This is the final report following a series of five research reports prepared for the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs over the last two years on Indigenous homelessness in regional Australia.

The overall aim of this project was to examine the phenomenon of Indigenous homelessness in Australian regional cities and to explore a range of service responses that have been developed for homeless and public-place dwelling Indigenous people in selected regional centres, so as to assess their appropriateness and effectiveness in responding to Indigenous homelessness.

Key findings:

Several key findings emerged through discussion of relevant information and issues raised in the five research reports:

• that special regional services are needed for homeless Indigenous Australians;
• that the Indigenous homeless population is underestimated;
• that chronically homeless Indigenous people may be accessing services in ways that perpetuate their dependence;
• that well-designed locally and regionally based programs can work well;
• that Indigenous involvement is highly significant for achieving positive outcomes; and
• that the accommodation needs of Indigenous people in highly mobile communities require further investigation to be fully understood.