In 2013, Housing SA released the Housing SA Blueprint as a future strategy to deliver a modern, connected, multi-provider housing and homelessness system. The Practice and Placemaking Project was established under the Blueprint to drive Housing SA’s service delivery reform. The New Service Delivery Model (NSDM) is the primary deliverable of this project, and forms the subject of this evaluation.

Implementation of the NSDM began in July 2014, and the model was successfully rolled out across all the 19 regional Housing SA offices by December 2015. The evaluation of the NSDM began in November 2014. It has been designed to be ongoing, dynamic and inclusive of the views of both Housing SA customers and staff. The findings here are based on quantitative and qualitative evidence, including administrative data, interviews with customers, and focus groups with staff.

The evaluation finds that the NSDM provides an effective service approach that supports and responds to customers based on their needs and level of risk and vulnerability. These findings identify key areas that require future development to enhance service delivery, including the need to improve services delivered to Aboriginal customers and consider different supports for private rental customers, as well as improving the infrastructure that supports evidence-based practice.

The NSDM is almost three years into a five-year change program, and these findings can inform the final stages of the NSDM reform.