Family groups are more likely to be turned away from supported
accommodation than other homeless people, according to a new report
released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
(AIHW).
As the major government safety net for people who are homeless,
the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) is often the
last resort for people who find themselves without safe, secure or
adequate housing.
'While the program accommodates large numbers of people
everyday, it cannot always meet all the requests that it receives
each day,' said Mr Justin Griffin, of the Institute's Supported
Accommodation and Crisis Services Unit.
Around one in two people who request immediate SAAP
accommodation are turned away on an average day, and almost two in
every three children accompanying a person seeking immediate
accommodation are refused a place.
However there is another side to this picture. Taking into
account the people already accommodated by SAAP service as well as
those seeking accommodation, these 'new requests' make up only a
small part of the total demand for SAAP accommodation.
'When we look at the data this way only three out of every 100
people cannot be accommodated on an average night. So while getting
into the system can be difficult, once accommodated, it is likely
that people who require more SAAP accommodation will continue to
have their needs met,' Mr Griffin said.
The report, Demand for SAAP accommodation 2003-04,
found that once in accommodation, family groups also tended to stay
longer than others.
The data suggest that accommodation for family groups is
relatively scarce in SAAP. However, further investigation needs to
be carried out to determine where and how many extra places are
required, or whether other support options are available for
homeless families.
A broader and more detailed report, Demand for SAAP
assistance by homeless people 2003-04, is available as an
Internet only release at: http://www.aihw.gov.au/publications/index.cfm/title/10191
28 February 2006
Further information: Mr Justin Griffin, AIHW,
tel. 02 6244 1206 or mob. 0419 239 581
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, AIHW, tel 61 2 6244 1032.
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications
Catalogue for availability of Demand for SAAP accommodation
2003-04.