The Commonwealth-State governments' Supported Accommodation
Assistance Program (SAAP) assists around 15,000 clients on any
given day according to preliminary 1998-99 estimates released today
by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
The Program provides support and accommodation for people in
crisis.
In 1998-99, 54% of SAAP clients were women. Approximately 40% of
all clients were between 15 and 25 years of age, while only 8% of
clients were aged 50 or more.
In almost 50% of cases, relationship breakdown or family
conflict was cited as the main reason for seeking assistance.
- In agencies targeting young people, the main reason most
frequently given was relationship or family breakdown (25%).
- In agencies targeting single men, financial difficulty (26%)
and substance abuse (18%) were most commonly given as main
reasons.
- Domestic violence was cited as the main reason for seeking
assistance in 14% of cases for agencies targeting families; 19% for
those targeting single women, and 70% for agencies targeting women
escaping domestic violence.
- People using agencies targeting families or targeting a range
of groups most commonly gave financial difficulty or eviction as
main reasons (36% combined).
In agencies for single men, accommodation services were provided
in 92% of support periods, compared to 66% in agencies targeting
young people.
Two-thirds of support periods in agencies for women escaping
domestic violence involved counselling services. Counselling
services were provided in only 16% of support periods in agencies
for single men.
Nearly 89,000 people received support and/or accommodation under
the SAAP program in 1998-99. This figure is below the 94,000
clients assisted in 1997-98, but above the 83,000 clients assisted
in 1996-97.
Falls were observed in all jurisdictions except the Northern
Territory, where there was a slight rise.
Head of the SAAP National Data Collection Agency at the AIHW, Mr
Justin Griffin, said that although the number of clients assisted
had fallen, there was some evidence that more support was being
given to these clients.
'Our preliminary estimates indicate a marginal increase in the
number of support periods per client, and a very slight shift
towards longer support periods.'
- SAAP 1998-99 preliminary results (53K
PDF)
2 December 1999
Further information: Mr Justin Griffin, AIHW,
ph. 02 6244 1206; Dr Ching Choi, AIHW, ph. 02 6244 1197; and Mr
Doug Limbrick, Department of Family and Community Services, ph. 02
6212 9021.
Media contact: Michelle Wells, AIHW, ph.
02 6244 1012; or Anne Learmonth, COSA, ph. 03 9635 5191 or 03 9235
8623 (on 24 November 1999).
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, ph. 02 6244 1032.
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications Catalogue
for details.