Person—reason for seeking assistance, homelessness code N[N]

CODE 1    Financial difficulties

Financial difficulties is selected if the person sought assistance because the person had insufficient money to pay for accommodation, food, bills or other essentials; if the person has adequate financial resources but has difficulties managing these resources; or if the person doesn't have the financial resources to meet rental commitments.

CODE 2    Housing affordability stress

Housing affordability stress is selected if the person sought assistance as a result of the current rent on the leased property being too high, or they are having difficulty meeting mortgage repayments, creating stress with general living expenses.

CODE 3    Housing crises

Housing crises is selected if the person was formally evicted from her/his previous accommodation arrangement (for example, by a landlord or public housing official) or if the person was asked to leave their previous accommodation (for example, if the person was asked to leave by flatmates).

CODE 4    Inadequate or inappropriate dwelling conditions

Inadequate or inappropriate dwelling conditions is selected if the person sought assistance as a result of household stress from overcrowded, unsuitable or unsafe dwelling conditions.

CODE 5    Previous accommodation ended

Previous accommodation ended is selected if the person’s previous accommodation was no longer available (for example the breakup of a group home or rental property being sold by owner).

CODE 6    Time out from family/other situation

Time out from family/other situation is selected if the person needed some time away from her/his family or if the person needed some time away from non-related individuals.

CODE 7    Relationship/family breakdown

Relationship/family breakdown is selected if the person sought assistance because of the dissolution of a spouse/partner relationship or other family relationship.

CODE 8    Sexual abuse

Sexual abuse is selected if the person sought assistance as a result of sexual abuse inflicted on the client by a family member or non-related individual.

CODE 9   Domestic and family violence 

Domestic/family violence is selected if the person sought assistance as a result of physical or emotional abuse inflicted on the person by a family member.

CODE 10   Non-family violence

Non-family violence is selected if the person sought assistance as a result of physical or emotional abuse inflicted on the client by a non-related individual; or if the person was homeless or sought assistance as a result of violence or a threat of violence inflicted by a non-related individual.

CODE 11   Mental health issues

Mental health issues is selected if the person sought assistance because of their mental health. This does not include a situation in which the person sought assistance as a result of another person’s mental health issues.

CODE 12   Medical issues

Medical issues is selected if the person sought assistance because of any conditions that are, or have been treated or diagnosed by a health professional.

CODE 13   Problematic drug or substance abuse

Problematic drug or substance use is selected if the person sought assistance as a result of his/her drug related problem. This does not include a situation in which the person sought assistance as a result of drug abuse by another person.

CODE 14   Problematic alcohol use

Problematic alcohol use is selected if the person sought assistance as a result of his/her alcohol related problem. This does not include a situation in which the person sought assistance as a result of alcohol use by another person.

CODE 15  Employment difficulties

Employment difficulties is selected where the person is experiencing difficulties or changes to their employment, that negatively impacts on their ability to work or on their life outside work. This includes cases where employment difficulties are creating current or future financial problems. Examples include difficulty maintaining employment; recently losing employment, or a change in employment conditions, such as reduction in pay/hours etc; bullying or harassment; unsafe employment conditions, (i.e. health safety risks), or unfair or illegal workplace practices/conditions (i.e. excessive workload, inflexible hours).

CODE 16   Unemployment

Unemployment is selected where the person sought assistance because of difficulties obtaining or maintaining employment and is currently unemployed.

CODE 17   Problematic gambling

Problematic gambling is selected if the person was homeless or sought assistance because they had insufficient means to cover the cost of living as a consequence of a one-off instance or an ongoing gambling problem.

CODE 18   Transition from custodial arrangements

Transition from custodial arrangements is selected if the person was recently released from a custodial institution such as a prison or detention centre.

CODE 19   Transition from foster care and child safety residential placements

Child safety placements include a range of services provided to children and young people under 18 years of age who are in need of care and protection. This service provides alternative overnight accommodation for children and young people who are unable to live with their parents. These arrangements include foster care, placements with relatives or kin, and residential care.

CODE 20   Transition from other care arrangements

Transition from other care arrangements is selected if the person was recently released from a care institution such as a hospital or disability care arrangement.

CODE 21   Discrimination including racial discrimination

Discrimination including racial discrimination is selected if the person was homeless or sought assistance because of discrimination based on their sex, age, race, religion or other personal attributes.

CODE 22   Itinerant

Itinerant is selected if the person was moving from place to place or had no fixed address.

CODE 23   Unable to return home due to environmental reasons

Unable to return home due to environmental reasons is selected if the person is unable to return home due to environmental reasons; (e.g. wet season flooding).

CODE 24   Disengagement with school or other education and training

Disengagement with school or other education and training is selected where the person sought assistance for their difficulty with engaging within their education or training, creating difficulties for the person to establish connection with community and develop skills that will help them for future employment.

CODE 25   Lack of family and/or community support

The person has no family or community support structure which has led them to seek agency support.

CODE 26   Other

Other is selected if the person sought assistance because s/he recently arrived in the area (from another town or another country) and had nowhere to stay; if the person’s previous accommodation was no longer available (for example, the death of a family member); if the person sought assistance as a result of his/her sexuality or sexual identification, or if the person is seeking assistance for a reason not listed above. The reason should be specified.

This data element is intended to focus on the reason(s) the person presented to the agency as opposed to the underlying reasons or causes that may have built up over a lifetime.

There may be more than one reason why a person seeks assistance. This data element may be used to collect the main presenting reason or all presenting reasons.

If this data element is used to collect both , the main reason should be collected second, that is after 'all' reasons have been ascertained.

If a person does not nominate a list category record their response as 'Other' and record the description.

The permissible values for this data element are used to form the response categories to the question(s):

'Which reason(s) listed, best describes why you are seeking assistance?'

and 

'Of the reasons you have identified as why you are seeking assistance, which one, do you consider, to be the main reason?'

Supersedes Person—reason for seeking assistance, SAAP code N[NN] Community Services (retired), Superseded 23/08/2010

Has been superseded by Person—reason for seeking assistance, homelessness code N[N] Homelessness, Standard 24/11/2016

Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS 2011 Housing assistance, Superseded 01/05/2013
Homelessness, Superseded 01/05/2013

Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS 2012-13 Housing assistance, Superseded 01/05/2013
Homelessness, Superseded 01/05/2013

Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS 2013-14 Housing assistance, Superseded 26/08/2014
Homelessness, Superseded 26/08/2014

Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS 2014-15 Housing assistance, Superseded 24/11/2016
Homelessness, Superseded 24/11/2016

Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS 2015-17 Homelessness, Superseded 24/11/2016