Authors: Veronica Coram, Leanne Lester, Selina Tually, Michael Kyron, Kelly McKinley, Paul Flatau, Ian Goodwin-Smith
Location: Worldwide
Policy Area: Homelessness
This report outlines the findings of an evaluation of the Aspire program and social impact bond (SIB) in Adelaide, South Australia (SA).
Aspire is a homelessness intervention involving more intensive case management for a longer duration than most programs which respond to homelessness. Aspire is also unusual in that it was the first homelessness intervention in Australia to be financed by private investors through a SIB. SIBs offer opportunities for innovative new service delivery models to be trialled while minimising risks for governments and service providers. Returns to the Aspire SIB investors are based on the outcomes delivered through Aspire and the associated cost savings to the SA Government. The findings of the Aspire evaluation add to a growing body of knowledge on effective responses to homelessness and the potential role of SIBs in this area.
Aspire is informed by a Housing First approach and the program design draws on learnings from prior research and practice wisdom about what does and doesn’t work in responding to homelessness, particularly chronic or recurrent homelessness experienced by people with so-described ‘complex needs’ (such as co-occurring mental or physical health issues, trauma, disability and/or problematic drug or alcohol use). While Aspire was not specifically designed for people with complex needs, participants often fit this category as these needs are strongly associated with experiencing chronic and recurrent homelessness.
The Aspire program design aligns with previous findings that effective homelessness interventions are based on person-centred, flexible, holistic and coordinated case management over a sustained period, with rapid (re)housing and wraparound post-housing supports to increase the chances of people staying housed. Aspire aims for caseloads of around one to 15 (rather than the common one to 25 or more in other case management programs) and offers participants up to three years of supports (rather than the common three to six months).
Aspire enrolled 575 participants between program commencement in mid-2017 and what was expected to be the last program intake in mid-2021. New funding was provided for the Aspire program to allow a program intake in 2022, but these participants are not included in the evaluation and this funding was a direct injection of funds from government and not a SIB structured payment. Aspire was open to people aged 18 to 55 who were experiencing homelessness in metropolitan Adelaide or were at risk of being discharged into homelessness from a correctional or health facility. Nearly two thirds of Aspire participants were male and the average age at intake was 39.