Responding to People Sleeping Rough: Dilemmas and Opportunities for Social Work

Abstract

Rough sleeping refers to the state of being literally without shelter or residing in shelter not fit for human habitation. People who sleep rough are thought to be a group who experience a range of complex problems in addition to their homelessness. Despite their small numbers relative to the broader homeless population, rough sleepers have been identified as a target group for policy and practice intervention. This article critically examines outreach responses directed toward people sleeping rough. Moving beyond traditional charity approaches or interventions that “move people on”, emerging models of “assertive outreach” have been implemented in Australia as part of broader strategies to reduce homelessness. Challenging the idea that assertive outreach is a shift from a social work approach, it is argued that interventions to actively end rough sleeping are consistent with social work principles. Indeed, this article takes it that social work must advocate for the provision of affordable housing as central to rough sleeping interventions. Housing not only enables people to achieve human dignity and worth, but the linking of housing with outreach responses to rough sleepers will facilitate a trusting and effective working relationship.

Abstract

Keywords:

• Homelessness
• Intervention
• Social Work Values

Notes

¹For example, South Australia's Social Inclusion Unit, Queensland Government's Responding to Homelessness Strategy (2005), and the Victorian Homelessness Strategy (2002).

²These include Queensland's Health Homeless Outreach Teams and Sydney's former Inner-City Homelessness Outreach and Support Service.

³The Larrakia Nation Aboriginal Corporation in Darwin, and the Tangentyere Council in Alice Springs are two examples.