For the last 25 years, Micah Projects has maintained an unwavering commitment to the health and wellbeing of all our staff, community members and program participants.

With the ongoing concerns of coronavirus (COVID-19), we continue to ensure our services remain accessible to our vulnerable and at-risk populations. All staff have the necessary support, equipment and directions for ensuring their own health and wellbeing whether on the street, in homes, in vehicles, in our offices or in the community.

Due to the public health impact of COVID-19, some events have been suspended temporarily. This is to ensure the health and wellbeing of participants during this time. Appointments, phone support and outreach to individuals and families are still occurring.

View the 30 May 2020 eNews 'Adapting to COVID-19'.

Please contact us 24/7 if you require support. Please let us know if you have any respiratory symptoms before face-to-face appointments.

Micah Projects is working in partnership with the Queensland Government, landlords, accommodation providers and other agencies to enable people who are rough sleeping (or in need of urgent accommodation) to be healthy and safe, and to have stability over the coming months.

View Micah Projects' COVID-19 Response brochure.

View Micah Projects' COVID-19 Guidance and Framework.

To keep up to date with all the latest information you can visit:

Australian Government Health Resources

Queensland Health Alerts for local updates

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resource Centre

The World Health Organisation

You can also get further information from the Coronavirus Health Information line on 1800 020 080.

Street to Home is an assertive outreach program that supports people who are sleeping rough or experiencing chronic homelessness.

Many people continue to be trapped in a cycle of homelessness, often transitioning from unstable accommodation to emergency shelters to rough sleeping. This can continue for many years resulting in a state of chronic homelessness.

Video by Katie Bennett

Moving out of this cycle requires access to affordable and permanent housing and a range of integrated support and healthcare services in order to maximise the potential for tenancy success and prevent a return to homelessness.

Street to Home is dedicated program to support people who are sleeping rough or experiencing chronic homelessness to move into stable, sustainable, long-term housing.

The team operates 20 hours per day, seven days per week from 6am – 12.30am. We are a multidisciplinary team of Nurses and Support and Advocacy Workers delivering housing support and Integrated Healthcare outreach services across Brisbane.

Who we work with

The Street to Home program is available to individuals, and families who are currently experiencing homelessness, in that they do not have a safe, stable home to call their own. This includes people who are living on the street, in parks, in cars, in temporary shelters or couch surfing.

Portrait of Steven. Photography: Katie Bennett.

What we do

Street to Home provides a range of very practical support including housing support and healthcare services, designed to help individuals and families find and sustain appropriate housing and access and manage their healthcare needs. We aim to minimise the amount of time that any individual or family spends experiencing homelessness.

Outreach occurs in parks and other public spaces where people sleep rough, in private homes and in the community wherever our services are required. These services are spread along a continuum from prevention of homelessness and crisis response through to supporting people who are chronically homeless to break the cycle.

We provide support for individuals and families to:

• discuss current issues impacting their lives and their housing
• identify potential housing options available to them
• apply for housing, including applications for public housing
• access appropriate health services (including direct nursing care)
• access the correct support and assistance entitlements
• manage their income, budgets and any existing debts, and access financial counselling where appropriate through our referral network
• use their own income to access safe, affordable, short-term accommodation and ultimately long-term housing
• develop and maintain links with services needed to achieve their housing and related individual/family goals, such as health, education, training and employment goals
• communicate with organisations regarding issues which may be impacting their life such as child protection, income support, education, child care, corrections, employment and training
• access legal support and advice relating to tenancy matters through referrals
• understand the rights and responsibilities of any new tenancy.

As with all Micah Projects programs devoted to maintaining successful tenancies, Street to Home adopts a holistic, evidence-based approach. We recognise that issues related to housing, health, social isolation, employment, education and income are all interconnected, and that solutions to these challenges require an integrated approach.

Next steps

To find out more about the Street to Home program, including eligibility criteria for individuals and families, please contact us.

If in doubt, call. We are committed to helping people experiencing a housing crisis, ether directly through one of our Micah Projects teams or by providing information about the best organisation to contact.

The Evidence

Street to Home is an outreach program that is based on the Housing First approach.

Micah Projects is devoted to delivering programs that achieve maximum positive impact by drawing on the best evidence-based research available for the prevention and ending of homelessness.

