Short-term or emergency accommodation is a service provided for the homeless, and those at risk of homelessness. This report explores the circumstances, experiences and housing outcomes of clients in short-term or emergency accommodation who sought assistance from specialist homelessness services between 1 July 2011 and 30 June 2015.

This report, produced by RMIT and Victoria's largest social housing provider Unison Housing, shows that the transition into social housing can be precarious for some people, with almost half of tenancies studied ending within 18 months.

This report has been prepared in response to consumer feedback that highlights the crisis in crisis accommodation in Melbourne’s north and west.

Across Victoria, there are only 423 crisis ‘beds’ available to people experiencing homelessness and/or family violence. When those beds are full, agencies are completely dependent on the private housing system and they use the limited funds they have available to access low end hotels and private roominghouses.

This report provides a fresh analysis of data on hidden homeless populations in unsupported temporary accommodation (UTA) in order to lift the lid on the true extent of homelessness in England.