Men

Mission Australia, Sydney 17 April 2012

Beginning in 2007, The Michael Project was a three-year Mission Australia initiative that aimed to help homeless men in Sydney to improve their lives.  This integrated model, linked housing with care and support such as dental, psychological, medical, social or vocational, to help men work on their overall wellbeing.

The Michael Project included a longitudinal research component led by Dr Paul Flatau.  The results from that study have now been released by Mission Australia in the report The Michael Project, 2007-2010: New perspectives and possibilities for homeless men.  

“The Michael Project had four objectives, underpinned by a conviction that providing support can enhance the agency and capability of homeless men:

1. To improve the health and wellbeing, social participation and economic participation of homeless men.
2. To improve access to stable, secure and long term accommodation for homeless men.
3. To articulate and implement a new model of support for homeless men.
4. To provide an evidence base for policy and program development in the delivery of services to homeless men.”

“The Michael Project findings suggest that an integrated, targeted and timely model of service delivery offered from within the existing accommodation support system can have a beneficial impact for men experiencing homelessness and can lay a platform for recovery and social inclusion. Importantly, the cost savings to government in the health and justice areas alone are sufficient to more than cover the total cost of service delivery.”