Key research and best-practice frameworks that we have drawn upon when developing and reviewing our Street to Home Program with integrated healthcare include:

• A Housing First approach to homelessness in Brisbane; Sustaining tenancies and the cost effectiveness of support services A three year research project by Carolyn Mason and Dr Peter Grimbeek, 2014.
• A 2014 Economic Evaluation of the Homeless to Home Healthcare After-Hours Service found that spending $503,000 and proactively addressing the health and housing needs of Brisbane’s homeless people saved the Queensland Public Health System between $6.45 - $6.9 million.* (*In a Brisbane study with 1369 individuals.)
• View the 2014 Key Findings factsheet from the Economic Evaluation
• Creating Homes: Lives Changing Stories Compiled by Ben Pennings, 2013
• Journeys through Homelessness – Whose Evidence? Carolyn Mason and Walter Robb, 2008
• Riverside Drive to Home Report Helen Wallace, Jon Eastgate, Judith Hunter, 2008
• Voices from the Margins: A Snapshot Dr Annie Holden 2008

Investment

The program is funded by the Queensland Government Department of Housing and Public Works. The Street to Home Integrated Nursing Services are funded by Brisbane South PHN and Brisbane North PHN.

The Brisbane City Council has provided funding for custom-fitted mobile health vans and additional daytime nursing capacity within the Street to Home team.

You may like to consider donating a welcome pack of essential household items for an individual or family moving from homelessness.

Donations are always appreciated and those over $2 are tax deductible.

Micah Projects' Home for Good Coordinated Access Team is a first port of call for people experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness in the greater Brisbane region.

Who we work with

The Coordinated Access Team is an initial access point for individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness in the Brisbane Local Government Area.

What we do

The Coordinated Access Team acts in a triage role, assisting individuals and families to resolve crisis quickly, using a Housing First approach. We provide information and referrals, as well as support and advocacy to assist people to prevent homelessness, access emergency accommodation, find or maintain suitable long-term housing and establish a home.

The team operate out of the Home for Good Hub in West End, Brisbane. We offer both booked and walk-in appointments to assist with:

• information
• referrals, within Micah Projects or externally
• direct support
• accessing emergency accommodation
• applications for social and community housing.

Micah Projects does not have housing stock of its own to provide to people experiencing homelessness, and does not operate a shelter or emergency accommodation service.

The Coordinated Access Team are skilled at assessing the needs of people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness and matching them, based on need and eligibility, to the best services to meet their circumstances. We can refer individuals and families to the most appropriate people for support services, while acting as the as a primary contact point, liaise with partners to help people stay on track towards safe and affordable long-term housing.

Key service providers with whom Micah Projects have a collaborative partnership, and who we may refer people to include:

• Department of Housing and Public Works
• Centrelink
• Tenants Queensland
• Queensland Public Interest Law Clearing House
• Common Ground Queensland.

The Coordinated Access Team adopts a holistic, evidence-based approach. We recognise that issues related to housing, health, social isolation, employment, education and income are all interconnected, and that solutions to these challenges require an integrated approach.

“When you’re on the street the future doesn’t look good, but here there’s a bit of hope,” Robert. Photography: Katie Bennett.

Read Robert's story.

Next steps ,

If you are in crisis or are looking to refer someone for support, you can get information and advice:

… by phone (07) 3036 4444

… by email info@micahprojects.org.au

… via this website

… in person by appointment.

Call (07) 3036 4444 or email info@micahprojects.org.au to make an appointment.

You can come to us or we can talk about how we can assist you. We strongly encourage people to make appointments for ‘face-to-face’ meetings. Priority will be given to people with scheduled appointments.

Appointments are held at our offices at 162 Boundary St, West End:

9am–4.30pm (closed 12–1pm) — Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday

9am–12pm — Thursday

If in doubt, call. We are committed to helping people experiencing a housing crisis, either directly through one of our Micah Projects teams or by providing information about the best organisation to contact.

The Evidence

Micah Projects is devoted to delivering programs that achieve maximum positive impact by drawing on the best evidence-based research available for the prevention and ending of homelessness.

Home for Good Coordinated Access Team incorporates a Housing First approach.

Key research and best-practice frameworks that we have drawn upon when developing and reviewing our service include:

• A Housing First approach to homelessness in Brisbane; Sustaining tenancies and the cost effectiveness of support services A three year research project by Carolyn Mason and Dr Peter Grimbeek, 2014.
• View the 2014 Key Findings factsheet from the Economic Evaluation of the Homeless to Home Healthcare After-Hours Service
• Creating Homes: Lives Changing Stories Compiled by Ben Pennings, 2013
• Journeys through Homelessness – Whose Evidence? Carolyn Mason and Walter Robb, 2008
• Voices from the Margins: A Snapshot Dr Annie Holden 2008

Investment

The program is funded by the Queensland Government Department of Housing and Public Works.

You may like to consider donating a welcome pack of essential household items for an individual or family moving from homelessness.

Donations are always appreciated and those over $2 are tax deductible.

