Circumstances of clients before and after support
There were seven questions in the 2005-06 SAAP client collection with which information on the situation of clients before and after support was gathered. These questions allow some assessment of how effective SAAP is in improving the situation of clients, and also provide information on how the program may be tailored to better meet the needs of people who are homeless or at risk of becoming so. The data collected for all these questions are available in the annual report; abbreviated information on employment status, type of dwelling, type of tenure and who the clients were living with is on this page.
Employment status of clients before and after support
When examined according to all closed support periods, there were only small changes in the employment profile of clients from before to after support. In particular, there was a small increase in employment (either full time or part time), from 9% of closed support periods in the week before support to 10% in the week following support, and a small reduction in unemployment, from 24% before support to 22% after. The proportion not in the labour force, and hence not actively seeking employment, remained steady at 68%.
Among those clients who required assistance in the area of employment and training during their period of support, there was a marked increase in the proportion in paid work following support. These clients were employed in some capacity following 20% of closed support periods. This was more than double the figure of 8% before support. Correspondingly, the proportions where these clients were unemployed or were not in the labour force dropped from 43% and 49%, respectively, before support to 37% and 44% after support.
SAAP closed support periods: employment status in the week before and after a support period, Australia, 2005-06 (per cent)
|
|
Closed
support periods in which clients needed assistance in employment and
training |
|
All
closed support periods |
||
|
Employment status |
Before |
After |
|
Before |
After |
|
Employed full time |
2.2 |
7.1 |
|
3.2 |
4.2 |
|
Employed part time |
6.1 |
12.4 |
|
5.3 |
6.1 |
|
Unemployed (looking for work) |
42.9 |
36.5 |
|
23.5 |
21.7 |
|
Not in labour force |
48.8 |
44.0 |
|
67.9 |
68.0 |
|
Total |
100.0 |
100.0 |
|
100.0 |
100.0 |
|
Total (number with valid data) |
8,600 |
7,800 |
|
140,400 |
125,300 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number with 'Client left without providing any
information' |
n.a. |
300 |
|
n.a. |
9,400 |
|
Number with Don't know' |
100 |
500 |
|
17,300 |
20,400 |
|
Number with missing data |
100 |
200 |
|
2,400 |
4,800 |
|
Total (number) |
8,800 |
8,800 |
|
160,000 |
160,000 |
Note: Figures have been weighted to adjust for agency non-participation and client non-consent.
Source: SAAP National Data Collection annual report 2005-2006 Australia. Table 8.2.
Type of dwelling before and after support
This question addressed the physical structure of the dwelling a client occupied before and after support. Generally, positive housing outcomes were reported for clients following support. For example, the most common type of house or dwelling occupied both before and after support was a house or flat and this increased from 65% of closed support periods immediately before support to 71% of closed support periods following support.
Where SAAP workers indicated that a client required assistance to obtain or maintain independent housing, more marked improvements were seen in the type of house or dwelling occupied after support. In particular, accommodation in a house or flat rose from 68% to 79%.
SAAP closed support periods: type of house/dwelling immediately before and after a support period, Australia, 2005-06 (per cent)
|
|
Closed
support periods in which clients needed assistance to obtain/maintain |
|
All
closed support periods |
||
|
Type of house/dwelling |
Before |
After |
|
Before |
After |
|
Improvised
dwelling/sleeping rough |
8.9 |
2.2 |
|
10.5 |
4.7 |
|
Improvised dwelling/car/tent/squat |
5.7 |
1.5 |
|
5.5 |
2.4 |
|
Street/park/in the open |
3.2 |
0.6 |
|
5.0 |
2.3 |
|
House/dwelling |
85.3 |
94.5 |
|
83.9 |
90.5 |
|
House/flat |
67.5 |
79.4 |
|
65.4 |
70.9 |
|
Caravan |
3.2 |
2.6 |
|
2.6 |
2.2 |
|
Boarding/rooming house |
7.6 |
7.8 |
|
8.6 |
10.1 |
|
Hostel/hotel/motel |
7.0 |
4.7 |
|
7.3 |
7.4 |
|
Institutional
setting |
5.7 |
3.4 |
|
5.6 |
4.8 |
|
Hospital |
0.9 |
0.4 |
|
1.0 |
0.6 |
|
Psychiatric institution |
0.6 |
0.4 |
|
0.6 |
0.5 |
|
Prison/youth training centre |
1.4 |
0.5 |
|
1.3 |
0.5 |
|
Other institutional setting |
3.0 |
2.1 |
|
2.7 |
3.2 |
|
Total |
100.0 |
100.0 |
|
100.0 |
100.0 |
|
Total (number with valid data) |
37,100 |
29,400 |
|
139,100 |
109,300 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number with 'Client left without providing any
information' |
n.a. |
4,300 |
|
n.a. |
15,400 |
|
Number with 'Don't know' |
1,500 |
4,200 |
|
15,100 |
26,600 |
|
Number with missing data |
600 |
1,300 |
|
5,800 |
8,600 |
|
Total (number) |
39,200 |
39,200 |
|
160,000 |
160,000 |
Note: Figures have been weighted to adjust for agency non-participation and client non-consent.
