycho-social and economic supports to improve well-being and ensure that housing accessed can best be sustained. The MISHA model is client driven, strengths-based and goal-focussed. It has a focus on addressing the psychological impacts and determinants of homelessness and on supporting clients to access meaningful activity, including employment, and to build clients’ networks of social support. MISHA seeks to work collaboratively and in partnership with organisations and services.

The MISHA project builds on the already strong links and knowledge developed through the Michael Project on the effectiveness of integrated approaches for clients with multiple needs, and the feasibility (in terms of relative costs and benefits) of providing these services.This baseline report provides an outline of the findings of the MISHA client baseline data analysis.