Evaluation of the Home and Healthy Program

The NSW Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) appointed a team from UNSW to evaluate the pilot of the Home and Healthy (H&H) program. The program was part of the NSW Homelessness Strategy 2018-2023.  The Home and healthy program Home and Healthy supported homeless people and those at risk of homelessness leaving health facilities, including hospitals by offering holistic support. The aim of the program was to support participants during their transition from a health facility then ongoing for up to two years with an allocated case manager and housing strategies. The program was delivered as a trial by Mission Australia in the Sydney and South Eastern Sydney Local Health Districts (LHDs). It was the first social impact investment in Australia to use a rate-card approach (where payments were linked to outcomes).

The evaluation commenced in June 2020 and concluded in July 2022. It included implementation, process, and outcome elements. The evaluation outputs included an evaluation plan, a revised Program Logic, and a final report.  The final report focuses on the key evaluation elements, includes a review of existing tools used to assess complexity of need and triage persons experiencing homelessness, and discusses what lessons can be learned from this pilot program for future similar programs.