Micah Projects is part of a consortium of service providers who work to support people at risk of homelessness to maintain their existing tenancy or accommodation where possible, and/or to access more sustainable accommodation for the future where appropriate.

We provide support for private and public tenants to sustain their tenancies through a range of services including tenancy support, advocacy, case management, financial counselling and referral services.

These services reflect the Micah Projects strategy to:

• respond to a crisis early to prevent an individual or family from becoming homeless
• provide rapid rehousing options where appropriate to minimise the length of time homelessness is experienced
• help individuals and families to navigate what long-term sustainable housing options are available and affordable for them
• provide access to integrated post-housing support in order to prevent a return to homelessness.

Who we work with

Individuals and families with children under 18 who:

• are currently in rental accommodation or housing, either private or public
• are at risk of not maintaining a tenancy, or are currently experiencing homelessness
• have persistent symptoms, significant functional impairment and psychosocial disability, and may have become disconnected from social or family support networks
• are at risk of not maintaining a tenancy.

What we do

We provide a range of very practical support services designed to help individuals and families find and sustain appropriate housing.

We offer support to:

• identify individual and family needs
• develop and prioritise housing goals
• manage income, budgets and any existing debts, and access financial counselling where appropriate through our referral network
• access the correct support and assistance entitlements
• use your own income to access safe, affordable, ongoing short-term accommodation and ultimately long-term housing
• develop and maintain links with services needed to achieve your housing and related individual/family goals, such as health, education, training and employment goals
• help communicate with organisations regarding issues which may be impacting on your life such as child protection, income support, education, child care, corrections, employment and training
• access legal support and advice relating to tenancy matters through referrals
• negotiate positive housing outcomes when disputes arise
• end tenancies positively when it is time to move on
• assist with the Community Housing application process where necessary.

We adopt a holistic, evidence-based approach that recognises issues related to housing, health, social isolation, employment, education and income are all interconnected, and that solutions to these challenges require an integrated approach.

“It was a major win for us, the moment we were able to walk out of that hotel room,” Katrina Parson. Photography: Craig Holmes.

Next steps

To find out more, including eligibility criteria for individuals and families, please contact us.

If in doubt, call. We are committed to helping people experiencing a housing crisis, ether directly or by providing information about the best organisation to contact.

The Evidence

Micah Projects is devoted to delivering programs that achieve maximum positive impact by drawing on the best evidence-based research available for the prevention and ending of homelessness.

Key research and best-practice frameworks that we have drawn upon when developing and reviewing our service include:

• A Housing First approach to homelessness in Brisbane; Sustaining tenancies and the cost effectiveness of support services A three year research project by Carolyn Mason and Dr Peter Grimbeek, 2014.
• Micah Projects Child Aware Approaches Project Literature Review Authors: Clare Tilbury, Peter Walsh and Jennifer Osmond, Griffith University School of Human Services and Social Work, 2013.
• Micah Projects Practice Framework – Working with Children and Vulnerable Adults Developed by Micah Projects, January 2013
• Implementation matters: Using implementation frameworks to improve outcomes for children and families Developed by Parenting Research Centre, January 2013

Investment

The program is funded by the Queensland Government Department of Housing and Public Works.

You may like to consider donating a welcome pack of essential household items for an individual or family moving from homelessness.

Donations are always appreciated and those over $2 are tax deductible.

Micah Projects believe that Supportive Housing – the provision of permanent, cost-effective housing along with supportive services and healthcare is the solution to homelessness.

Supportive Housing can provide an immediate solution to ending the homelessness of the most vulnerable and chronically homeless people in Queensland. Chronic homelessness is the long term or repeated homelessness of a person, who often is living with a disability, including a mental illness or addiction.

Supportive Housing is evidence-based, and cost-effective.

Micah Projects offers Supportive Housing through our on-site 'Supportive Housing – Hope Street' team.

Integrated Healthcare is a key component of the support services provided by the team. The seven-day-per-week healthcare is provided by nurses who are a part of the team. They are employed by Micah Projects and funded by Mater Health and St Vincent’s Health Australia.

Rachelle, a former Brisbane Common Ground tenant, came to Australia as a 14-year-old refugee and was determined to make a life for herself here in Australia. Photography: Craig Holmes.

Supportive Housing – Hope Street

Micah Projects works in collaboration with Common Ground Queensland in the advocacy for and operation of Queensland’s first dedicated supportive housing building: Brisbane Common Ground. Micah Projects provides 24/7 support services to tenants who require it and Common Ground Queensland provides the tenancy and property management.