Source: SAAP National Data Collection annual report 2005-2006 Australia. Table 8.5.
Type of tenure before and after support
This question addresses the type of tenure, that is, the legal right that the client had to occupy the house or dwelling they were living in, immediately before and after support.
The majority of clients had some form of tenure both before and after support, and this increased after receiving SAAP support (from 71% of closed support periods before support to 75% after). The most common type of tenure was private rental, in 25% of closed support periods before support and 27% after.
The proportion in which clients had no tenure decreased from 15% before support to 9% after support. The most common form of no tenure was an improvised dwelling or sleeping rough, which decreased from 10% of closed support periods before support to 5% after support.
In 14% of all closed support periods, clients were living in SAAP or CAP funded accommodation before support. This increased slightly to 17% after support. The most common type of SAAP or CAP accommodation was crisis or short-term accommodation (in 9% of closed support periods both before and after support).
SAAP closed support periods: type of tenure immediately before and after a support period, Australia, 2005-06 (per cent)
|
|
Closed
support periods in which clients needed assistance to obtain/maintain |
|
All
closed support periods |
||
|
Type
of tenure |
Before |
After |
|
Before |
After |
|
SAAP/CAP
funded accommodation |
15.6 |
13.6 |
|
13.7 |
16.9 |
|
SAAP/CAP
crisis/short term accommodation |
10.5 |
5.6 |
|
9.1 |
8.9 |
|
SAAP/CAP
medium/long term accommodation |
2.9 |
6.1 |
|
2.4 |
5.1 |
|
Other SAAP/CAP
funded accommodation |
2.2 |
1.9 |
|
2.2 |
2.9 |
|
No
tenure |
13.7 |
4.5 |
|
15.1 |
8.6 |
|
Institutional
setting |
3.5 |
1.8 |
|
3.7 |
2.6 |
|
Improvised
dwelling/sleeping rough |
7.9 |
1.7 |
|
9.6 |
4.9 |
|
Other |
2.3 |
1.0 |
|
1.8 |
1.0 |
|
Tenure |
70.7 |
82.0 |
|
71.1 |
74.5 |
|
Purchasing/purchased
own home |
2.9 |
1.9 |
|
4.0 |
3.3 |
|
Private rental |
27.6 |
35.5 |
|
25.2 |
26.7 |
|
Public housing
rental |
7.6 |
17.7 |
|
11.3 |
15.6 |
|
Community
housing rental |
2.0 |
5.1 |
|
3.8 |
5.6 |
|
Rent-free
accommodation |
9.7 |
5.2 |
|
9.0 |
6.5 |
|
Boarding |
21.0 |
16.5 |
|
17.9 |
16.8 |
|
Total |
100.0 |
100.0 |
|
100.0 |
100.0 |
|
Total
(number with valid data) |
36,000 |
28,600 |
|
135,100 |
106,400 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number with
'Client left without providing any information' |
n.a. |
4,400 |
|
n.a. |
16,000 |
|
Number with
'Don't know' |
2,500 |
5,000 |
|
20,800 |
31,400 |
|
Number with
missing data |
700 |
1,200 |
|
4,100 |
6,200 |