Impact Economics and Policy

Our Senior Manager Brad Ruting was a panelist in the "More than money" webinar hosted by the Ecstra Foundation yesterday (standing in for our Lead Economist Dr Angela Jackson at the last minute). In a wide-ranging discussion the panel explored how financial wellbeing intersects with health and social outcomes, the impacts of the current cost-of-living crisis, what policy makers should be focused on, and much much more. You can watch the recording on YouTube where Brad is joined by three excellent co-panelists and the very capable host Caroline Stewart: https://lnkd.in/gjp_2ZQK Brad Ruting Caroline Stewart Phillip Usher Suzie Forell Bronwyn Boon Dr Angela Jackson Nathan Blane Julie Sonnemann Andrew Craston

Our latest childcare report, prepared for the Minderoo Foundation, was released earlier this week and featured in the The Australian Financial Review. Titled "Time to Stop Throwing Good Money After Bad" and authored by our Lead Economist Dr Angela Jackson, it shows how Child Care Subsidies have failed to deliver on affordability or access. Market reform is needed, with a $10 per day flat fee model that incentivises providers to deliver high-quality and cost-effective care. This would unlock substantial benefits for children, parents and workforce participation. https://lnkd.in/g2DtWntg Minderoo Foundation Dr Angela Jackson Nathan Blane Andrew Craston Julie Sonnemann Brad Ruting

Busy day here Impact Economics and Policy with two reports being released and featuring in the media! Our report commissioned by NSW Council of Social Service (NCOSS) puts an economic cost on childhood poverty in Australia for the first time. It highlights the lasting economic impacts of child poverty, and the importance of measures that end poverty and mitigate its negative lifelong impacts. Lasting Impacts : The Economic Costs of Childhood Poverty featured into today’s The Sydney Morning Herald. This landmark report follows previous approaches in the USA and the UK, and finds that the direct economic costs of child poverty in NSW equate to around 3.2 per cent of gross state product or $25 billion. Including indirect costs and the economic impacts hit $60 billion a year. 👦🏻👧🏻 270,000 children living in poverty 👨🏻👩🏻 an estimated 580,000 adults that frequently experienced poverty as children 💰the economic costs equal $7,100 per person in NSW highlighting the benefits from addressing child poverty to the whole community Eliminating child poverty would generate economic gains from higher productivity and participation. #endpoverty #children Cara Varian Ben McAlpine Nathan Blane Andrew Craston Brad Ruting Dr Angela Jackson

Our Lead Economist Dr Angela Jackson had a busy week helping launch our latest report Call Unanswered: Unmet Demand for Specialist Homlessness Services in Canberra alongside Homelessness Australia CEO Kate Colvin. The report provides a snapshot of a sector overwhelmed by increased demand and bottlenecks in the system created by a lack of permanent housing options. 40 per cent of services had to lock their front doors during a two week survey period, and families with children were denied assistance on 1 in 5 days. With 3 million Australians at risk of homelessness, Specialist Homelessness Services are at the front line of keeping people housed and finding people somewhere safe to sleep. Read the report here: https://lnkd.in/gS9HaWw6 #homelessness #unmetdemand #housing Nathan Blane Clare Saunders Brad Ruting Andrew Craston Julie Sonnemann

Homelessness Australia and Impact Economics and Policy have this week released a new research report Call Unanswered: Unmet Demand for Specialist Homelessness Services. DVNSW, along with a number of other peaks contributed funding to this research. You can join the No One Turned Away campaign supporting the Call Unanswered report, calling on Federal and State governments to help people facing homelessness by: •           Providing the support people need to avoid or quickly escape homelessness •           Providing rapid access to safe affordable homes •           Increasing income support so people can afford their rent DVNSW is calling for a 50% funding increase for specialist DFV services, including women’s refuges, to meet the current demand on services across NSW in the upcoming 2025-26 Pre-Budget submission. Read the report here: https://lnkd.in/gueC5Rer Support the campaign here: https://lnkd.in/gX47DJKf!

It’s always a pleasure to attend a Parliamentary Friends of Housing event when I’m in Canberra. Kudos to Homelessness Australia and Impact Economics and Policy for launching their report over the last two days, which explores in depth the future demand for homelessness services and the strain on our already extensively overstretched system. The report highlights the urgent need for increased funding for homelessness services to meet current and future demand. Without this funding, many individuals may be turned away with nowhere to go. Infact, they already are. It also discusses the importance of prevention, early intervention, and providing a diverse range of appropriate housing options. If implemented at scale, these measures could save governments significant amounts of money in the long run, across health, justice, education and other government service systems. To view the final report, check out the link below: 🔖 https://lnkd.in/gfh6Aheq Congratulations to Kate Colvin and her project team and to Dr Angela Jackson for the research. Another important contribution to the discourse on housing and homelessness policy and investment. 🙌 #Parliamentary #Friends #Housing #homelessness #FutureDemmand #Australia Homelessness Australia National Shelter Q Shelter #JoshBurnsMP Angie Bell MP Senator David Pocock

Our research team has been digging into the intersections of financial wellbeing with health and legal need - and how cross-sector collaboration can help. Next Wednesday, witness some collaboration in action as our Research Director Suzie Forell explores the topic with Dr Angela Jackson from Impact Economics and Policy, Phillip Usher from First Nations Foundation and Bronwyn Boon from Mission Australia in this Ecstra Foundation webinar! Register for the webinar here: https://lnkd.in/gSq7J62V

Our latest report Call Unanswered: Unmet Demand for Specialist Homelessness Services for Homelessness Australia was released this morning. It outlines how the housing crisis is impacting our frontline homelessness services, that are in urgent need of additional support. Thanks to the team at Channel Ten’s The Project for covering the report and the issues it highlights on its show tonight. #homelessness #unmetneed https://lnkd.in/gGkA_5QZ

Today we launched new research by Impact Economics that reveals the enormous pressure faced by homelessness services working at the coalface of the housing crisis. It revealed that the number of Australians at risk of homelessness has surged by 63% to 3.0 million people. Services are so overwhelmed that over two weeks, 39% had to close their doors at some point to manage demand and 83% couldn't answer phones at all times. The result is people who desperately need help can't get through to someone who can help them. A big shout out to the organisations who funded the research: Homelessness NSW Mission Australia Wesley Mission Uniting Communities Council To Homeless Persons Domestic Violence NSW Launch Housing St Mary's House of Welcome Safe and Equal Meli Southern Youth and Family Services Toward Home Women's & Girls' Emergency Centre (WAGEC) To turn this situation around, we've also launched a new campaign No One Turned Away to fight for the resources homelessness services need to meet people's need for help Read the report https://lnkd.in/gueC5Rer Join the campaign https://lnkd.in/gX47DJKf!

🚨 New research released today by Impact Economics and Policy reveals a shocking reality: 3 million people in Australia are at risk of homelessness, and our services are overwhelmed. 🚨 Homelessness services are being forced to close their doors, leave calls unanswered, and miss critical opportunities to prevent families from becoming homeless. We must take action now! Join the 'No One Turned Away' campaign from Homelessness Australia and help advocate for increased resources so everyone can get the support they need. 👉 Follow the link below to read the full report: https://lnkd.in/gS9HaWw6 #nooneturnedaway #endhomelessness #ImpactEconomics #housingcrisis #homelessnessawareness