The transition from homelessness to creating a home is not always easy. The impact of traumatic experiences, disconnection and living in public spaces, all influence how a person makes this transition. In order to give each person the best possible opportunity, Micah Projects liaises with community services, healthcare providers and education and training institutions to take a collaborative approach to supporting a person.

Brisbane Common Ground at 15 Hope Street, South Brisbane brings together the right ingredients to help tenants make a home. It is affordable, with rent based on a percentage of income. Tenants have the stability of a General Tenancy Agreement and can live in Brisbane Common Ground for as long as they meet the terms of the agreement and it remains the housing of their choice.

To find out more about Brisbane Common Ground please contact us.

Micah Projects receives funding from the Queensland Government through the Department of Communities, Disability Services and Seniors to provide Supportive Housing services.

You may like to consider donating a welcome pack of essential household items for one person moving into Brisbane Common Ground.

Donations are always appreciated and those over $2 are tax deductible.

*While Rachelle chose to transition into private rental, tenants can live in Brisbane Common Ground for as long as they meet the terms of the agreement and it remains their housing of their choice. In all ways it offers a permanent, stable home.

Micah Projects’ Integrated Healthcare provides an integrated, person-centred and trauma-sensitive response to the health needs of vulnerable people in Brisbane, including people experiencing homelessness.

The integration of nurses into Micah Projects teams is informed by a social model of health that recognises that a broad range of social factors, in addition to the presence or absence of disease, impact upon people’s health. In adopting a Housing First approach, healthcare, housing and social support services are delivered to achieve improved outcomes for people who are vulnerable and experiencing homelessness.

The Street to Home After Hours Nursing Service and the Pathways Hospital Admission and Discharge Pilot Program have demonstrated significant cost savings.

For more information please visit Micah Projects Integrated Healthcare Webpage.

Micah Projects is committed to supporting Brisbane woman and children, to ensure they feel safe and free from fear of domestic and family violence.

Our Brisbane Domestic Violence Service (BDVS) team is a first port of call for woman and children experiencing or at risk of experiencing domestic and family violence.

If you or a family member or friend are experiencing domestic and family violence, please call (07) 3217 2544. Support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you are currently in an emergency situation call the Police on 000.

BDVS provides information and referral, crisis support, practical assistance, advocacy, counselling and emotional support. We work to provide a safe environment in which people can access our services to meet their needs - over the phone, on-line, or via in-person visits in the home or at a nominated safe place.

Visit the Brisbane Domestic Violence Service Website

This website is full of information regarding our services. If you are in need of help or information please call us.

Phone (07) 3036 4444.

If Micah Projects Home for Good can help, our staff will put you in contact with the person in our organisation who can assist you.

We have strong collaborative partnerships with other service providers. If we are unable to provide the service you require, we will refer you directly to the most appropriate organisation.

If you prefer to call other services directly, the Organisations below may be of assistance.

Homelessness

Homeless Hotline If you are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness, you can contact Homeless Hotline freecall 1800 474 753 for confidential advice (24 hours) or email psosupport@smartservice.qld.gov.au

This service can help by providing information about an immediate safe place to stay, practical assistance such as where to get meals, showers and clothing and advice and support.

Domestic Violence

If you are currently in an emergency situation call the Police on 000.

Brisbane Domestic Violence Service (BDVS) is Micah Projects service for woman and children experiencing or at risk of experiencing domestic and family violence. Phone (07)3217 2544. For more information please visit the dedicated BDVS website.

dvconnect provides free help for women, men, children and pets affected by domestic and family violence across Queensland.

dvconnect womensline (phone line for women, children and young people - 24 hours, 7 days) phone 1800 811 811

dvconnect mensline (phone line for men - 9am - midnight, 7 days) phone 1800 600 636

General

Lifeline Lifeline provides access to crisis support, suicide prevention and mental health support services. Phone 13 11 14.

1800 RUOKDAY (1800 7865 329) This number links you through to 6 different crisis support or mental health information lines:

• Lifeline Phone 13 11 14
• Suicide Call Back Service Phone 1300 659 467
• MensLine Australia Phone 1300 78 99 78
• SANE Australia Helpline Phone 1800 18 7263
• Kids Helpline Phone 1800 55 1800
• beyondblue Info Line Phone 1300 22 4636

Queensland Ombudsman The Queensland Ombudsman's Office is an independent complaints investigation agency. Their role is to ensure public agencies (state government departments and bodies, and local councils) act fairly and make the right decisions for Queenslanders.

They also help public agencies improve their decision-making and administrative practice for the benefit of the community. If you believe that a public agency has made an unfair or incorrect decision about an issue that affects you, they may be able to help. Phone (07) 3005 7000 / Toll Free (landlines only) 1800 068 908.

For information on more services view Micah Projects useful links.