3 Improving public housing
This Part of the report assesses ongoing work to improve public housing in Victoria, which has occurred primarily through:
2 Progress and challenges
This Part of the report examines the key challenges to public housing in Victoria leading up to the March 2017 release of the housing affordability strategy Homes for Victorians. In doing this, we have followed up on related recommendations from our 2012 audit Access to Public Housing.
Figure 2A shows the three recommendations in our 2012 audit that focused on addressing system-level challenges for public housing.
Figure 2A
Recommendations from our 2012 audit relating to system-level challenges for public housing
1 Audit context
Housing is important for all Victorians. Without access to affordable and secure housing, people face an increased risk of homelessness, mental illness and inability to meet living costs. Social housing is an important means of helping those in greatest need. Government, non-government and not-for-profit organisations provide social housing to people who are unable to access suitable accommodation in the private market. Figure 1A shows the types of social housing provided in Victoria.
Figure 1A
Social housing options
Audit overview
Access to affordable and secure housing reduces the risk of homelessness and improves people's capacity to meet living costs. It can also be beneficial in addressing issues such as mental illness.
Government and non-government not-for-profit organisations provide social housing to people who are unable to access suitable accommodation in the private market.
Social housing is an umbrella term for two different types of housing:
Managing Victoria’s Public Housing: Message
Ordered to be published
VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT PRINTER June 2017
PP No 254, Session 2014–17
Managing Victoria’s Public Housing
Body
In this audit, we examined whether the development of the whole-of-Victorian Government housing strategy, as it relates to public housing, is supported by sound advice, and whether the Department of Health and Human Services is managing public housing effectively.
Appendix B. The health ICT project assurance framework
Figure B1 is an overview of the Department of Health and Human Services' health ICT project assurance framework, developed by its Digitising Health branch. It is based on assurance activities at key project milestones from feasibility and planning to project closure. The milestones are in line with the government's gateway review process.
Figure B1
ICT Strategic Planning in the Health Sector
Appendix A. Audit Act 1994 section 16—submissions and comments
Introduction
We have professionally engaged with the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Premier and Cabinet and the four audited health services—Ballarat Health Services, Eastern Health, Melbourne Health and Northern Health throughout the course of the audit. In accordance with section 16(3) of the Audit Act 1994 we provided a copy of this report or relevant extracts to those agencies, and requested their submissions and comments.
3 Health services planning
An information and communications technology (ICT) strategic plan should define an agency's vision, set out the current ICT operating environment and need for change, and provide a plan for achieving goals and objectives. Development of clinical ICT systems is a key component of health services' ICT strategic plans.
2 Statewide planning
Sound planning provides a basis for decision-makers to establish health information and communications technology (ICT) systems that can improve how Victorians receive health care. For statewide health ICT strategic planning to be effective, it must promote a shared vision for health ICT throughout the public health sector, account for current assets and capabilities, and set out the actions and resources needed to realise this vision.
In this Part, we review whether the Department of Health and Human Services (the department):