The number of Australians who accessed the Supported
Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) in 2002-03 has increased
from 83,200 to 97,600 annually in the seven years since 1996-97,
according to a report released today by the Australian Institute of
Health and Welfare (AIHW).
Combined government funding in 2002-03 for the program was $310
million. The 1,282 SAAP agencies across Australia received a total
of $297 million, up 30% in real terms since 1996-97.
The Commonwealth-State/Territory governments' SAAP program
provides support and accommodation for people who are homeless or
at risk of homelessness.
Head of the SAAP National Data Collection Agency at the AIHW,
Justin Griffin, said that in addition to the 97,600 clients, 53,800
accompanying children used the program during 2002-03.
The AIHW report, Homeless people in SAAP, also shows
that almost 65,000 people under the age of 18 received some form of
support or accommodation from the program.
Almost 2% of all young Australian women aged 18-19 years
received some form of assistance from the program during the last
financial year. Overall, more female clients (58%) than male
clients (42%) used the Program. The average age of female clients
was 30 years, while for men it was 33 years. Just under 90% of
accompanying children were aged 12 years or under.
Indigenous Australians comprised 18% of SAAP clients compared
with their representation in the Australian population of less than
2%.
The main reasons overall for seeking assistance were domestic
violence (22% of all support periods), eviction or previous
accommodation ended (11%), usual accommodation was unavailable
(11%), or relationship breakdown (11%).
The types of support most often provided by SAAP agencies were
housing services/accommodation, general support or advocacy
(including living skills, assistance with legal issues,
advice/information, retrieval of belongings, liaison on behalf of
client), and basic support services such as meals, showers, laundry
facilities, recreation, and transport.
Clients who were accommodated for longer periods in SAAP were
more likely to move into independent housing after support.
Employment levels for clients who requested job assistance from
SAAP agencies more than doubled from around 9% before support to
19% after support.
18 December 2003
Further information: Mr Justin Griffin, AIHW,
02 6244 1206
Mr Doug Limbrick, Dept of Family and Community Services, 02 6212
9021
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, tel. 02 6244 1032.
Availability: Check the AIHW
Publications Catalogue for details.